Key Points
- 3-0 vote: Florence Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the Skyview Farms PUD amendment on October 2.
- Scale: Expands Skyview Farms to 2,465 acres with 9,975 proposed homes, including 200 acres proposed for annexation.
- Mixed-use: Adds 89 acres of mixed-use zones with at least 25% commercial development.
- Roads: Realigns Cooper Road and adds arterials with three lanes in each direction, 25 miles of trails, and 80 acres of parks.
- Services: Reserves land for a future emergency station.
- Next step: Awaits Town Council approval of the annexation and PUD amendment.
FLORENCE, AZ – The Florence Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously October 2 to recommend approval of a major amendment to the Skyview Farms Planned Unit Development. The proposal would expand the undeveloped master-planned community to 2,465 acres with a proposed 9,975 residential units.
The property already carried entitlements for 8,843 residential units across two existing planned unit developments. The amendment incorporates 600 additional acres, including 200 acres being annexed from Pinal County. The total increases to 9,975 units while introducing mixed-use commercial zones.
The commission’s 3-0 vote sends the project to the Town Council with six staff-recommended conditions. One condition requires the amendment be contingent on the council’s approval of a concurrent 200-acre annexation. Vice-Chair Kathleen DeRosa and Commissioner Gordon Leaman were absent from the meeting.
Timeline and Annexation Connection
The Planning Commission hearing followed closely behind a September 16 Town Council public hearing on the annexation of 200 acres at Heritage Road and Yeager Road. That property, owned by the Carrie Thompson Trust and planned for development by LeSueur Investments, represents one of two major land additions proposed for Skyview Farms.
The council was scheduled to hold its second reading on the annexation ordinance October 7. One of the approval conditions requires the PUD amendment approval be contingent on the council’s approval of the Skyview Farms Annexation.
The annexation process began August 20 when officials filed a blank petition with the Pinal County Recorder’s Office, triggering a mandatory 30-day waiting period.
Property History and Current Conditions
LeSueur Investments purchased the initial 1,860-acre property in 2004 and has farmed the land continuously since that time. Nathan Anderson, representing LeSueur Investments, explained the company’s involvement at the hearing.
“In 2004, we purchased approximately 1,860 acres along Arizona Farms Road, just west of Herseth Road,” Anderson said. “A couple of years later in 2006, we worked with the town to have this property annexed and zoned into the town, zoned as the Skyview Farms PUD.”
The company later acquired additional properties. “In 2015, we purchased an adjacent 405-acre parcel just to the west that was part of the Aspen Farms PUD, and also a 200-acre parcel to the south of us,” Anderson said. “So the aggregate of our ownership is now 2,465 acres, and we have and continue to farm that property since its initial acquisition.”
The property remains primarily agricultural. The Skyview Farms Dairy operates in the east central portion, with stables, milk processing facilities, feed storage, and housing. Several irrigation ditches and overhead electric lines service the agricultural operations. The CAP Canal flows along the western property boundary. The Magma Flood Control District Dam runs adjacent to the eastern boundary, with its spillway routing south and west through the southern portion of the site.
Despite the Skyview Farms PUD’s approval in 2006, no development has occurred on any parcels within the development.
Development Plans
The amended PUD proposes 9,975 residential units at a gross overall density of 4.0 dwelling units per acre. Joseph Vance of Colliers Engineering & Design, representing the applicant, explained that the proposal combines existing entitlements with new acreage.
“As it stands today, these 2,200 acres comprising the majority of the property area is already entitled for 8,843 residential units,” Vance said. The amendment incorporates an additional 200 acres from Pinal County, bringing the total to 9,975 units across 2,465 acres
The land use plan positions Medium Density Residential, High Density Residential, and Commercial uses near arterial and collector streets in a central “core.” Low Density Residential development sits on the periphery. The project reserves two school sites and two recreation centers for area residents.
Vance noted location factors driving interest in the area. “This area in Northern Florence has seen ongoing development interest due to the location of the north-south corridor and the continuing build-out of Anthem and Merrill Ranch,” he said.
Mixed-Use Development
The amendment introduces a Mixed-Use zoning district to the PUD. The new category combines High Density Residential and Community Commercial uses within single development parcels.
Benitez emphasized the commercial requirement staff secured. “They also added a new zoning district within the PUD. It is called the Mixed Use District, and it includes a combination of high density residential and commercial,” she said. “Staff made sure that there was a minimum threshold of commercial within that mixed use, so there was no chance of it just being completely residential in the future. And that threshold is 25% of that mixed use section needs to be commercial.”
The Mixed-Use zones encompass approximately 89 acres with 671 residential units at a gross density of 7.5 dwelling units per acre. Two Mixed-Use parcels sit at the northeast and southwest corners of Arizona Farms Road and Cooper Road. The commercial component must follow existing Skyview B-2 Community Commercial development standards and feature neighborhood-scale services. The residential component allows attached single-family homes, townhouses, patio homes, duplexes, multiplexes, and apartment units at densities between 8 and 18 dwelling units per acre.
Build-to-Rent Housing
The amendment adds build-to-rent as a permitted use in Medium Density Residential and High Density Residential zones. This represents the only change to permitted uses from the original Skyview Farms PUD.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Cooper Road will realign from its current section line alignment to the mid section line through the property as a Principal Arterial with 130 feet of right-of-way. The road will eventually turn east south of the property to connect with State Route 79.
Vance explained that the realignment requires reverse curves that would not meet safety standards at the current 55 mph design speed. The project proposes reducing the posted speed limit to 40 mph and the design speed to 45 mph to comply with safety guidelines for low-speed urban streets while improving safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Chairman Lonnie Frost thanked the applicant team for the Cooper Road improvements. “Thank you for thinking about Cooper Road. That is a very dangerous intersection right now, so we appreciate what you’re thinking about to make that happen in the future,” Frost said.
Arizona Farms Road will serve as a Principal Arterial providing east-west access. Both arterial roads will feature three travel lanes in each direction with landscaped medians, bike lanes, and detached trails and sidewalks.
A looped system of major and minor collector streets will provide internal circulation. Major collectors will have 80 feet of right-of-way and minor collectors will have 66 feet. Both will include one travel lane in each direction, bike lanes, and detached trails and sidewalks. Major collectors will also feature a middle left turn lane. Local roads will maintain 50 feet of right-of-way with sidewalks.
Parks and Trails
The project proposes 80 acres of community parks ranging from 10 to 35 acres, along with two recreation centers. Individual subdivisions may include neighborhood parks of 5 to 10 acres and pocket parks of 1 to 5 acres.
The trail system will span 25.8 miles throughout the property. Internal 5- to 8-foot multi-use trails will follow the roadway system. A 15- to 25-foot open space paseo will run along the project boundary. The development will connect to an 8-foot multi-use trail along the CAP Canal, consistent with the Pinal County CAP Recreational Trail Master Plan.
Chairman Frost praised the interconnectivity design. “I really appreciate the way that you’re incorporating trails into this, and especially taking that boundary trail so that other people can connect into your system and make their way to your commercial areas,” he said. “Sometimes we have people that identify not with being in the town of Florence, but with being in the Skyview Farms development. And we need to kind of erase those boundaries, and with having that interconnectivity, I think, will go a long way to that.”
Emergency Services Discussion
Benitez addressed emergency service needs during her staff presentation. “This item did go before the Technical Advisory Committee just for an internal review. The conversation kind of went around emergency services, and that requires a new emergency service station, which they have within this PUD,” she said. “There is a location for that service station to happen. The town just needs to put forward the resources to get it there. And that land has been reserved specifically for emergency services.”
Magma Dam Concerns
Commissioner Jeffrey Wooley raised questions about development restrictions near the Magma Dam. “My concern is the Magma Dam, that development mostly is up against them. And I thought at one point that there was a restriction from FEMA saying that until they did something with the dam or something, that nobody would be able to build in that area,” Wooley said.
Vance responded that the property owner serves as president of the Magma Flood Control District. “We have been in communication with them and we have not been made aware of any restrictions to development up until this point,” he said. “We’ll continue to work with them and make sure that we’re abiding by all rules and restrictions.”
Chairman Frost added context from his experience with FEMA certification processes for similar structures, explaining that FEMA requires structural certification before removing areas from floodplains, a process that can take considerable time.
Development Timeline
Commissioner Duane Proulx asked about the development timeline for the ambitious project. Vance responded that market conditions would drive the schedule. “It’ll be primarily market-driven. They’ve received some interest by home builders in this area, but the overall development of the property will be market-driven,” he said.
Public Response
The applicant held a neighborhood meeting April 16 at the Anthem at Merrill Ranch Community Center. Four residents attended, including property owners north and southeast of the project. Questions focused on future plans for adjacent properties and the annexation process for county residents interested in development.
Public hearing notices went out September 16 to 42 surrounding property owners. The applicant received no opposition and one comment supporting the project from a property owner east of the development who indicated they may be interested in potentially annexing and developing their own property.
Staff Recommendation and Vote
Benitez noted that Technical Advisory Committee members “agreed with the new circulation system within the Skyview Farms PUD, especially with how Cooper will come down north and head south. We found that it works with our transportation plan, but also works with Pinal County’s.”
Commissioner Proulx moved to forward a recommendation of approval with conditions to the Town Council. Commissioner Wooley seconded, and the commission voted 3-0 in favor.
The Town Council will hold public hearings on both the annexation ordinance and the PUD amendment before making final decisions on the project. If approved, the expanded Skyview Farms would become one of Florence’s largest residential developments. The project spans thousands of acres already zoned for development, with timing dependent on market conditions.
