Sorrento Phase 2 cleared for construction

City council has approved the final plat for Sorrento’s Phase 2, clearing the way for construction of about 420 new single-family homes at the southwest corner of Bowlin Road and the Fuqua Road alignment.

The 365-acre-or-so parcel is being divided into five separate lots. Four of those will contain homes and the fifth will be a school site. The developer is AZALTA LLLP of Scottsdale. The parcel is bordered by Rancho Mirage on the north, Sorrento Phase 1 to the east and vacant land to the south and east.

City Manager Rick Horst said the addition of new single-family homes helps draw new residents to the city, which is important to the growth of both population and business in town.

“Population is needed in order to drive new business development,” Horst said. “After the Great Recession, most retailers and other businesses look for a population center of between 75,000 and 100,000 before they will build. Our population, coupled with the surrounding communities that are served via Maricopa, is nearing that number.”

While the city is booming in terms of population growth, he said the amount of new development does not come as a surprise to the city’s development staff.

“Pace (of growth) is also determined by the market,” he said. “But…we are not surprised by the current pace of new construction.”

Although Sorrento 2 will add about 1,000 new residents in an agricultural area, Horst doesn’t believe it will impact traffic in the area. The project falls within acceptable standards for traffic engineering design, he noted.

Sorrento Phase 2 received preliminary plat approval in 2009 and was recently reapproved in December 2020 with minor layout changes to accommodate drainage improvements from the Santa Cruz Wash flood area.

The developer will make several road improvements as part of phase 2 including full street improvement of Sorrento Boulevard in front of all five parcels, adding an access road to connect from Sorrento Boulevard to the existing subdivision as well as landscaping and trail improvements along the Fuqua flood control alignment along the western edge of the property.

In addition, the developer has acquired the necessary right of way for the widening of Bowlin Road adjacent to Sorrento Phase 2 on the north side of the parcel.