A request to rezone 2 acres within the downtown planning area from high-density multiple-family residential to general rural low-density, single-family detached residential should be denied, the Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission decided recently.
The commission on Nov. 12 voted 6-2 to recommend the city council deny the request from Timothy and Kristi Sheahan of AJ Apartments LLC to rezone the north half of a 4.05-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Second Avenue and Colt Road.
Voting to deny the case were Vice Chair Robin Barker and Commissioners Jesse Gage, Roy Starr and Sheryl Bigelow. Voting against denying the case were Chair Dave Hantzsche and Commissioner Sandra Mykland. Commissioner Ari Kalan was absent.
“I’m just really concerned about our continuous — need, maybe is the word or whatever — to change the zoning, to change the general plan on what seems to me to be a constant basis over the past year. We up-zone, down-zone, across-zone, etc., so that is my reason behind this,” Barker said in making the motion for denial.
The council is slated to vote on the rezoning at a 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Dec. 17, in the council chambers, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.
The property is a vacant, privately owned parcel primarily surrounded by a mix of high- and low-density residential development, Planner Nick Leftwich said in a written staff report.
The city’s general plan does not support the rezoning due to the goals and policies that discourage single-family housing within the downtown planning area, it states.
“However, we do find the present zoning context is agreeable to the proposal and note that the local neighbors have spoken in favor of the rezoning, and recognize the Planning and Zoning Commission’s authority to make their own recommendation of approval or denial based on its own consideration of the proposal’s context,” it states.
A single-level, 3,000-square-foot house with a four-car garage and a large covered patio is planned, according to a written project narrative.
“This zoning is being requested for the sole purpose of building a site-built personal residence so that we can become more involved in the community and closer to our business,” it states.
The Sheahans live in Queen Creek but would like to move to Apache Junction, Timothy Sheahan told the commission.
“We looked at buying in Apache Junction more in the mountains so it wasn’t in the town — county, but address in Apache unction — but decided to move to Queen Creek 22 years ago. We’ve raised our kids; it’s time to move. Queen Creek is very busy. We like the quietness, slow pace out here,” he said.
Kristi Sheahan said they live on a county island in Queen Creek and prefer to live in the city limits if they move to Apache Junction.
“(W)e’ve been looking for about a year and a half to try to find a parcel about 2 acres, doesn’t have a huge wash in it that we could build our house on. Became very difficult or it was very, very pricey to try to get a piece of land and so it finally came that we were like, ‘Well, what if we tried to build on one of the pieces of land that we already own?’ And so then we started looking at that,” she told the commission.
The primary duties of the commission include community contact regarding items including a zoning change request, to an application from a developer for a shopping center development or housing project. Also included are conditional use permits with the final decision being handled at the Planning and Zoning Commission level, according to the city’s website.
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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