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Wilson: Homes in south Apache Junction to be built over 20 years

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In regard to Richard Dyer’s front-page report on the master planned development of the area just south of Apache Junction (“27,000 homes to be built in south Apache Junction” on the cover of the October 2021 issue of the Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent), we want to assure your readers that this growth has been planned for more than a decade and would take 20-30 years to reach ultimate buildout.

Your report accurately relays the estimates for growth along Meridian Road south to the future State Route 24. However, your headline and the subsequent report did not have any context as to the timeframe or plan of when that could ever occur.

The initial 4 square miles being developed includes up to 10,940 residential units — which can include single-family homes, townhomes, condos or apartments — and 443,400 square feet of commercial space which would be built over 10-12 years. Again, your report did not specify that “residential units” could include a much-needed diversity of dwellings and how long it will take to build.

The city of Apache Junction has worked on this growth since before the economic downturn of 2008 to ensure it is managed and the infrastructure is in place. We just want to make sure your readers understand all of this has been researched as the city puts its unique stamp on smart growth in the far East Valley and Pinal County.

Editor's note: Chip Wilson is the mayor of the city of Apache Junction.