By BEX Staff for AZBEX
After owner Arcus Private Capital Solutions requested an indefinite continuance late last year to reevaluate water restrictions on its planned Rittenhouse Commons II 166-lot housing development, the issue was brought back to the Queen Creek Town Council for a vote June 18.
The developer had requested and been granted a rezoning from commercial to medium-density residential for 16.5 acres at the NEC of Sossaman and Rittenhouse roads in June 2023 for a for-sale townhome development. An amendment to a planned area development overlay was submitted and recommended by the Planning Commission last October and will allow the townhomes to be developed and marketed as either for sale or rent.
According to the staff report, “Rittenhouse Commons II was approved as a single-family attached, gated townhome community with 166 lots and a net density of 10.1 units per acre. In comparison to a traditional single-family subdivision, these townhomes share a common 24’ wide driveway between units that provides vehicular access into each of the homes 2 -2-car garages to function as an alley-loaded product. The applicant is requesting an amendment to the MDR/PAD Rezone that was approved by Town Council on June 7, 2023. The project approval included a project narrative with language representing “ the development of a single-family attached for-sale townhome neighborhood.” The proposed PAD Amendment provides a revised project narrative with language that no longer identifies product ownership. Approval of the amendment would allow the project to proceed with the residential units being available for either ownership or rental occupancy. No other changes to the approved project are proposed.”
The site had been annexed by the Town and zoned commercial in 2016 for a planned retail and commercial development that never materialized, according to Town documents and a local news report.
Plans call for single-family style attached two-story townhomes in three-, four- and five-plex clusters across 41 individual buildings. Planned amenities include more than seven acres of open space, a pool, courts for pickleball and cornhole, outdoor gathering areas and a main clubhouse.
Some nearby residents objected to the transition from ownership-only to mixed rental. Others expressed concerns about traffic impacts.
Council approved the request on a 6-1 vote.
The project owner is Arcus Private Capital Solutions. The architect is Baxley Architectural and Consulting (DesignItects). IPlan Consulting was the project representative and served as a development advisor with EPS Group, Inc.
