P&Z approves preliminary plat for Maricopa 40 homes

The city Planning & Zoning Commission Monday approved a preliminary plat for 184 single-family homes in southeast Maricopa.

The Maricopa 40 development is proposed for 40 acres at the northwest corner of West Steen and North Murphy roads. CVL Consultants – on behalf of developer Emmerson Holdings LLC – made the request for the plat, which is a plan, map or chart of a piece of land with actual or proposed features (such as lots and green spaces).

In November, the property was rezoned Medium Density Residential and Commercial from Low Density Residential. Under the original zoning, the developer could have built two or fewer single-family homes per acre, no more than 80 homes on the property. With the new zoning, Emmerson plans to build more than twice as many homes.

According to the pre-application narrative, the community will feature 137 lots measuring 40-by-115 feet (4,600 square feet) and 47 measuring 45-by-120 feet (5,400 square feet).

In the same document, Emmerson said the development will include a retail site of about 1.5 acres at its southeast corner. The developer said the project is designed to meet the city’s changing housing needs.

“This unique community meets the desires of current and future homebuyers while reflecting the area’s historic agricultural character and providing an appropriate land use solution for this undeveloped site in a growing area of Maricopa,” the narrative said. “The property is well-suited for its majority single-family residential use, due to its location adjacent to the Cortona master-planned community directly to the north and its position approximately ½ mile from the future Maricopa High School No. 2 to be located on the southwest corner of Murphy and Farrell roads.”

“The future retail use will be determined by the end user with the opportunity for various uses such as a farmer’s market to adapt to the nearby agrarian surroundings or other neighborhood commercial development appropriate for its location,” the document added.

Emmerson said it designed the community after other projects it currently has in development, including McDavid Estates at McDavid Road and Loma Drive. Features of these communities include a small retail corner, an integrated network of open space and recreation facilities, wide landscape tracts, and additional open space at each entry to the community.