Goodyear to explore annexation request that could lead to 4,600-home development

By Kelly O’Sullivan
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

Goodyear staff will explore a request to annex 1,250 acres of mostly undeveloped farmland near Queen Creek Road and 187th Avenue that could lead to development of a 4,600-home master-planned community known as Estrella Highlands.

The City Council voted 6-0 during its regular meeting Feb. 8 to move forward on the request, which does not commit the city to annex the land. Councilman Joe Pizzillo was absent from the meeting and did not vote.

If annexation is successful, the applicants plan to ask the city to rezone the land between Queen Creek and Pecos roads and 187th and 203rd Avenues so they can move forward on the master-planned community.

City Planning Manager Katie Wilkens told the council it’s been 13 or 14 years since Goodyear has conducted a similar annexation.

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Before Ms. Wilkens' presentation, Development Services Director Christopher Baker gave a brief overview of how annexations work in Arizona, noting that it will be at least six to eight months before staff comes back to council with a recommendation to approve or deny the request.

“The initial aspect is that an application is filed and then we provide council with an impact analysis and seek authorization to proceed following the state law requirements,” he said. “That’s exactly what we’re here doing tonight.”

In a nutshell, paperwork must be filed with Maricopa County Recorders Office, an infrastructure plan created, a public hearing conducted and petitions circulated determine whether affected property owners agree to annexation.

“In order for the annexation to proceed for council consideration, at least 50% of the owners within the geography or the territory, and 50% of the value of the real and personal property have to consent to the annexation,” he said.

Ms. Wilkens provided a map showing the annexation area, which is adjacent to Goodyear on the east and south.

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Under the city’s 2001 annexation policy, there are numerous criteria that must be met for staff to recommend approval.

Ms. Wilkens focused on the city’s ability to provide basic services such as streets and transportation, emergency service and water/wastewater to the area within 10 years of annexation.

“In general, the applicants’ plan for that is to create a pre-annexation development agreement that would run concurrently with this annexation request and then be considered by council on the same evening that the annexation request is considered,” she said.

Queen Queek Road and the majority of other roads in the area are unpaved. Two-lane Tuthill Road, which runs through the property, is paved and the city would have to take over maintenance of about a quarter-mile of the road.

The closest fire stations to the property are Station 186, now under construction three miles away, and Station 182, which is 12 miles away.

“While there’s no development, we don’t anticipate a huge burden on the emergency services but of course anything can happen. It would be in our city service area. We would be responsible for responding to emergency service and the roads may or may not handle some of the emergency vehicles.”

When an area is annexed into a city, it’s also annexed into its water service area, Ms. Wilkens said.

“The rezoning and annexation decisions are separate decisions, so when we first annex it, we have to have enough water to serve as it’s zoned today, which is agricultural zoning,” she said. “When they rezone it, they would need to show that there’s additional water for what they’re rezoning to.

Ms. Wilkens said the applicant has an analysis showing there is enough groundwater to serve the development after rezoning.

“However, there are still some unknowns that we would need to work through. The quality of that water is unknown, and also because it’s groundwater, that means replenishment or recharge is necessary, and how that will happen is unknown.”

Councilmembers expressed concern that there are 15 separate ownership entities in the annexation territory.

However, the applicant’s representative, Shaine T. Alleman of Tiffany & Bosco PA, said applicants David White and Rick Cole have managing authority on three-quarters of those entities, and are working with the other owners in the annexation area.

“We’re moving forward as one body, one entity with all of these applications,” he said.

To watch video of the meeting, visit the city’s YouTube channel or its Facebook page, @goodyearazgov.

Kelly O’Sullivan can be reached at kosullivan@newszap.com or 760-963-1697.