The Florence Town Council conducted a public hearing September 16 on a proposal to annex approximately 200 acres of undeveloped land into the town limits, marking the first step in expanding the existing Skyview Farms community.
The property sits at the southeast corner of East Heritage Road and the Yeager Road alignment. The Carrie Thompson Trust, also known as the Esperanza Charitable Fund, owns the entire site. Colliers Engineering, serving as planning consultant, submitted the annexation request on behalf of the property owner. LeSueur Investments serves as the developer.
Why This Property Qualifies
Senior Planner Maricella Benitez told the council that the property meets Arizona State statute requirements for annexation. The town shares two boundaries with the parcel exceeding 200 feet in length, and the annexation will not create a county island.
The property currently holds General Rural zoning under Pinal County, allowing one residential dwelling unit per 1.25 acres. If annexed, the land would initially transition to Single-Residential Ranchette or R1-R zoning under Florence’s code, maintaining the same density allowance until the developer seeks PUD zoning through a major amendment.
Development Plans
The property owner plans to incorporate the annexed land into the existing Skyview Farms Planned Unit Development through a future major amendment. Skyview Farms has existed as an approved community since 2006 but remains undeveloped.
The Florence General Plan designates this area as a Suburban Neighborhood Place Type for “low to moderate-density single-family housing and associated civic and limited neighborhood-scale commercial uses.”
Process Timeline
The annexation process began August 20, 2025, when officials filed a blank petition with the Pinal County Recorder’s Office, triggering a mandatory 30-day waiting period. The town published legal notices and posted signs on the property.
Once the public hearing concludes and the 30-day waiting period ends, the applicant must file a signed petition with the County Recorder’s Office within one year. The Town Council will then consider adopting an annexation ordinance. The council is not obligated to annex the property upon submittal of the signed petition.
The property owner plans to pursue the major PUD amendment following successful annexation, bringing detailed development plans before the council and adding significant residential capacity to Florence’s Heritage Road corridor.
