By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
High Street Residential is requesting a rezoning and minor General Plan amendment to allow the development of Sundown Commons, a 239-unit mixed-use multifamily community on approximately 8.53 gross acres at the NEC of 70th Street and Shea Blvd. in Scottsdale.
According to the submitted narrative, “The GPA request from Commercial to Mixed-Use Neighborhoods and rezoning request from C-2 (C)/P-4* to PUD PSD allows for a synergistic mixed-use community comprised of existing commercial/retail and new residential development including housing for first responders, healthcare workers, and teachers.”
To maintain that focus on workforce affordability, units are planned in studio and one-bedroom floorplans. Planned amenities include “enhanced pedestrian connectivity, underground parking, a fitness room, landscaped courtyards, and two publicly accessible pickleball courts with associated parking.” Site drawings also feature a pool near the southern courtyard.
The project, as planned, could encounter difficulties when and if it comes before the City Council. Scottsdale’s General Plan 2025 defines “high density” residential developments as having between eight and 25 units/acre. Sundown Commons’ proposed density is 28.02 units. That density would put the project in the category of “highest density,” for which the General Plan makes no provisions and which only appears in the document glossary.
In hearing previous cases, Mayor David Ortega has repeatedly referred to the 25-unit density cap as “a mandate,” rather than the general planning guideline that is a General Plan’s operational status.
The narrative describes at length the proposal’s contributions to the General Plan’s target areas of Character & Culture, Sustainability & Environment, Collaboration & Engagement, Community Well-Being, Connectivity, Revitalization, Innovation & Prosperity.
The crux of the supporting argument can be found in the response to the land use goal of attracting and retaining diverse land uses to support Scottsdale residents’ economic wellbeing. “The rezoning request will accelerate the redevelopment of a struggling retail site, surrounded by a variety of supporting commercial, services, and residential land uses that will offer services to the residents and visitors of the development. The Property’s existing retail center building is setback approximately 200+/- feet north of Shea Boulevard, which makes it less suitable for successful retail yet ideally situated for residential. The proposed investment is estimated at $100M and the addition of new residences will bring additional sales tax dollars to the area, help preserve existing small businesses, further strengthening Scottsdale’s economic stability and promoting the lifestyle qualities Scottsdale is known for.”
The proposal also directly addresses the stated goal of supporting diverse, high-quality housing by saying, “Scottsdale is experiencing an increased demand for housing options. This proposal will help meet the growing need for housing while also providing housing for teachers, nurses, first responders, and small business workers, further contributing to the long-term economic prosperity of the surrounding area. Further, the development will help diversify the local economy and support a sustainable economic future as the City continues to grow, change, and mature. According to a recent analysis by the City, approximately 72% of City of Scottsdale employees do not live in Scottsdale, while 84% of police and 83% of fire employees do not live in Scottsdale.”
The demographic points regarding City employees, emergency personnel and private business owners and employees not being able to afford to live in Scottsdale have long been raised by supporters of increased and diversified housing development in the city, including in economic development and housing data presentations by economist Elliot D. Pollack and advocacy group HOME Arizona, among others.
Sundown Commons’ developer is High Street Residential, which is a subsidiary of Trammell Crow Company. The design firm is ESG. SEG – Sustainability Engineering Group is the civil engineer, and the traffic engineer is Lokahi Group. Landscape drawings were provided by CollectiV Landscape Architects. Project outreach is managed by Technical Solutions, and the project is represented by Berry Riddell LLC.
No hearing dates have been scheduled yet before the Scottsdale Planning Commission or City Council.
