After a process that received opposition from some community members but seemed to peter out leading up to a vote, the Peoria Planning and Zoning Commission recommended to city council an increase in multifamily units to the Vistancia commercial core, as well as the removal of two potential golf courses from the plan.
The approval allows the developer to increase the overall maximum dwelling units from 10,500 to 12,000.
The commission unanimously recommended the case, 5-0, Aug. 17.
City council will have final approval on the case at a later date.
Commissioner Jeff Nelson said he is confident city staff will hold the developer accountable to get the product that has been promised and that residents are hoping for.
This is the product that this area wants, he said.
“I’m often critical of high density, as my fellow commissioners know. I am not always a fan. I will look for a reason sometimes not to support it. But in this case, I really had a difficult time finding anything not to like about this, to be frank with you. The placement of it near a freeway, the high density piece of it, the way it is laid out — I think it is superb. The community outreach — you nailed it,” Nelson said.
The case also included the removal of the option within the Vistancia Planned Community District document that allows for the potential development of two golf courses within the Northpointe area of Vistancia, which is located north of the core.
Vistancia indicates they have tried to be a responsible steward of water by adopting practices to mitigate water usage; however, acknowledge that physical development of these potential golf facilities would negatively impact the water use within the city, according to the narrative.
With the removal, the area planned for potential golf courses will retain its existing underlying land use classifications.
“This is a formal designation that they do not intend to use the golf course option,” said Planning Manager Lorie Dever.
As for the multifamily, the increase of units will occur in the Vistancia commercial core, also known as Five North at Vistancia, which is about 442 acres. These units will be located near the southeast corner of El Mirage Road and Lone Mountain Parkway. They are expected to be market rate, luxury, lifestyle focused multifamily residential units, with luxury amenities.
Commissioner Layla Villasenor said she is excited for this project to develop.
“I look forward to having another place to go in Peoria, other than going to Kierland Commons or to Desert Ridge or Deer Valley,” she said. “I do sympathize with the loss of the golf courses. I do not play golf, but my husband does, so I get the passion that is involved with it. But water conservation is also a very important thing.”
The case garnered some opposition from residents with concerns ranging from increased crime and traffic to overcrowding at nearby schools.
A resident-generated petition on Change.org received more than 850 signatures, but only around 200 were signatures from Vistancia residents, according to city officials.
Officials said they received 231 letters in support of the case and 147 letters in opposition.
Dever said this has been one of the most widely robust outreach programs the city has ever experienced, in terms of public outreach.
More than 300 residents attended a local meeting on May 1 and more than 400 residents attended a meeting June 7.
Nearby resident Judith Cornelius said the increased units and future growth will lead to tens of thousands of people with only one way in and one way out of Vistancia.
“We can barely get out now. If you are there during busy times during the day and you hit that Happy Valley turn, or you are trying to come in at that Happy Valley turn, it is a nightmare, and my concern is safety,” she said. “We are trapped in there and the city has done nothing for us. They really haven’t.”
William Lally, a lawyer who represents the developer, said the goal of the request is to “right size” the unit count.
He said this land in Vistancia has been vacant for a number of years, but during that time, things have changed with major employers BSNF to the west, TSCM to the east and Loop 303 developing. Lally added these things are really changing what the northwest Valley will look like.
The developer conducted a market study and found that to have a development like Keirland or Scottsdale Quarter, you have to have a “critical mass,” with thousands of units and thus people to fill the demand.
“A lot of these growing pains we’re talking about with traffic and traffic improvements, we will work closely with the city in making sure that all these things are phased in appropriately,” Lally said. “The one thing I want to leave everyone with is this will not happen over night. Fifteen hundred units will be absorbed into the core. But it takes many, many years. This will be absorbed over a number of years. ... At the end of the day, this is something that everybody will be proud of.”
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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