In a rare turn of events, the Peoria Planning and Zoning commission denied the rezoning of a proposal that could have brought 76 single-family homes on 18.4 acres to the southwest corner of Thunderbird Road and 67th Avenue.
The proposal, named Tierra, was to down-zone the property from commercial to residential, which some on the commission opposed because of the loss of revenue to the city.
Proposed density for the project was 4.13 dwelling units per acre, with a typical lot size of 4,860 square feet, according to a staff report.
Many residents said that is too dense, and most of the commission agreed during the May 12 meeting, where residents came out to voice their opposition to the proposed project.
Commissioner Jeff Nelson said medical or office would be a better option at that location and that such a high residential density is not a conversation starter.
There are four hospitals on Thunderbird Road so there is an opportunity being missed by giving up this land as commercial, he said.
“Why couldn’t we get a medical office here? ... We could take advantage of the combustion that is happening already on Thunderbird Road with all the medical uses,” Nelson said. “This is something we need to give consideration to. I’m not asking for a response, but that is where my head’s at.”
At the meeting, Commissioner Linda Grice moved for denial of the two proposals from K Hovnanian Homes — one to rezone 18.4 acres of land from Intermediate Commercial and Office Commercial to Tierra Planned Area Development and the other to amend the Peoria General Plan Land Use Map for the site from Commercial to Suburban Residential.
The motion carried and the commission voted 3-1 in favor denying both cases.
Attorney Wendy Riddell, who represents K Hovnanian Homes, argued the site has significant constraints to it, including the nearby Legacy Traditional School, which has caused problems with traffic in the area. This project generates 78 peak afternoon hour trips and 59 peak morning hour trips or about 800 trips in 24 hours, according to a traffic study conducted by the city.
Peoria Traffic Engineer Chris Lemka said a supermarket would generate about 10 times that of the proposed project. He added a medical office would generate about 400 trips and a fast food restaurant would generate about as much traffic as the proposed project.
Lemka said the area probably couldn’t handle a commercial site when you compare it to the proposal.
“When you start looking at how you are going to access this site, that is going to be difficult for a commercial use at his site,” he said. “A traffic signal is not an option because it is too close to 67th Avenue and Thunderbird.”
The site was annexed into the city in 1979 and was zoned commercial and office in 1980, which allowed for a variety of uses. The site sat vacant for about 15 years, after which it started to split off into the pads that exist today adjacent to 67th Avenue.
Riddell said the Tierra case is not a one-size-fits-all situation — it is a very unique property.
“If traffic is a big issue, then you should support his case. It’s just a fact, this is significantly less traffic here with this proposal than what would occur with commercial. This property is entitled for C2 commercial, one of the broadest districts you can have in Peoria. ... If compatibility is your concern, you should support this case. The reality is that it is a far better neighbor to residential than the back of house of C2 commercial,” she said. “If you don’t want to see this property stay vacant, you should support this case. The market has told us for the last four years that this isn’t going to develop as commercial.”
This property has been targeted for single family for the past few years, and the number of units has been reduced from as many as 224 units to compromise with neighbors’ concerns.
But many nearby residents, particularly in the adjacent Crown Point community, say the density has continued to be too high.
Residents have rallied in recent months, creating a petition in opposition of the project with 224 opposing and two in support.
They raised concerns regarding density, noticing procedures, compatibility with the neighborhood, traffic safety and volume on Thunderbird Road, as well as capacity of sewer line connection and water pressure.
Doug Henderson, a resident of Crown Point, said the property was originally planned for homes on quarter-acre lots of 10,000 square feet.
There is no equity in value between Crown Point and the proposed homes.
“The residents that I’ve talked to — and I’ve only lived in this area for a year — the residents I’ve talked to are all upset because of the number of houses in the proposed development. We would be more than happy to see them put in 50 homes on quarter-acres, comparable to Crown Point,” he said. “I think that would be a terrific addition to the area.”
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.
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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