A multifamily component to The Ranch project in east Gilbert got its public unveiling this week with the stamp of neighborhood approval, but it also was met with some Planning Commission skepticism.
This part of what has been mostly a light industrial project is meant to be a buffer between that light industrial area and the Morrison Ranch neighborhood to the west.
The 39 acres shown to the Planning Commission on April 5 would include medium density multifamily residential, plus some general commercial and mixed-use residential over retail development. It covers a portion of the 300-acre project on the westside of Power Road between Elliot and Warner roads.
This part of the development is being called Residences at the Ranch. The 39 acres sits in an L shape along the north and west sides of the total project area. Multifamily would run along the north side with general commercial in the portion jutting from the corner. Small mixed use would run on the north side between the general commercial and more multifamily.
The overall Ranch project drew vocal protests from the neighbors last fall with moments where Gilbert Town Council struggled to keep control of angry neighbors at council meetings. That project called for the 300 acres of vacant land from a former dairy farm to become a light industrial project. The land previously had been zoned mostly for general commercial use as well as some business-park and light-industrial usages.
Morrison Ranch neighbors were not supportive of that change of zoning, which would have required a major General Plan amendment to accomplish. Their concerns included objecting to the buildings’ heights, the lack of transition to residential housing, the development being too intense for the area, the proposal not fitting in with the vision for the Morrison Ranch area, noise and truck traffic.
But council granted a continuance on the project in December as neighbors and developers began to work together to find a mutually acceptable project.
The developers are IndiCap, a privately held corporation that specializes in ground-up industrial investment and development services; the Colmena Group, a real estate development and investment company; and investor Langley Properties.
The Residences at the Ranch marked a first appearance of what is coming from those meetings, though Sean Lake, an attorney representing the developers, said the plan is to bring the whole project, including what remains light industrial, to council at one time.
“We have been working with a group of seven neighborhood leaders who are working with us to try to come up with a plan that works,” Lake said. “Those aren’t just meetings we have had. Those are going to be continued discussions throughout, so that by the time both of these applications get to council, we’ll have a package that we’re hand in hand working with the neighbors that they can agree to, we can agree to, and working with staff, this is all done right.”
No action was taken at Planning Commission as the presentation was made at a study session with the intent to get commissioners’ input.
The reaction was mixed, though commissioners were approving of the work being done with the neighbors.
“I appreciate all of these changes,” Commissioner Lesley Davis said. “It’s definitely achieving what I was hoping for for the neighborhood, and why I wasn’t supportive of it the last time, to provide adequate buffering for the existing residential community. The part I’m struggling with a little bit is we’re going to be bringing in these multifamily units, and they’re next to the industrial.”
Commissioner William Fay said neighbors had truck traffic concerns but this proposal would make overall traffic at the site worse.
“I don’t know that people are appreciating that,” he said.
Chairman Jan Simon agreed with Fay and also wondered about the multifamily element, which he said is the No. 1 thing they hear about from residents.
“I’m looking at, do I want to put multifamily on 39 acres that’s currently not zoned for that when I have community members continuously reaching out to me, telling me, ‘don’t allow any more multifamily in the town of Gilbert.’”
Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on Twitter. We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
Tom Blodgett Senior News Editor | Gilbert @sp_blodgett
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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