Retail pads, airpark homes, more OK'd by Chandler planning board
Courtesy of City of Chandler
This diagram shows where landscaping would be planted around most of the planned smaller buildings in the Sun Village Fair shopping center at Alma School and Warner roads (Alma School Road would be just out of view on the left). A development plan that allows additional retail-pad buildings in the redeveloped shopping center was one of six items the Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission recommended for approval at its Sept. 16 meeting.
In a year that’s had little consistency in how many city of Chandler development applications are in front of the Planning and Zoning Commission at any one time, the most recent meeting was where the most approvals of the year were recommended.
The board recommended approval of six separate developments at its Sept. 16 meeting.
And only one of the items ended up with added stipulations added during the meeting.
A replacement stipulation that addresses demolition and phasing was all that was added to a complex proposal to add four small buildings in the Sun Village Fair shopping center at Alma School and Warner roads.
The plan would allow additional retail-pad buildings in the redeveloped shopping center.
Commissioner Charlotte Golla asked about the idea of mixed-use development, which had been discussed previously as what would work well in the western vacated half of a shopping center anchored by a Walmart.
Acting Planning Administrator David De La Torre explained.
“When this parcel was up for sale, there was a lot of interest, and we certainly brought up that this corner would be ideal for either mixed-use or high-density residential (rezoning),” De La Torre said. “But it didn’t go that way. The new owner wants to keep it commercial, which they have the right to do.”
A former Fry’s grocery, vacant since 2017, was remodeled and split into different storefronts. Petsmart recently opened its 1,700th store in one of those storefronts, with Ross and Burlington Coat Factory still remodeling and planning to open soon.
Madison Leake, an attorney with Burch & Cracchiolo, stated Chick-fil-A and Chipotle will likely be two of the four users of the planned smaller buildings.
Another item greenlighted at the meeting was a rezoning amendment to include adult daycare as a permitted use within a planned area development for professional offices. The two West Chandler Boulevard structures were built before 1950 and have been operating as offices since 1994 when use permits were first approved, but an amendment to the PAD is required to add it to the uses allowed at the subject sites, a staff report states.
Another item initially on the board’s Sept. 16 agenda was a comprehensive sign plan for Burlington Coat Factory, but that was continued to allow the applicant more time to prepare it.
Also recommended for approval by the board was a development plan for a 7-11 gas station and convenience store on the southwest corner of Northrop Boulevard and Cooper Road, just south of Andretti Karting and Loop 202.
As an airpark-area development, the project received a unanimous recommendation of approval from the Chandler Airport Commission in August.
A rezoning for five residential units at Stellar City North to establish site-specific development standards for residential aircraft hangars was also recommended for approval. So was a development plan for Vineyard Park, a 16-unit infill planned area development for single-family homes near the northwest corner of Germann and Alma School roads.
Finally, a use permit to install a new mono-broadleaf wireless communication facility at the southeast corner of Ray Road and McClintock Drive was also recommended for council approval.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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