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A developer’s plans to construct a four-story apartment building adjacent to a roundabout have been dropped along with the rezoning application.
WCG Partners LLC, represented by Paul Poteet and Marco Diaz of Summa Terra Ventures, had requested a rezoning of three parcels of approximately 4.5 acres for a 152-unit leased project coined, “Superstition Ridge Apartments” at the southeast corner of Superstition Boulevard and North Apache Trail/State Route 88.
“The applicants have withdrawn their petition for rezoning. We also got confirmation from the property owner that the property is no longer under contract for escrow,” Apache Junction Development Services Director Larry Kirch said at a recent council meeting.
“The planning commission did vote 5-0 to turn it down; at that point, the applicant withdrew,” he said.
The location was not right for the development, Mayor Jeff Serdy said. “And I think everyone is relieved that they’ve pulled it. I think people liked the project, just nowhere near this location,” he said.
Meridian and Baseline would be a better location for such a project, he said.
Later he suggested that the property near the roundabout would be perfect for a resort.
“A mini, low-profile resort with underground parking,” Mayor Serdy said.
“It would be a good place for a hotel. Not four stories --- a low-level,” Councilmember Robin Barker said.
If an apartment complex were built at the location, it should be no more than three stories tall, Councilmember Gail Evans said.
“I, personally, didn’t have a problem with it, other than I would prefer three stories,” she said. “Because that location right there in that busy roundabout would be hard for a business to be there, single-family homes wouldn’t necessarily want to be in a roundabout, but high-density apartments --- I would prefer townhomes or condos. But we need the density in the downtown area,” she said.
Accepting the withdrawal of the rezoning application was approved in a unanimous vote of the City Council on June 2. Councilmember Christa Rizzi was not at the meeting.
The apartments were a project of Summa Terra Ventures, a regional real estate development company out of Springville, Utah, that specializes in multi-family entitlement and development, Tanner Hiatt, senior project manager, said in a project narrative.
There were to be two, four-story buildings and 267 parking stalls. The unit mix included 24 studio units, 84 one-bedroom/one-bath units and 44 two-bedroom/one-bath units.
The complex was also to have a pool, eight pickleball courts, a leasing office, game room and workout space, he said.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia, Inc.. USA, since 1987.
Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
He also is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows
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