P&Z approves luxury development

By Art Pulis, Business Advocate

Subject land looking north from Broken Arrow Lane and Vulture Mine Road

On Thursday (Aug. 24) Wickenburg Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved and recommended to the Town Council the necessary zoning changes for a Planned Area Development (PAD) on 34.94 acres located west of Vulture Mine Road and north of Broken Arrow Lane.

The planned development was proposed by Sun Mountain Development, LLC whose principal is Wickenburg resident Gerald Diddy. The property is presently zoned R1-35 allowing for approximately 42 residences assuming all of the land could be used.

Sun Mountain Vice President Kathy Kennedy presented the vision for the project explaining that because the land is mostly rolling hills with desert vegetation it would be best to maintain the natural topography by allowing some smaller lots and concentrating the buildings to the center of the land.

Kennedy further explained that the developer anticipated that the lots would sell in the range of $200,000 to $300,000 which would indicate that homes would be built to have a final value in the range of $600,000 to $900,000. The building sites and locations would be strictly controlled, and strict design and homeowners covenants would be in place to enforce the luxury aspect of the community.

A preliminary plan presented to the commission showed 34 lots with the smaller lots clustered into the center of the project. Lots closest to Vulture Mine Road and Broken Arrow Drive would be the larger lots.

Kennedy further explained that the project would have no septic systems and would be attached to the Wickenburg water and sewer systems.

The project met with little resistance from the public. Nearby resident and licensed commercial pilot George Wilkinson addressed the commission expressing concern for the project's proximity to the flight path of the Wickenburg Airport runway. He encouraged the town to study and understand the Federal Aviation Regulation about building height and obstructions. Broken Arrow Lane resident Chuck Ellison had several questions of the developer and voiced similar concerns about the proximity of the project to the runway flight path.

Discussion among the commission centered primarily on timing of the project as well as the airport proximity. The town is presently in negotiations and working on a sewer line extension to the west side of town in the vicinity of the project. Everyone understood that this development would not be started until firm plans for that extension were complete.

Chairman Bill Cowles spoke favorably about the project but indicated that he would rather see about 30 lots allowing for somewhat larger parcels.

“I have walked the property and can see that you have done a great job with planning around the natural topography,” said Cowles. “This is obviously good use of the PAD concept, but I am not sure about using land that cannot be built upon due to an aviation easement as part of the total acreage.”

Commissioner Darrel Stadel agreed that this is a good project and a good use of the PAD statute, but disagreed with Cowles that the aviation easement land should not be included in the total. Commissioner Phil Richardson agreed with Stadel explaining that they had recently approved other PADs where non-developable land such as washes were included in total acreage when calculating density.

Following discussion, the zoning change to a PAD was unanimously approved and sent on the Wickenburg Town Council.

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