The City of Phoenix is considering annexing 28 acres of unincorporated land in Maricopa County at Dobbins Road and 32nd Avenue to enable the site’s development with a 489-unit multifamily project.
City to City Commercial requested the annexation to allow access to City services for the property. The real estate brokerage firm has been active in south Phoenix in recent years and is the owner behind a master planned residential and commercial development at 19th Avenue and Baseline Road that will have a WinCo Foods as the retail anchor. (AZBEX; May 8)
According to the materials submitted for City Council consideration, the site lies approximately 400 feet west of the SWC of Dobbins and 30th Avenue. “The applicant is requesting the annexation to allow the uses under the City of Phoenix R-3 zoning, including up to 489 apartments, condominiums, and/or townhomes,” the report says.
The site is located in the City’s Laveen Planning Village and currently carries R-3 zoning from Maricopa County. The same zoning would be set if the annexation is approved. Surrounding uses are primarily single-family residential, with some larger lot residential and small-scale commercial uses as well.
As proposed, the multifamily development would have a density of 17.4 units/acre. Under R-3 zoning, standard developments are capped at 4.5 units/acre, but that limit can be raised up to 17.5 with Planned Residential Development bonuses.
Staff has recommended approval of the annexation request, citing both the service access requests and City policies under Phoenix’s General Plan 2025.
According to the stated General Plan goal, “Land uses and development standards for unincorporated land adjacent to or surrounded by the city should be consistent with adopted city plans where applicable. Annexed land uses and development should be compatible with the surrounding land uses and character of an area.”
The most relevant policy point under the goal encourages the annexation of county lands adjacent to city land that are planned for development “rather than providing water and service beyond the city limits.”
In examining the request, staff examined the various City services that will be affected by the proposed annexation, as well as the financial benefits and impacts. Water and sewer connection, which are the most prominent, would require extensive infrastructure improvements to connect to the Phoenix systems, all of which would be the responsibility of the developer. All existing private wells would have to be disconnected to ensure there is no risk of cross-contaminating the City water system. Specific infrastructure and design details would be considered in the pre-application process after annexation.
The materials note, “It is the City’s intent to provide water and sewer service. However, the requirements and assurances for water and sewer service are determined during the site plan application review, or the building permit approval, and may be subject to future restrictions as a result of water shortage.”
Other service factors include police, fire, trash collection, transit, parks and recreation, and schools. Parks and recreation are estimated at an annual cost of $202K, and the development would generate an estimated 538 new students to area school districts.
Total impact fees collected at full buildout are estimated at slightly more than $3M, and the annual tax generated across all types of revenue, taxes and fees is expected to be $613K. The total estimated first year revenue is calculated to be $2.995M, with total annual revenues for 2026 and beyond predicted at -$37K.
City Council will hold a non-voting public hearing to gather input on Oct. 21. Formal adoption or denial of the request will be voted on at an as-yet-unscheduled later date.