The Florence Planning and Zoning Commission passed a recommendation for approval of the rezoning application for Westland Village, a new residential development planned for the southwest corner of Butte Avenue and Centennial Park Avenue.
The 40-acre development, which requires rezoning from Rural Agricultural (RA-10) to Planned Unit Development (PUD), will feature a mix of housing types with a maximum of 271 homes and a minimum of 8 acres of community open space.
Mixed Housing Types Planned
Westland Village will include two distinct residential components: a 25.42-acre single-family neighborhood and a 13.22-acre multi-family area. The single-family portion will feature 112 lots with a density of approximately 4.4 dwelling units per acre. Each lot will be at least 45 feet wide and 115 feet deep, with fenced private yards and two-car garages.
The developer plans the multi-family section for up to 158 homes at 12 dwelling units per acre. Greg Davis of iPlan Consulting, who presented the project to the commission, stated the multi-family portion “is not intended to be apartments” but rather townhomes or patio homes. However, planning documents indicate developers have not yet finalized a specific product for this area.
“We’re proposing a density range of 6 to 12 units per acre,” Davis explained during the meeting. “Your typical three-story apartment building is going to be 18 to 25 [units per acre], so this doesn’t allow that type of development. What we’re going for here is really more of a town home, patio home, something with a little more density, something with an alternate lifestyle that’s a better price point.”
Community Organization and Access
Davis confirmed that both sections of the development will have homeowners associations. The single-family portion will feature public streets and will not be gated. The multi-family section, however, will have private streets maintained by its HOA (if developed as condominiums) or a Property Owners Association (if developed as rentals) and will be gated with emergency vehicle access.
Vehicle access to the development will be provided through multiple entry points from Butte Avenue, Centennial Park Avenue, and a connection to Bisbee Road from the south. The project includes 50-foot-wide public streets with sidewalks throughout the single-family community, while the multi-family section will have private streets maintained by an HOA or Property Owners Association.
Neighborhood Context and Transitions
The development sits in an area surrounded by various residential communities. To the north across Butte Avenue are residential ranchettes, while the Sunrise Estates neighborhood lies to the east. The Bisbee Ranch residential community is being developed to the south, and to the west is an undeveloped 40-acre parcel zoned as Territorial Square (TS) that is owned by Harold Christ, the owner of the Windmill Winery.
Davis emphasized that the development’s layout was designed to provide appropriate transitions between neighboring properties. The single-family homes are positioned on the eastern side of the property adjacent to existing single-family developments, while the multi-family component is placed on the western side, closer to the future development on the TS-zoned parcel.
The plan includes significant buffering with 40-foot landscape buffers between the multi-family section and single-family homes to ensure compatibility.
“We have the development pressures of single family to our east, west, and south, and more intense development happening future happening to our west and northwest,” Davis explained. “As we look at compatibility, that’s why the single family portion is on that side of the project.”
Fitting into Florence’s Plan
The project aligns with Florence’s General Plan, which designates the area as “Town Center.” This designation allows for a range of urban uses, including both single-family and multi-family residential development.
“We feel this project is compliant with the general plan,” Davis told commissioners. “We do see it as a catalyst for what the town is hoping to accomplish in this area between downtown and territorial Square.”
Windmill Winery Owner Questions Development Plan
During public comments, Harold Christ, owner of the Windmill Winery and the adjacent 40-acre parcel west of the proposed development, voiced concerns about the project. He noted that his property is part of the Territorial Square plan and criticized the development, stating, “I’m seeing something that is not very creative.” Harold Christ questioned whether Butte Avenue would be widened and stressed the importance of a development agreement, adding, “A development agreement to me would save you all a lot of the problems and issues that you’re talking about with the PUD.” He concluded by questioning whether the project truly enhances Florence’s growth and character.
Addressing Medium Density Residential Concerns
Commission members raised questions about the multi-family component (referred to as medium density residential or MDR) of the project. These concerns were addressed in the Westland Village narrative report by emphasizing that the MDR portion would be limited to two stories with a maximum height of 35 feet and would include substantial buffering from neighboring properties.
Timeline for Development
When asked about the timeline for development, Davis estimated that the single-family portion could be developed within the next three to four years, while the MDR section would likely be developed in “five plus years,” depending on growth and employment developments in the area.
“I think the single family could probably be developed in the next probably 3 to 4 years, that’s realistic,” Davis said. “The MDR parcel I think is more contingent upon employment growth, what happens probably to Territorial Square but maybe even downtown.”
Looking Ahead
The rezoning recommendation will now go to the Florence Town Council for final approval. If approved, the developer will need to submit more detailed plans including a final PUD, preliminary plat, and final plat before construction can begin.
The Planning Commission’s recommendation included five conditions, including compliance with Town regulations, a maximum of 271 dwelling units, and a requirement that all park and open space/drainage tracts remain privately owned and maintained by an HOA. Final approval of the project rests with the Town Council.
Traffic impact studies conducted for the project specifically recommended half-street right-of-way dedications and improvements along both Butte Avenue and Centennial Park Avenue, as well as auxiliary left-turn lanes on westbound Butte Avenue at access points. Final implementation will depend on the developer’s agreements with the Town of Florence.
