FLORENCE, AZ – The Florence Town Council voted unanimously October 21 to approve a major amendment to the Skyview Farms Planned Unit Development. The amendment expands the undeveloped master-planned community to 2,465 acres with 9,975 proposed residential units.
The vote follows a 3-0 recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission on October 2. The council approved Ordinance 773-25 with stipulations without opposition.
The Agenda Item
Senior Planner Maricella Benitez presented the amendment. It incorporates an additional 605 acres of land, changes the placement of land uses within the community, adds a new Mixed Use category, clarifies development standards, and incorporates a new road network.
The amendment required approval through a neighborhood meeting held in April, a Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing, and Town Council public hearing. No members of the public spoke during the council’s public hearing.
Property History
As detailed in the Planning and Zoning Commission coverage, LeSueur Investments purchased the initial property in 2004 and received approval for the Skyview Farms PUD in 2006. Between 2015 and 2018, the family acquired 400 acres from the Aspen Farms PUD east of the CAP Canal and 200 acres to the south in unincorporated Pinal County.
The Town Council approved the annexation of the 200-acre parcel on October 7, with the annexation effective November 6. Before this amendment, the combined properties totaled 2,265 acres with 8,843 entitled residential units. The amendment increases the total to 2,465 acres with 9,975 units.
Why Combine the Properties
Rob Gubser of Colliers Engineering & Design served as planning consultant for LeSueur Investments. He explained that combining the three separate properties allows for better planning and connectivity.
“It really allows us to create a very significant and well-thought-through master plan community,” LeSueur told the council. “We’re excited about the ability to kind of square off this parcel and, as will be discussed, some of the circulation that this allows us to do, to address and accomplish is significant.”
“By combining these two properties, it’s given us the opportunity to create more of a cohesive circulation pattern,” Gubser said.
Road Network Improvements
The amended plan realigns Cooper Road and creates an internal road loop that allows residents to move within the community without using major through-roads.
Cooper Road will move from its current alignment to run through the middle of the Skyview property as a main north-south route. The road will feature three travel lanes in each direction with a landscaped median between them. One side will have a detached five-foot sidewalk, while the other side will have a detached trail.
Arizona Farms Road will serve as the main east-west route through the property, also with three lanes in each direction, a landscaped median, and separate sidewalks and trails.
The project creates what Gubser called an internal loop road that connects destinations within the community. This road will have one lane in each direction, a center turn lane, bike lanes, and an eight-foot trail on one side with a five-foot sidewalk on the other.
Gubser expressed particular enthusiasm for this internal loop design.
“I really like the internal loop collector, because what it does is it allows you to move within the project without having to go out to the arterial networks, without using Cooper or Arizona Farms,” Gubser said. “So it allows you to go to the store and then back home, or take your kids to school and back home on the collector networks, as opposed to using the arterials.”
The realignment of Cooper Road required reducing the posted speed limit from 45 mph to 40 mph to meet safety guidelines for the road’s curved sections.
Parks and Trails
The development plans 80 acres of parks throughout the property. Four community parks will range between 10 and 35 acres. Two recreation centers will serve residents. Individual neighborhoods will also include smaller parks ranging from one to 10 acres.
The project creates 25.8 miles of trails. Internal trails between five and eight feet wide will follow the road system. A boundary trail called the Paseo Trail, running within a 15- to 25-foot landscaped easement, will circle the entire perimeter of the development. The trails will connect to an eight-foot trail planned along the CAP Canal as part of the Pinal County CAP Recreational Trail Master Plan.
Two school sites are reserved for Florence Unified School District, one north of Arizona Farms Road and one south. The sites are positioned near park locations to allow for shared use between schools and the community.
Commercial Development
Councilmember Sherrie Bedford asked about the types of commercial uses planned for the mixed-use areas along Arizona Farms Road.
Gubser responded that the plans remain flexible but should serve the community’s needs. “I think at this point it’s still rather open,” he said. “For me, what I’d like to see is something that would support the community. And it could be offices or restaurants, some type of use that would support both the master plan community that we’re providing too, but also understanding that Arizona Farms is a major thoroughfare.”
He noted that a grocery store could serve both residents and people traveling through the area to work.
The amendment requires that at least 25 percent of mixed-use areas must be commercial. This prevents developers from building only residential units in those areas. The amendment also permits build-to-rent homes in medium and high-density residential areas.
Council Comments
Councilmember Tony Bencina praised the trail system and suggested amenities for future consideration. “One, I love the trail system,” Bencina said. He referenced his own community’s walking loop and predicted the trails would see heavy use.
Bencina, noting his community’s 450-member pickleball club, suggested careful placement of any future courts to avoid noise complaints from nearby residents. He also asked whether the development might include a pool, comparing it to other recent projects in Florence. Gubser thanked him for the suggestions and said the team would consider them.
Vice Mayor Cathy Adam praised the traffic planning and trail connectivity. She noted the area faces heavy development pressure from both the town and county. She particularly appreciated the connection to the CAP trail and multimodal design.
Mayor Keith Eaton thanked the applicant team and staff. He noted the project includes more detailed recreation center planning than some other developments in Florence.
Implementation
The approval was contingent on the Town Council’s October 7 approval of the 200-acre annexation. The development will proceed in phases based on market conditions and homebuilder interest. The land currently remains in agricultural use.
LeSueur expressed excitement about becoming part of Florence. “We’re excited to be part of Florence. We’ve been here for many years quietly farming and been involved in the community,” he said, noting involvement in organizations like Pinal Partnership and the Magma Flood Control District. According to presentation materials, LeSueur Investments’ projects include the SanTan Village Regional Center in Gilbert.
With the ordinance now adopted, Skyview Farms becomes one of Florence’s largest approved residential developments. The 2,465-acre community will add significant housing capacity to the Heritage Road corridor when construction begins, with timing dependent on market conditions.
