Maricopa Station, more apartment complexes on P&Z radar

 

With a planned esthetic of Sonoran Southwest, Western Americana and Agrarian, a focused area of old town Maricopa is taking another step closer to reality.

Maricopa Planning & Zoning Commission will consider the overlay request and a text amendment for the new Maricopa Station area at its Monday meeting. That meeting will also include public hearings on another apartment-complex plan near Porter and Honeycutt roads and a new plan for high-density residential and commercial space at Porter and Bowlin roads.

At the previous P&Z meeting, Deputy Planning Directory Rodolfo Perez described the area of Maricopa Station as bordered by John Wayne Parkway, Honeycutt Road, Plainview Street and Mercado Street (formerly a section of Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway). The City wants to create a special zoning district.

The Maricopa Station overlay would lie within the Mixed-Use Heritage District overlay from 2015. Historically known as the Maricopa Townsite subdivision, it was platted in 1945.

It currently encompasses residential property and some commercial parcels. The City wants to create an area for more pedestrian-friendly commercial, gathering places and parks. It could include a new Amtrak railroad station on the east side of the overpass.

The ongoing improvements to Main Street (formerly Pershing Street) are part of the project.

Lopez said 60 neighbors had been contacted as well those owning property within 300 feet of the overlay. There was also an open house July 23 at Maricopa Unified School District, which is also within the overlay.

According to the staff report, the overlay and text amendment “will help assist the goals and vision of the city’s 2009 Redevelopment Area Plan of creating a character, identity and a downtown destination for the area.”

The plan includes guidelines for architecture, signage and art. Civic places would include a public market, a theater and arts building where MUSD’s transportation building currently sits, a heritage museum, a “Pumphouse Stage” and restrooms. There is also a town square, water tower park and grassy parkways.

O’Jon Terrace

Also at today’s meeting, the commission will host public hearings on the planned O’Jon Terrace Apartments, to be built on 1.69 acres just north of Sequoia Pathway’s secondary school. The board will consider a minor General Plan amendment and a zoning change. Developers Chrystal and Kent O’Jon are also seeking a major Development Review permit for the project.

The O’Jon Terrace Apartments are planned as 27 units in four buildings to be built in two phases. The parcel needs to be rezoned from general business to high-density residential.

City staff has judged the future impact of the complex on the surrounding area to be minimal.

Rev Maricopa

Farther down Porter Road at the southeast corner of the intersection with Bowlin Drive, El Dorado Holdings is planning a mix of businesses and apartments.

That project, too, will have hearings for a General Plan amendment and a zoning change. Variously called the Rev Development and Rev at Maricopa, the project to be developed is on 20 acres of a 60-acre parcel that is currently vacant.

According to IPlan Consultants, the corner will be five acres of commercial buildings. That will be followed by a one-story, 200-unit multi-family apartment complex of stand-alone and duplex housing.

Today’s meeting of the P&Z Commission begins at 6 p.m. in city council chambers. It can be viewed live on the City’s YouTube channel.