Land Use Context
The property is vacant and has a General Plan designation of Neighborhood Commercial/Office. The existing land uses and General Plan designations for the surrounding area are provided in Attachments 2 and 4.
Site Conditions
- 17.8 acres
- Property is vacant with exception of an HOA monument sign
- Two existing curb cuts, each located on Vistoso Highlands Drive and Rancho Vistoso Boulevard
Approvals-to-date
- June 1987: Rancho Vistoso Planned Area Development, Commercial (C-1) zoning
Analysis of Request
Major General Plan Amendments are reviewed for conformance with the amendment criteria and the General Plan. To ensure conformance, the proposed amendment has been evaluated using the General Plan and the Your Voice, Our Future Plan, which is scheduled for voter ratification in November 2016.
Below is an analysis of the proposed amendment in regards to the existing amendment criteria and the currently adopted General Plan. A more detailed analysis of the project’s conformance with the amendment criteria, General Plan and the Your Voice, Our Future Plan is provided in Attachments 5 and 6, respectively.
Amendment Criteria
The proposed amendment conforms with the existing amendment criteria found in the Zoning Code. These criteria deal with changes in the community, socio-economic betterment, market demand, and compatibility with the surrounding area. Below is a summary of the project’s conformance with each of the four criterion.
1. Changes in the Community
In 2013, the Town Council denied a similar request on the property on the basis that the retention of a neighborhood-level commercial use would better serve the community. Since the denial, there have been several surrounding subdivisions approved or proposed with far fewer homes than the Rancho Vistoso PAD envisioned. According to staff’s research, only one-third (888 out of 2,638) of the entitled homes will be developed. The underdevelopment of these parcels is considered a significant change since the last application.
It is readily apparent that a neighborhood-level commercial use is no longer viable on the property because there are not enough homes or vehicular traffic in the surrounding area to support a future commercial development. The locations and total number of dwelling units for the surrounding subdivisions are shown in Attachment 7.
It is worth noting that a commercial use on this property may detract from the success of other existing and future commercial developments in Rancho Vistoso (e.g., Mountain Vista Plaza on the northeast corner of Sun City and Rancho Vistoso Boulevards, Rancho Vistoso Center on the northwest corner Oracle Road and Rancho Vistoso Boulevard, and the vacant commercial parcel on the southeast corner of Ranch Vistoso Boulevard and Moore Road, etc.).
Although the proposed residential development is compatible with the surrounding area, careful consideration should be given to the proposed lower density (2.19 homes per acre) which can have a long-term negative impact on the viability of other commercial properties in Rancho Vistoso. Attachment 8 shows an inventory of developed and vacant commercial properties in this area.
2. Socio-Economic Betterment
The proposed amendment to MDR contributes to the betterment of the adjacent neighbors by allowing the construction of a residential development with lesser impacts than those uses permitted under the existing commercial zoning.
3. Market Demand
The applicant’s request appears to be in response to the current market demand for single-family detached homes. This is evident by the total number of building permits issued for new homes and the recently approved subdivisions in the surrounding area.
4. Compatibility with the Surrounding Area
The above criterion is met on the basis that the impacts of the proposed subdivision will be mitigated through the Town’s rezoning and design process. Specific mitigation measures have been proposed as part of the rezoning application, such as a one-story building height restriction.
General Plan Conformance
The proposed amendment is consistent with the Vision, Goals and Policies of both the General Plan and the Your Voice, Our Future Plan. The applicable Goals and Policies relate to compatibility, environmental protection and housing type. A more detailed analysis is provided in Attachments 5 and 6.
If approved, this Major General Plan Amendment will be folded in the Your Voice, Our Future Plan, which is scheduled for voter ratification in November 2016.
Planning and Zoning Commission Review
The proposed amendment was considered by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) at their August 23 and September 6, 2016 meetings. The main topic discussed at the meetings included the viability of other vacant commercial properties in Rancho Vistoso.
At the conclusion of the September 6, 2016 meeting, the commission recommended approval based on the finding that the proposed amendment is consistent with the General Plan and conforms with the amendment criteria. The PZC staff reports and meeting minutes are included as Attachments 9 and 10.
Public Notification and Comments
The following public notification has been provided:
- All property owners within 1,000 feet
- Additional interested parties who signed in at neighborhood meetings
- Homeowners Association mailing
- Advertisement in The Daily Territorial and Arizona Daily Star newspapers
- Post on property
- Post at Town Hall and on Town website
- Outside review agencies
Two neighborhood meetings were held on April 25 and June 30, 2016, with approximately 40 residents at each meeting. The main topics discussed at the meetings included preserving the existing views to the east, traffic circulation, architecture and wall design.
In response to the neighbors’ concerns for view preservation, the applicant has agreed to limit the proposed building height to 25’, one-story for pitch roof homes and 22’ one-story for flat roof homes. The applicant has also agreed to design a perimeter wall in conformance with the Rancho Vistoso HOA Design Guidelines. These agreements are included as conditions in the accompanying rezoning application.
A copy of the neighborhood meeting summary notes are provided as Attachment 11, and five letters of concern are included as Attachment 12. |
I MOVE to adopt Resolution No. (R)16-48, approving a Major General Plan Amendment from Neighborhood Commercial/Office (NCO) to Medium Density Residential for Parcel 10J, Rancho Vistoso, finding that the proposed amendment is consistent with the General Plan and conforms with the amendment criteria.
OR
I MOVE to deny the requested Major General Plan Amendment from Neighborhood Commercial/Office (NCO) to Medium Density Residential for Parcel 10J, Rancho Vistoso, finding that _________________________.
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