Apache Junction council approves 100-unit multifamily rental development
City of Apache Junction
The Skyline Towns townhome rental community will offer two- and three-bedroom units in five three-plex buildings and 17 five-plex buildings with 100 units in total.
City of Apache Junction
The properties are generally on the northwest corner of Winchester Road and Junction Street.
A two-story, 100-unit multifamily townhomes rental development called Skyline Towns is planned at the northwest corner of Winchester Road and Junction Street in Apache Junction, much to the dismay of some longtime residents who worry the city is moving away from its rural roots.
The Apache Junction City Council on Sept. 3 voted 6-1 to rezone the property for the development. Vice Mayor Robert Schroeder said his “no” vote was due to the owner of the property not attending the meeting.
The Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 on July 22 to recommend the city council approve rezoning three parcels from city center and general rural low density single-family detached residential to high density multiple-family residential by planned development to facilitate a lot combination and development construction. Commissioner Ari Kalan dissented. Commissioner Roy Starr was absent.
A gated community is planned, with the main entrance off Junction Street and an exit-only off of Winchester, Planner Erika Hernandez said during the July 22 commission meeting.
“There is a 6-foot perimeter wall and a total of 400 parking spaces that is a combination of garage parking, driveway parking, guest parking and ADA parking spaces. I will note that they do exceed the required parking,” she said.
Amenities include a clubhouse, pickleball courts, pool and spa, tot lot, green spaces and an 8-foot-wide multiuse trail along Winchester and Junction streets. A dog park is planned on the northwest corner, Hernandez said.
The applicant seeks the following deviations from the city’s zoning ordinance:
A reduction in the main structure front setback from 20 feet to 15 feet to allow for a 6-foot concrete masonry unit perimeter wall, which also acts as rear yard walls for units along Junction Street;
A reduction in interior side setbacks from 10 feet to 5 feet to accommodate 5-foot rear covered patios; and
A reduction in rear setbacks from 20 feet to 5 feet to accommodate 5-foot rear covered patios.
“Staff is supportive of the proposed rezoning request because of its general conformance with the zoning ordinance and the 2020 general plan. Aside from the requested deviations, the applicant has met site plan and design requirements,” Hernandez wrote in a staff memo to the commission.
According to the Pinal County assessor, the parcels have never been developed, according to the staff memo.
Reese Anderson of Pew and Lake is the applicant. Skyline QOZB LLC is the owner.
Brennan Maher of EPS Group Inc. representing Skyline QOZB LLC., also known to the city as Bela Flor Communities, on Aug. 26, 2024, applied for a pre-application review for a proposed rezoning for the development of then parcel numbers 101-19-0220, 101-19-023B and 101-19-023C with the intent of performing a lot combination and constructing a two-story, 100-unit multifamily rental development, it states in the memo.
The Skyline Towns townhome rental community would offer two- and three-bedroom units in five three-plex buildings and 17 five-plex buildings with 100 units in total, according to a written project narrative.
“The townhomes are two stories with a building height of 26 feet 6 inches. The clubhouse is located at the entrance of the community,” it states.
“As seen on the ... landscape plans, the community is providing lush landscaping throughout and provides a variety of 24-inch box trees along the streets and perimeter of the project. The dog park is located in the far northeast corner of the site, which is also well screened with large trees,” it states.
Commissioners, residents comment
Chair Dave Hantzsche and Vice Chair Robin Barker attended the meeting in-person. Commissioners Jesse Gage, Kalan and Sandra Mykland attended by phone.
Gage said prior to the vote he was in favor of the rezoning.
“I think this rezoning is a good fit with the general plan. I hate us giving up setbacks, but the justifications for it that you put in your report ... made me quite happy. It’s good to see that. So I’m happy with it,” he said.
Kalan asked if the homes could be changed to condos or townhomes that could be bought instead of rented.
“The answer is they could in the future. Right now these are planned for rental units,” Anderson of applicant Pew and Lake said.
During the meeting’s public hearing, Apache Junction resident Debra Stone questioned why so much development is coming to the city.
“I don’t live near that area but we do have a home on Junction and Starr. And all of these other communities popping up are very concerning to me because I moved here to get out of the city. I don’t like it at all,” she said. “(T)his shouldn’t happen. We need our desert. We need our horses.... Four hundred cars? Double that and how many people are going to live there?”
Howard Stone told commissioners he has seen a lot of changes in Apache Junction in the 35 years he has lived here.
“I hate to say it but a lot of it has not been good. I have seen a lot of icons that brought me to this town disappear. I’ve seen a lot of development going on around here that really concerns me because we have water issues as it is and how they are stepping around getting around this is beyond me,” he said. “ Most of us moved out here to be in a rural area — not to end up being another Tempe, another Gilbert, another Phoenix.”
Barker said she has lived in Apache Junction for more than 50 years.
“(W)atching it grow is both sad and wonderful. It’s going to grow. We can’t stop the growth. We cannot put a gate around our city and fence it off and say ‘No, no, no. Sorry.’ So our best bet is to do the very best we can of having the growth be as much for the betterment of the future as we can,” she said. “This particular development fits right in to that area.”
The city’s general plan, which was approved by voters, allows for such a development in the downtown area, Hantzsche said.
“It fits in with what the city has planned for the new downtown area,” he said. “(T)his will put a lot of people within walking distance to that area.”
Kalan said he agreed with Debra Stone’s comments.
“We know what a gem we have here and at some point we have to take a stand because there’s a lot of voices in the city I hear every day about stuff that keeps growing. We’re going to grow; it’s going to happen,” he said. “We’ve got a beautiful new southern expansion of AJ that fits a lot of the stuff that we’ve been looking at — fits perfectly down there — where historic AJ can still be a rural, quaint, exciting, different kind of feel for a city. The reason why, like we heard the fist lady and the other people, why they moved out here.”
The primary duties of the planning and zoning 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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