Key Points
- Casa Grande City Council voted 5-0 on December 15, 2025, to approve a major land use change for 353 acres at Florence Boulevard and Overfield Road.
- The land designation shifted from “Neighborhoods” to “Large Mixed-Use,” allowing future commercial, industrial, and residential development.
- No construction is approved yet. The property owner must still apply for a separate zoning change through public hearings.
- Current zoning remains Urban Ranch and General Business until a Planned Area Development is approved.
- Residents raised concerns about apartments, traffic, and infrastructure at earlier Planning Commission hearings.
- Future I-10 interchanges at Kortsen and Selma highways would provide additional access to the area.
- The property lacks a Certificate of Assured Water Supply, but Arizona Water Company is working to become a designated water provider.
Casa Grande, AZ – The City of Casa Grande has approved a major land use change for 353 acres along Florence Boulevard. On December 15, 2025, the City Council voted 5-0 to shift the land designation from “Neighborhoods” to “Large Mixed-Use.” As a result, the property at Florence Boulevard and Overfield Road could eventually host a broader mix of commercial, industrial, and residential uses.
No residents spoke at the Council’s public hearing. However, earlier Planning Commission meetings drew concerns about apartments, traffic, and changing neighborhood character.
What This Casa Grande Land Use Change Means for Residents
Under the former “Neighborhoods” designation, the 353-acre site could support primarily single-family homes at 4.5 units per acre. It also allowed limited multi-family housing and neighborhood-scale commercial development up to 30 acres.
The new “Large Mixed-Use” designation opens significantly more possibilities. Future development could include commercial retail, professional offices, restaurants, entertainment venues, medical facilities, hotels, and even industrial uses. However, any of these uses would still require a separate zoning approval through public hearings.
The existing zoning stays in place for now. Most of the property is zoned Urban Ranch (UR), allowing one home per 1.25 acres. A small 3.2-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Florence and Overfield is zoned B-2 General Business, which permits retail and restaurants.
“The Major General Plan Amendment does not affect the zoning of the property,” Senior Planner James Gagliardi told Council. To build anything beyond what current zoning allows, the property owner must apply for a Planned Area Development (PAD) zone change.
Location and Surrounding Area
The property sits at the southwest and northeast corners of Florence Boulevard (State Route 287) and Overfield Road. This puts it on Casa Grande’s east side, near Interstate 10.
Nearby developments include the Casa Grande Promenade shopping center less than half a mile west. The area is also near the Casa Grande Regional Shopping Center, Mission Royale communities, and several single-family subdivisions including Hacienda Highlands and Springwater Pointe.
The surrounding land is a mix of farmed fields, single-family homes, and planned residential communities. Staff documents note the site is “positioned within a regionally significant corridor for growth and commerce.”
Why the Florence Boulevard Land Use Change Happened
The property owner, Gabrych Family LP through JR Carlson Company, requested this amendment. Their representative Alex Fish of ABLA told the Planning Commission that the former Neighborhoods designation was essentially a placeholder.
“The Neighborhoods designation was applied to large swaths of the city as a placeholder until development plans emerge,” Fish explained during the November 6 hearing. He argued the site’s location along SR-287 (Florence Boulevard) makes Large Mixed-Use more appropriate.
Staff agreed the location supports the change. The applicant’s narrative noted the site offers “a strategic opportunity for commercial and employment uses that can serve both local and regional needs.”
Gagliardi told Council this property becomes the third Large Mixed-Use area east of I-10. “The PhoenixMart area is within that land use category as well as an area north of the promenade,” he said.
How Different Uses Would Transition Together
The Large Mixed-Use category requires at least 320 acres. No single land use can exceed 70% of the total area. Residential and industrial uses are further limited to 50% each.
Within the residential portion, high-density housing (up to 40 units per acre) cannot exceed 20% of that area. Medium-density housing (up to 12 units per acre) is capped at 30%. The remaining residential acreage can only be low-density at six units per acre or less.
For this 353-acre site, that translates to a maximum of about 35 acres for high-density residential and 53 acres for medium-density. The property owner could also choose to develop all residential acreage as low-density homes instead.
Staff emphasized that the future PAD process would determine where different uses go. Gagliardi told Council that industrial uses would likely locate near the Overfield and Florence intersection, furthest from existing homes. Residential of varying densities would sit behind that as a buffer. Commercial development would then be closest to existing single-family neighborhoods.
Traffic, I-10 Access, and Water Addressed
Residents raised traffic concerns at both Planning Commission hearings. Staff responded that future development would distribute traffic beyond just Florence Boulevard and I-10.
Planned interchanges at Kortsen and Selma highways with I-10 would provide additional routes. Both Overfield Road and Hacienda Road are designated arterials and will be widened in the future.
“Any development that was to ultimately get proposed would be unable to move forward without an approved traffic report that demonstrates how roadways would not fall below an unacceptable level of service,” the staff report noted.
On water, the staff report acknowledged the property does not currently have a Certificate of Assured Water Supply (CAWS). However, Arizona Water Company serves the area and is working to become a designated water provider. Staff noted various strategies are being explored involving conservation and water reclamation.
Public Comments Show Mixed Reactions
Several residents spoke against the amendment during Planning Commission hearings. Their concerns centered on apartments, infrastructure gaps, and changing neighborhood character.
Jerry Forster of East San Ricardo Trail raised multiple issues at the October meeting. He noted the lack of nearby fire and police stations. He also pointed to existing traffic problems at Hacienda and Florence.
Forster said a promised traffic light had not materialized after three years.
Angela Adams of North Overfield called the proposal “a horrible idea all the way around” due to infrastructure concerns and apartments.
Katie Halverson of South Birdie Way expressed concern about potential high-density vertical buildings in an area with mostly one and two-story homes. However, she said she had no objections to commercial or industrial uses.
Eleanor Forster of Mission Royale Adult Village read a letter expressing concern about losing Casa Grande’s rural and agricultural heritage. She requested the commission limit the change by excluding industrial uses and high-intensity housing outside the downtown core.
One email correspondent, K.C. Chimino, asked for no apartment complexes. Instead, Chimino suggested single-family homes, a gas station, restaurants, or even a Costco on that side of I-10.
Commission Responds to Apartment Concerns
Planning Commission members acknowledged resident worries but explained the amendment’s limited scope.
Commissioner Aldrete noted the General Plan is “a high-level document that precedes more specific entitlements.” He said concerns about specific uses would be more appropriate when the applicant returns with a detailed zoning proposal.
Chairman Benedict acknowledged industrial uses can be concerning. However, he said other uses permitted under Large Mixed-Use would benefit the area.
“Professional services, restaurants, and entertainment facilities” were among the beneficial uses he cited.
Under the former Neighborhoods designation, nearly 100 acres could have been rezoned for multi-family. Under Large Mixed-Use, medium-density (up to 12 units per acre) and high-density (up to 40 units per acre) multi-family is capped at about 88 acres.
Gagliardi made this point to Council: “It’s not necessarily a situation where more land would be opened up for the potential of multifamily proposal. It would actually be a little bit less in terms of acreage.”
Planning Commission and City Council Votes
The Planning Commission voted unanimously 7-0 to recommend approval on November 6, 2025. This followed two required public hearings at different locations.
The City Council then approved Resolution Number 5273.41 on December 15, 2025, by a 5-0 vote. Before the roll call, staff reminded Council that major General Plan amendments require five votes to pass.
Gagliardi emphasized this approval is just the first step. “The next step for the applicant would be to propose a PAD zoning, and they have not yet submitted any type of zone change request,” Gagliardi told Council.
Residents who want to see specific development plans will need to wait. The property owner must submit a PAD application before any new development can occur. That process will include additional public hearings where residents can comment on proposed uses, building heights, setbacks, and other standards.
Any future changes to an approved PAD would also require public hearings. Gagliardi addressed this concern directly.
“One of the concerns were, ‘Well, what’s to keep someone from changing it after it got approved?’ Well, that’s true, but any change regarding height or orientation of uses or introducing new uses would have to invoke a yet another public hearing process for further evaluation,” he said.
This gives residents ongoing opportunities to participate in shaping what eventually gets built.
