P&Z recommends city approval of new plan for apartments

Though the chairperson was not on board, the Maricopa Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the revised site plan for apartments. Monday’s vote came after the developer of Oasis at the Wells and Horizon at the Wells added more parking spaces.

That happened only with the cooperation of the City in allowing 40 off-site parking spaces in what P&Z Manager Rodolfo Lopez called “leftover land” that abuts the south side of the property. The apartment complex is between Walmart and Banner Health.

Currently, a portion of Shea Way runs from Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway along the west side of the Walmart lot. In the future it is meant to continue north and curve around the north side of Oasis at the Well to connect at a new access point on Porter Road. However, there is an access road dividing the Walmart property and the apartment complex property that meets Shea at a right angle on the west side and is already in use by some vehicles.

“They’ve been using it as Shea Way, but it’s not Shea Way,” Lopez said.

Under the new plan, a portion of that access road will be used for 40 diagonal parking spaces as overflow for the apartment complex.

Commissioners questioned the agreement’s limitations. Ted Yocum said he was concerned the agreement would end at some point in the future and the parking spaces would go away.

Lopez said the agreement could make the parking “permanent, dedicated spaces.” He said the cost of striping for parking stalls would fall to the developer.

Englewood Group representative Brian Pozen said developers reconfigured landscape islands onsite to create 26 more parking spaces. At least five more spaces would be created for parallel parking on Shea Way. That brings the total to 251, the City’s requested minimum.

A handful of residents attended to hear the discussion. Only two spoke.

Glennwilde resident Tena Dugan said the City was still not considering traffic already in the area from of existing schools and how it will be impacted by the addition of the apartments and a future charter school being built nearby off Allen Stephens Parkway. She also said it was not appropriate for the application to claim there was mass transit nearby when there was only a stop for the local COMET bus.

Resident Ed Michael said he did not like the City using comparisons to other communities to determine its needed parking spaces. “I don’t care what they’re doing in Mesa,” he said.

The incomplete agreement did not spell out some aspects, including dedication, enforcement and keeping overflow from any future businesses in the area out of the apartment overflow parking area.

While Planning Director Kazi Haque said the commission could make such stipulations, and the agreement would be finalized through the city council, Chairperson Linda Huggins voted against recommending the site plan. The five other attending commissioners voted in approval. Vice Chair Michael Sharpe was absent.

The project next goes to city council for approval.