3% of Apache Junction zoned for commercial uses, city official says

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

The next time the city of Apache Junction updates its general plan, additional locations for commercial and retail businesses should be identified, a staff planner advised the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission recently.

Only 797 acres — or about 3% — of the total zoned land area in Apache Junction is commercial, Planner Nick Leftwich said during the commission’s April 9 meeting as part of a commercial land analysis presentation.

“(W)e have a lot of preexisting development where we’re looking at the northern core of the city and so we’re trying to fit in commercial. It’s very important for the city, both sales taxes as well as just employment opportunities. We don’t want to export all of our labor outside the city, for both quality of life but also just for the growth of the city itself. It’s important that we have both retail sales but also an employment core,” he said.

“(W)e’d like to look at the general plan land use map in order to better facilitate these commercial cores,” Leftwich said.

The city is required to update and adopt its general plan, which guides future growth for the community, every 10 years. Apache Junction voters last approved the city’s general plan in 2020.

Voters are slated to next vote on a general plan update in 2030, Leftwich said.

3% commercially zoned

Geographic data excluding roads and the Central Arizona Project canal, but including State Trust and federal properties, shows of the 27,188 acres — approximately 42 square miles — making up the city of Apache Junction, 797 acres is commercially zoned, Leftwich said during the commission meeting.

“The total commercially zoned acreage — which is specifically for this study the B-1, B2 and B-3 zones — those being where commercial retail, service, restaurant all of that kind of activity happens, that comprises approximately 797 acres or about 3% of this total zoned land area,” he said.

Much of the commercially zoned land in use is in nodes along Apache Trail. Most of the commercial zoned property near U.S. Highway 60 is vacant, Leftwich said.

Much of the commercially zoned land in use is in nodes along Apache Trail. Most of the commercial zoned property near U.S. Highway 60 is vacant.

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Commission discussion

Much of the land to be developed for commercial uses is not on the north or east sides of Apache Junction, but to the south, Commissioner Richard Cantwell said.

“As I see the development, I think you’ll be seeing the nodes where the new development is going to be. Like I think the next node is going to be probably southeast, maybe Elliot (Road) as the crossroad and then you’ll have kind of the same southwest with the new development down there, you’ll have some commercial area down there. I don’t think you’re going to have a lot between that and the existing nodes,” he said.

Commissioner Dirk Begeman questioned the city’s recent approvals of changing commercial-zoned property to multifamily residential uses.

“My worry is that if we keep talking about removing commercial sites that are available and turning them into high-density residential areas, we are losing opportunities for commercial sites,” he said. “Perhaps we have somebody comes and wants to have a light manufacturing industry or light industry. There’s no place for them to go.”

Changes should be made to the general plan to show where high-density residential uses can be placed, another commissioner said.

“If we’re going to keep changing commercial to residential, then I would think that it would be wise to go back to the general plan, look at those areas and make those changes in the general plan so we’re not continuously having to go through that process with each individual piece of property,” Vice Chair Robin Barker said.

She asked that the commission be regularly updated on development coming in to the south.

“What would really be nice because a lot of these things do not come through planning and zoning anymore — there was a time I think when everything came through planning and zoning if I remember correctly — it would be really nice to periodically get a list of those things that are going in that we’re not going to see at all. It would certainly keep us aware of what is going in around all of these areas that we do deal with. So I would request that if that’s possible,” Barker said.

The commission’s primary duties include community contact regarding items such as a zoning change request, to an application from a developer for a shopping center development or housing project. Also included are conditional-use permits with the final decision being handled at the Planning & Zoning Commission level. There are seven members appointed who serve three-year terms, according to the city’s website.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: 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. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.