CASA GRANDE, AZ — The Casa Grande Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously on March 5, 2026, to forward a recommendation of approval to City Council for a land use change within the Villago Village Planned Area Development (PAD) — a customized zoning district with its own development standards — near the southwest corner of McCartney Road and Pinal Avenue.
The amendment reallocates land uses within roughly 7.2 acres of the PAD. About 4 acres of commercial land would shift to multi-family, while 1.61 acres along Pinal Avenue would shift from multi-family to commercial. Residents near the area can expect new retail or restaurant options along Pinal Avenue, along with future multi-family housing development behind it.
New Commercial Space Planned Along Pinal Avenue
A 1.61-acre strip along Pinal Avenue — currently designated for multi-family use within the PAD — could develop as commercial or remain residential. If developed commercially, the traffic study modeled fast-food uses for planning purposes, though no specific tenant or use has been confirmed.
Communities Southwest, the property owner, already has a commercial buyer in escrow for that parcel. Attorney Andrew Yancey, representing Communities Southwest, told commissioners the change reflects how the area has grown.
“We’ve seen the commercial uses coming along Pinal Avenue,” Yancey said. “It makes sense to reconfigure where that commercial and multi-family zoning is.”
No commercial development can begin until City Council formally approves the amendment.
Multi-Family Housing to Replace Stalled Commercial Land
About 4 acres of currently commercial-zoned land — sitting undeveloped behind existing businesses along McCartney Road — would be redesignated for multi-family housing.
According to the staff report, the undeveloped commercial land is less viable for commercial use due to its location behind existing businesses along McCartney Road and Pinal Avenue.
The amount of land entitled for multi-family development would increase from 11 acres to between 15.05 and 16.66 acres, depending on how the 1.61-acre parcel along Pinal Avenue ultimately develops. Additionally, the revised layout would place approximately 270 feet of McCartney Road frontage within the multi-family portion of the site.
Understanding the “Villago” Confusion — and What’s Around the Site
The project name can be disorienting. Gagliardi acknowledged it during the hearing: “That does get rather confusing, because you have Villago Village and Villago.”
The Villago Village PAD is the site under consideration. Catty-corner from it — across McCartney and Pinal — sits the separate Villago PAD, a predominantly single-family community that also includes commercial uses, including Fry’s Shopping Center. That PAD stretches as far as Val Vista and Trekel Road and beyond.
To the north, across McCartney, lies state-owned land currently undeveloped. To the east, across Pinal Avenue (state highway SR-387), is the McCartney Ranch II PAD, entitled for commercial and multi-family uses and currently under review for expansion.
To the south is property within Pinal County’s jurisdiction — outside Casa Grande city limits — used for RV sales and storage and undeveloped land. To the west lies the Copper Canyon PAD, a manufactured home community established in 2023 when 287 acres were removed from the Villago Village PAD.
Roads: A New Connection Through the Site
The amendment proposes extending Tally Ho Lane — currently a dead end — through the western edge of the site from McCartney Road southward, connecting to the existing Tally Ho Lane right-of-way in unincorporated Pinal County. Previously, the road was shown ending in a cul-de-sac.
Traffic Concerns and Driveway Access
If the 1.61-acre Pinal Avenue parcel develops commercially, driveway access would require approval from both the city and the Arizona Department of Transportation. Yancey confirmed that conversations with the neighboring property owner to the south are ongoing. “They’re receptive,” he said. “There’s definitely not a stone wall there.”
A traffic report from Y2K Engineering was submitted as part of the application but requires revisions before City Council consideration. A site-specific Traffic Impact Analysis will also be required at the time of development for the Pinal Avenue parcel.
When fully built out — anticipated by 2027 — the development is projected to generate approximately 4,158 average daily trips (ADT). The residential component alone is projected at 1,820 daily trips and the commercial component at 2,338, before accounting for pass-by and internal trip reductions.
The traffic study also examined crash history in the surrounding area. Over the five-year period from 2020 to 2024, there were 99 total crashes in the study area, including seven crashes resulting in serious injury. Rear-end crashes were the most common type, with 35 recorded over that period.
The intersection of Pinal Avenue and Palm Avenue is a particular concern. The traffic study found that the eastbound left-turn movement at that intersection already operates at an inadequate level of service during both morning and evening peak hours. That condition is projected to continue through 2027 and 2030 in all scenarios — with or without traffic from this development.
What the Land Use Designation Means
The site falls within the Commerce & Business land use category of the Casa Grande 2030 General Plan. The staff report describes the designation as one that “supports both commercial and residential development at densities at 10 dwelling units per acre or greater” and “encourages visibility from major roadways.” Both the existing PAD and the proposed changes conform to this designation.
Public Comment: Neighbors Raised Traffic and Road Concerns
The city mailed hearing notices to property owners within 1,000 feet of the site in November 2025 and again in February 2026. A legal notice was published in the newspaper on February 17, 2026.
Following the February notification, two written responses were received before the hearing. One resident from the Colonial Del Sol neighborhood — located in Pinal County south of the site — raised concerns about the impact of development within Villago Village on the Palm Avenue–Pinal Avenue intersection and requested that any development within Villago Village be associated with an extension or improvement of Tally Ho Lane. A second response was received from a resident of the Villago neighborhood, who expressed general concern about multi-family development.
No one from the public spoke at the March 5 hearing.
Commission Vote and Council Consideration
The commission voted 7–0 to forward a recommendation of approval to City Council. The traffic report must meet the City Traffic Engineer’s approval before the council vote.
