A proposed development at Meridian and Germann roads will bring a new type of housing to Queen Creek — 256 homes with no front-facing garage.
“(It) is the first of its kind to be proposed in Queen Creek. So the way that this type of product is set up is that access to the home is provided in the rear to a rear garage and that the front of the home is focused on the pedestrian-oriented entrance,” Queen Creek Senior Planner/Project Manager Sarah Clark said at the Oct. 14 planning commission meeting.
Rezoning 195.1 acres from agritainment to allow for a future residential and commercial development at the Zimmerman Dairy will be considered by the Queen Creek Town Council Nov. 4. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers, 20727 E. Civic Parkway.
The Queen Creek Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Oct. 14 to recommend approval of the rezoning.
The request from Woodside Homes is for a planned-area development rezone to 142 acres of R1-5 residential, 38 acres of medium-density residential and 15.1 acres of C-2 commercial, all planned-area development, at the southeast corner of Meridian and Germann roads.
“We’re very excited about this development. We’re very excited about being part of the town of Queen Creek,” said Drew Huseth, planner with Woodside Homes, at the planning commission meeting. “Our proposal is for a single-family residential development. All homes, all lots will be detached units,” he said.
Queen Creek dairy
The property was annexed into the Town of Queen Creek April 9, 2018. On Nov. 20, 2019, Town Council approved a resolution for Zimmerman Dairy to amend the property’s General Plan land use designation from industrial to neighborhood and commercial.
The 195.1-acre site operates as an active dairy, Ms. Clark said to the planning commission.
The proposed development plan includes 738 lots at 4.5 dwelling units per acre in density. Three residential product types are proposed, according to Ms. Clark’s presentation to the commission:
304 are 46-foot by 120-foot lots, or 5,520 square feet.
178 are 60-foot by 135-foot lots, or 8,100 square feet.
256 in the Village Series are alley-loaded, medium-density residential single-family products from 2,240 square feet to 3,185 square feet.
“One unique thing about this development that is being proposed is the concept of the ‘use and benefit easement.’ So what this is is an easement that is provided for the use and benefit to the adjacent property owner. In this case, that use and benefit provides for a larger side yard to your adjacent neighbor for their use and benefit — for back yard uses, essentially,” she said.
Project phases
The project will be finished in two phases, Planning Administrator Erik Swanson and Ms. Clark said in a memo to the commission.
The development’s first phase includes the completion of Meridian Road half-street improvements; Germann Road roadway improvements — pavement, streetlights, and curb and gutter; a collector road and box culvert; and the construction of Parcels 1-8, which line the eastern and southern boundaries of the development.
Parcels included in Phase 1 include alley-loaded lots and the two R1-5-zoned lot types.
Phase 2 includes the construction of the remaining Germann Road half-street improvements — landscaping, sidewalks and drainage facilities; and the construction of Parcels 9-12, which generally wrap the commercial corner. The commercial corner will submit a site plan application for review and approval at a later date.
“According to the applicant, the dairy, whose operations are located in the Phase 2 boundaries, will remain in operation until the completion of Phase 1, except for the up to 50 cattle that might remain on site,” Mr. Swanson and Ms. Clark said in the memo.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
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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