By Melissa Rosequist
Twitter: @mrosequist_

Gentry on the Green, a proposed mixed-use development seeking to build upon 41.5 acres in Scottsdale, is to be considered for a major General Plan amendment just after the Thanksgiving holiday break.

A 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 Scottsdale City Council meeting is planned to discuss Gentry on the Green’s request, located at the southwest corner of north Hayden and east Camelback roads.

From a technical standpoint, the pursuit includes:

• Approval of a major General Plan amendment to change the land use designation from urban neighborhoods to mixed use neighborhoods on 41.5 acres;
• Approval of a zoning district map amendment from multiple-family residential district to planned unit development planned shared development district with amended development standards; and 
• Authorizing a development agreement with the entity.

The request is for a four-story development project comprised of five buildings, and additional buildings with up to 156,000 square feet of commercial floor area and up to 1,864 dwelling units to be built over two phases, replacing two 1970s-era apartment complexes.

Gentry on the Green is owned by ColRich/CH Glen, and represented by prominent zoning attorneys John Berry and Michele Hammond of Berry Riddell.

Gentry on the Green specs

The owner of Gentry on the Green proposes to demolish the existing apartment and condominiums for redevelopment of a new mixed-use project.
The demolition and construction would occur in multiple phases over several years, a city staff report states.

Phase one, which is 26.53 acres of the total 41.5 acres, will include four residential buildings with approximately 1,214 residential units and 41,000 square feet of commercial floor area to be located on the ground floor of the residential buildings.

The site is planned to have one access point on east Camelback Road, and three access points onto north 78th Street.

A large linear open space plaza is proposed to be centrally located within the second phase, which is presented to provide passive and active open space, with a pedestrian and bicycle connection from north 78th Street to the Indian Bend wash, the report states.

More open space is proposed in phase one, with 36% of the site to include amenity areas and the open space plaza.

Phase two of the project is approximately 15 acres of the total 41.5 acre site, and is located on the west side of north 78th Street. It is only conceptually identified in the development plan and the applicant has not identified a site plan layout, the staff report states.

“Development of Phase Two will likely be 10 or more years in the future and may include up to 650 dwelling units in combination with up to 115,000 square feet of non-residential floor area,” Senior Planner Bryan Cluff writes in the staff report.

“The site would likely not accommodate the maximum allowed dwelling units and maximum allowed commercial floor area all together, so the actual buildout would result in a lower number of dwelling units or commercial floor area, respectively.”

Phase two of the project would include a minimum of 30% of the site as open space and design would follow the same development standards and design guidelines as phase one.

Proposed height is 48 feet, which is the allowed amount; with more than 2,000 parking spaces provided.

The two existing apartment complexes that would be demolished are Visconti on the Glen, built in 1979, and The Glen at Old Town, build in 1973. The average price for square foot of these complexes is $1.35 and $1.47, respectively, with average rents between $1,200 and $1,350.

Gentry on the Green’s proposal is expected to average $2.78 per square foot, with average household incomes for community residents of about $100,000.

The city staff report states the underlying assumption made in the applicant’s market analysis will result in a rent rate per square foot that is more than double current economic conditions.

As of the date of the staff report, there are no residents in the existing complexes who have active leases through Scottsdale’s Housing Choice Voucher Program --- a housing assistance program funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Properties that are of similar age in south Scottsdale --- 18 developments with 3,345 total units --- currently have a 97% occupancy rate and rent at an average of $1.44 per square foot.

“With the proposed Phase 1 development, the more affordable rental market supply in southern Scottsdale will be reduced by 626 units or 19%,” Mr. Cluff states.

Gentry on the Green was unanimously approved by both the Development Review Board and Planning Commission in October.

The upcoming City Council meeting will be held at City Hall, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.