One-bedroom units are to cost $1,300 a month and two-bedroom units are to cost $1,800 a month.
City of Apache Junction
Fourteen three-story buildings are planned. Amenities include a clubhouse, pool, dog park, open space, grills and covered parking. All lighting is to be dark-skies compliant.
A 336-unit three-story residential rental complex on 18 acres west of the northwest corner of Idaho Road and Apache Trail in Apache Junction that has drawn criticism from neighbors around the proposal and a rejection from the planning commission was recently approved.
The Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing April 8 and overwhelmingly voted to not approve a conditional-use permit for the development requested by Wolff Enterprises III LLC. An appeal of the denial was submitted April 24 by Paul Gilbert of Gilbert Blilie PLLC on behalf of Wolff Enterprises III LLC.
The conditional use permit appeal was approved by the Apache Junction City Council in a unanimous vote June 17 with the condition that the apartment manager participate in the city’s crime-free multihousing program.
The development is needed to bring customers to the city’s businesses and provide housing for young families, several council members said.
“I realize our businesses are in dire need of support, so I vote yes,” Councilmember Darryl Cross said in voting.
“Our local businesses need our help. They need people — permanent residents — and so I am voting yes,” Councilmember Bryan Soller said.
“(T)his project would provide more year-round residents, which we need, and presumably younger families which would help provide more students in our school system. So for those reasons I vote yes,” Councilmember Peter Heck said.
Too many young people have to move outside of the city because of the high cost of housing here, Councilmember Bambi Johnson said.
“They can’t live here; they have to live in Mesa. We don’t want to bring up our kids, have them go through school and send them away. We want to keep them here,” she said in voting yes.
A motion was made prior to the vote that would have added a second condition asking the developer to move the two westernmost buildings from a north-south orientation to an east-west orientation to create a view corridor, but it was withdrawn after the developer’s representative said it could not be done.
“That proposal will render this project in such a position that we will not be able to go forward with that change. There are problems with drainage, there are problems with parking,” Paul Gilbert said. “We cannot accept that proposal.”
Apartments near Apache Trail, Plaza Drive
Fourteen three-story buildings are planned. Amenities include a clubhouse, pool, dog park, open space, grills and covered parking. All lighting is to be dark-skies compliant. The main access is off Apache Trail and a secondary access for residents only is off of Plaza Drive, Principal Planner Kelsey Schattnik told the planning commission in April.
Primary concerns from individuals who called the city about the project include planned off-site parking along Plaza, blocked views of the Superstition Mountains because of the planned building heights, and increased traffic along Plaza, Schattnik said.
Historical aerials show the property may have been used as a golf course in the 1970s and 1980s but has not been used since that time, according to a written project narrative from Wolff Enterprises III LLC.
It will be a market-rate, non-age-restricted product. The development is anticipated to generate 2,265 weekday daily trips entering and exiting, it states.
One-bedroom units are to cost $1,300 a month and two-bedroom units are to cost $1,800 a month, Gilbert, representing Wolff Co., told the commission.
Public comment
Approximatively 30 people spoke at the June 17 public hearing in favor or against the appeal.
Bruce Evans, who lives in a nearby RV park, said the housing development will block his view of the Superstition Mountains.
“Superstitions have always been and always will be my favorite mountain. They’re going to block it off but at the same time they’re advertising to the people they are going to sell to ‘Oh you’ll have the perfect sight so you can see the Superstition Mountains’ while they are blocking us. So I’m all against this,” he said.
Apache Junction resident Linda Huss, who owns a business near Flatiron Park, said she is in favor of the development.
“My business will have a view of this new development,” she said. “I want to see the homeless people go away. I also would love to have the events that the city has at Flatiron Park be better attended when we have our free concerts, when we have our free movie night... I think that having local residents in this incredibly beautiful facility is going to really improve the center of our downtown area.”
Building a new apartment complex is a positive step for the city, Apache Junction resident Kayla Lemieux said.
“Many working families, seniors and young adults are struggling to find a slightly lower than market rate quality place to live. A new apartment complex helps address this challenge, It provides flexible housing options for residents who don’t need the full space a single-family home has to offer or simply cannot afford a single-family home,” she said.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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