489-acre housing community gets preliminary plat approval

The Maricopa Planning & Zoning Commission has approved the preliminary plat for the Moonlight Ridge community, a 489-acre development adjacent to the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Course.

The developer, Forestar USA Real Estate Group of Texas, has designated 349 of the 489 acres for single-family home development at the northwest corner of Smith-Enke and Green roads. There will be three lot sizes – 5,400, 6,000 and 7,200 square feet.

The community has a proposed density of 4.3 dwelling units per acre, well within the parcel’s zoning and land use limits of 2-6 dwelling units per acre for a master planned community. At that density, the community’s 1,500 homes at full buildout would house about 4,800 residents.

The balance of the land, 135.3 acres, would be open space, including a large, centralized community park. It would feature active and passive recreation amenities, such as picnic areas, sports courts, play areas, walking trails and exercise stations, according to application documents.

In addition, the Moonlight Ridge plat shows two additional parks in the northwest and northeast sections of the community. A variety of programmed amenities would focus on recreation, community gathering and engagement with the outdoors. An internal trail and path network will connect the three parks. The mixed-use community will feature commercial development on its southern side.

The development does not yet have specific design guidelines for homes, but an agrarian theme with slump block walls and split rail fencing has been established through the Planned Area Development.

Forestar will be required to obtain Residential Design Review approval prior to submitting building plans to ensure the community meets established theming standards in the area.