Gilbert Panel downloads the complex apartment plan – Gilbertsunnews.com

The Gilbert Planning Commission last week turned your thumbs on a proposed plan for the construction of a 335 units near Higli and Warner Rhodes.

The Commission continued, along with the recommendation of the city’s employees, to refuse Modera Gabriella Pointe, a 14.99 -acre plot in the northeast corner of Higley Road and Elona Drive, near the San Tan highway in Loop 202.

The senior planning city of Keith Newman repeated what was said in an earlier planning planning session on request: approval will create the second highest concentration of multi-family units within a half-mile radius of 1326 apartments.

The plot is part of a 40-decare of free agricultural land.

Newman said the applicant had proposed to convert 10.53 acres for apartments, holding 4.46 acres facing Higley Road for commercial purposes with residential attics on the top floor.

Conceptual design shows that residential buildings and attic have a connecting bridge in the sky.

Some concerns that the city’s employees have with the plan were that larger agricultural lands were actually zoned for regional commercial development and an apartment complex would take opportunities to build commercial premises near the highway and Higley Road.

Moreover, the surrounding area, called the “character area of ​​the gate” from the city, has more office and light industrial buildings.

Newman also said that due to the mixed use the applicant offers, there are some deviations from the Earth Development Code in the city for which the project needs approval.

The applicant asked the group to allow the open total area in the complex from 40% to 27% to be reduced. However, the developer said that the open space on the commercial side would compensate for the loss by placing the entire story to a 31% open space, unlike the city code requirement for 33%.

At a meeting of the citizen neighborhood, he also expressed concerns about the increase in traffic in the area, especially with the charter school, the American Academy of Leadership, in the west of Higli Road.

Still, the main concern for the city was that there are already two large apartment complexes, which are very close to the site-760-one Tuscany in the Gabriel Pointe complex and the development of Morrison Ranch with 231 units.

The proposed density of the apartment of 1326 units is second only for the Cooley Station, which was planned for higher density.

“The use of the land is changing from commercial to residential ones, it must obviously be carefully appreciated in order to ensure reasonable and sustainable growth,” Newman said.

“Unlike the Cooley station, this rural center area, which was deliberately planned for higher residential density in the irregular design of the rural center, this site is intended as a less dense area with traditional neighborhoods that integrate with regional advertising “, He explained.

Newman said over the years the staff had introduced himself to the surrounding land of several developers who were interested in creating entertainment and recreation applications.

“However, the staff has no influence and whether these developers choose to talk to the candidate or the owner of the property – we cannot influence how the transactions move forward,” he said.

Brennan Ray, representing the candidate, Mill Creek Residential, said their design reflects the high quality they planned and that they worked very closely with the city’s employees to make it happen.

Ray acknowledged that the area was intended for non -worth, but said the vision “should be reassessed”.

“One of the things I will cause is to have a very honest discussion about what is suitable for this area and then 10 decares in particular,” he said.

Civil concerns about increased traffic will be relieved by multiple points for access to the main roads of the apartment complex itself, Ray said.

Sky Bridge was also considered and planned to allow the owners of the residential attic to easily access the main apartment complex.

He added that the candidate “was challenged to create something that Gilbert had not seen before.”

Ray also said that the applicant had taken the feedback from the study sessions and added a more open space to the complex, from 20% to 27% in the last previews.

He added that there are approximately 300 acres north of the 202 cycle, zoned for commercial purposes, and that Mill Creek watches only 10 acres of land to become multi -family homes, with integrated commercial space that supports the aesthetics of the neighborhood.

Despite some interest from entertainment and recreation developers, he added, no land plans were implemented.

“There is a demand in the housing area, there is a need for multi -family units,” Ray said, bringing a recent Gilbert Sun News report, in which Dan Henderson, director of Gilbert for economic development, was cited as “Housing is a matter of economic development. “

Much of the panel was skeptical to approve the proposal.

Commissioner Luis Degravina said it was difficult for him to decide that the proposed housing would not increase traffic in the area.

“I am struggling with the amount of residential multi -family homes entering the area just because we don’t really know what will happen in the property in the east,” said Commissioner Jan Simon.

A former Gilbert Planning Commissioner, Tyler Jones, also spoke in opposition to the plan, saying that the city area “is not intended for dense multi -family homes.”

The Planning President Noah Bend pointed out that the design was unique.

Still, looking at the best interests of the city, he had to look at the loss of commercial space in the area.

The Commission voted 6-1 to refuse the plan, with Leslie Davis supported it and Lisa Gage back away.

Prior to the regular meeting, the group also held a training session to find out a proposal brought out in Bella Storia’s apartments, a 13.07 acres plot in the northeast corner of Williams Field Road and Delatorre Boulevard.

The committee discussed the plans for the parcel and there were many reviews for the staff to work.

The plot, which is located in a larger commercial and housing development, covering 76 acres, has been approved earlier for an apartment complex with 304 units.

A new plan from the candidate asks the panel to allow 367 units on the ground.

Newman said the storyline has a density of nearly 22 residential units per hectare in mostly three -storey buildings with some four -storey buildings built in Spanish architectural style. It will also have a two -storey garage.

The property will also have a dog park, two tournament courts, play areas and a water fountain along the eastern borders of the property.

“So they have decided to put all their amenities on the eastern border, and this is because there is a future commercial plot in the East that will allow the space to integrate the space in the open,” Newman said.

Davis asked a senior planning to consider the modification of buildings on the north side of the property and perhaps add some arches to distinguish between each building.

Simon wanted to make sure that the Spanish -style architecture would be well combined in the field of gateway character.

“In fact, I like the new plan better than the old plan, I think it goes better,” he said.