Major General Plan Amendment. Project Narrative

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Major General Plan Amendment

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Project Narrative

NEC of Signal Butte and Queen Creek Roads

Prepared: June 2013

Submitted to:

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OWN OF

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UEEN

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REEK

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LANNING

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EPARTMENT

22350 South Ellsworth Road Queen Creek, AZ 85242

480-358-3003

Submitted on Behalf of:

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EWELL

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ARNEY

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AMILY

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ARMS

22340 East Queen Creek Road Queen Creek, AZ 85242

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D

EVELOPMENT

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DVISORS

IPLAN CONSULTING IPLAN CONSULTING

Greg Davis Mario Mangiamele, AICP 4387 E. Capricorn Place 4387 E. Capricorn Place

Chandler, AZ 85249 Chandler, AZ 85249 V: 480-807-5671 V: 480-313-8144

E: [email protected] E: [email protected]

EPSGROUP,INC. EPSGROUP,INC.

Bryan Kitchen, P.E. Eric Maceyko

2045 S. Vineyard Ave., Suite 101 2045 S. Vineyard Ave., Suite 101 Mesa, AZ 85210 Mesa, AZ 85210 V: 480-503-2250 V: 480-503-2250 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] APPLIED ECONOMICS Rick Brammer 11209 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 225 Phoenix, AZ 85028 V: 602-765-2400 E: [email protected]

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BARNEY FARMS

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MENDMENT

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ROJECT

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ARRATIVE

Exhibits and Tables

Site Aerial Photo ...4

Williams Gateway Area Map | Urban Land Institute Report ...7

Table 5.201: Land Use Summary – Barney Farms ...11

Queen Creek General Plan Land Use Plan (Existing) ...12

Queen Creek General Plan Land Use Plan (Proposed) ...13

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2. R

EQUEST

The Barney family is pleased to submit for your consideration an application for a Major General Plan Amendment for an approximate 241-acre (net) property generally located at the northeast corner of Queen Creek and Signal Butte Roads.

More specifically, this narrative complements a request to amend the 2008 Town of Queen Creek General Plan Land Use Plan by changing approximately 121-acres (net) of Employment - Type B and approximately 120-acres (net) of Recreation/Conservation/Parks (R/C/P) land use classifications to approximately 113-acres of Mixed-Use and approximately 128-acres of Medium-High Density Residential B (MHDR-B) (up to 8 dwelling units per acre) classifications to enable development of Barney Farms as more particularly described in this narrative.

Forthcoming applications are anticipated to be submitted to the Town for the required review and action on site plans and Preliminary Subdivision Plats for the anticipated project.

Site Aerial Photo

Map Source: Google Earth

3. B

ACKGROUND

This project site has been farmed for over 60 years by the Newell Barney Family Farms operation, which currently encompasses over 750 acres within the Town of Queen Creek. A significant portion of this agricultural use property is designated as Employment Type B on the

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2008 Town of Queen Creek General Plan Land Use Plan and is correspondingly zoned as the Town’s only I-2 (Heavy Industrial District) zoning district however; the Barney family is now requesting to amend a 241-acre portion of their 750 acre farm for the reasons outlined in this narrative.

The approximate 241-acre project area, generally located at the northeast corner of Signal Butte and Queen Creek Roads, has been classified as an Employment land use on the General Plan Land Use Plan since 1996. Prior to 1996, the Barney family had contemplated the future use of this property as not only supporting the forecasted economic catalyst of Williams Air Force Base (Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport), but as providing future employment opportunities for the burgeoning Town of Queen Creek.

However, subsequent additions of employment land uses within the Town of Queen Creek and adjacent communities, coupled with various economic study findings for the area provided the undesirable facts that there is an oversupply of employment type land uses in the area. These studies also identified an inherent disadvantage for employment uses on this property as the relatively large distance separation from major transportation corridors and the airport.

Historically, the Barney family has worked diligently with Town officials pursuing State Route 24 (previously known as State Route-802) alignment options that would benefit the Town’s long term economic vitality, as well as pursuing possible employment users for the Barney properties; however and unfortunate for the Town, the City of Mesa was able to successfully secure this freeway segment completely within their planning area boundaries. The resulting alignment placed the proposed freeway approximately one and one-half miles north of Queen Creek’s planning area boundaries.

The calendar year of 2006 witnessed a multi-agency sponsored study by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to evaluate the economic development potential for the Williams Gateway Area1, a 52-square mile study area. Key recommendations of this report are included in this narrative for consideration.

4. O

VERVIEW

The Barney family envisions this project to become a community that respects the character of the land, their farming heritage and the future that preserves the farming history of the land for the next generation of businesses and residents. While the Barney’s are not entirely pleased that professional analysis has deemed the amount of previously envisioned employment land use not feasible for their property and others, they do realize that responsible land use planning is necessary for the economic vitality and sustainability of both Queen Creek and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

The land use planning concept for Barney Farms centers on four primary elements: transitional and appropriate land uses, open space connections, implementation of the ULI report findings, facilitation of key infrastructure improvements for the re-aligned Signal Butte Road.

1_{Williams Gateway Area, Mesa, Arizona, Strategies for an Urban Gateway, Urban Land Institute Report, dated}

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This land use concept is implemented by systematically transitioning intensity and balancing a complementary spectrum of land uses – commercial, employment, and residential to not only provide for a successful project, but to also provide a mix of sustainable land uses for the Town of Queen Creek and the region as a whole. Types and locations of these proposed land uses also respect policies and ordinances of both the Town and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport concerning the compatible relationship of land use and designated overflight areas.

Given that Employment - Type B and its corresponding I-2 (Heavy Industrial District) zoning designation are not necessarily conducive to the Town’s targeted industry sectors for this area; an alternate and appropriate land use is necessary that ensures suitable intensity of use and transitioning needs for this geographic area. The proposed Mixed-Use land use classification considers the key elements of the Queen Creek Economic Development Strategic Plan by establishing the necessary framework to attract development of appropriate scale and type to foster targeted industry sectors. Key uses to be considered for this land use are high-tech manufacturing, research and development, medical offices, medical testing and analysis facilities, aerospace related uses, and similar.

Implementation of these elements will be further accomplished through the provision of quality open space linkages to the relocated community park site west of the project (East Park Site - 2008 Town of Queen Creek General Plan Land Use Plan). Connections to this park site will not only provide a memorable place with character, but also just as importantly provide for a substantial buffering land use to protect the proposed residential land uses from the anticipated intensity of the future Employment Type B land uses further west.

The Williams Gateway Area, Mesa, Arizona, Strategies for an Urban Gateway, Urban Land Institute Report, dated September 2006, sets forth key recommendations for consideration by municipalities located within the Williams Gateway Primary Trade Area. This trade area consists of approximately 52-square miles and includes the City of Mesa, and the Towns of Gilbert and Queen Creek. Observations and recommendations of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Advisory Panel include: Over a 25 year planning horizon there will be a need in the study area for 1,575 acres of industrial land, 400 acres of office space and 500 acres of retail space, while 5,250 hotel rooms at 34 sites on 105 acres and 7 golf courses on 1,400 acres should also be included in the plans. Higher educational facility demands are twice what are now planned for 320 acres. Two hospital sites with 175 beds each are needed along with other medical facilities. The study area at build out – 165,000 residents, nearly 70,000 students at institutions of higher education and jobs for 94,000 people. The following graphic illustration of the study area identifies the ULI panel’s general thinking on locations where residential uses may occur and where they should be restricted. The project area is identified as Commercial / Mixed-Use and Industrial.

The ULI report’s primary focus was that of sustainability. Key recommendations of this report also identified that “land south of Germann Road to Queen Creek Road in the Town of Queen Creek should also begin to transition to mixed uses, with concentrations of industrial, office, retail, and higher-density residential uses in the future in an effort to allow the Town benefits from the redevelopment occurring at and around the airport.”

Additional findings supporting ULIs sustainability tenet that correspond to this request include: employment related land uses are best suited for the land on the immediate north and south sides of the airport due to accessibility from the Santan Freeway and the Union Pacific Railroad; new residential development within the study area, both current and projected, is “move up”

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development, with smaller amounts of workforce and starter housing; and, that it is also important to plan for urban mixed-use centers and concentrations of higher densities along key arteries in the study area.

Barney Farms addresses the key recommendations and findings of this ULI report by:

• Providing a transition to mixed uses, with concentrations of employment, office, retail, and higher-density residential uses for the area south of Germann Road;

• Providing a cross-section of attainable housing (workforce and starter housing; multi-family) to accommodate an expanded local and regional employment base within closer proximity to employment centers;

• Providing balanced and sustainable land uses for the region; and • Protecting overflight zones through compatible land uses.

Williams Gateway Area, Mesa, Arizona, Strategies for an Urban Gateway2

2_{Map Source: Williams Gateway Area, Mesa, Arizona, Strategies for an Urban Gateway, Urban Land Institute}

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Implementation of the proposed General Plan Amendment should also set forth the necessary framework for expediting the major transportation corridor improvements for Signal Butte Road (realigned) as desired by the Town to serve as a catalyst for future development.

The requested General Plan Amendment will substantially increase the opportunity for private investment in this infrastructure by supporting desirable, sustainable, and marketable land uses.

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5.1 GENERAL PLAN LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT

Queen Creek’s 2008 General Plan Land Use Plan classifies a significant portion of the property at the northeast corner of Signal Butte and Queen Creek Roads as Employment - Type B, which is intended to encourage general industrial uses that implement the I-2 (Heavy Industrial District) zoning district of Queen Creek’s Zoning Ordinance. This land use classification supports the most intense employment type uses in the Town and is intended to provide a compatible land use transition from the industrial uses identified in the City of Mesa General Plan, and the Williams Gateway Airport Planning Study and Part 150; however, intensity and types of uses supported by Employment - Type B are not necessarily conducive to the Town’s targeted industry sectors for this area.

The General Plan Land Use Plan further classifies the remaining project area as Recreation/Conservation/Parks for that area previously designated as the Town’s East Park Site; however, the Barney family has recently acquired this property in exchange for property located contiguous to the north of the Barney Sports Complex (north of the northeast corner of Merrill and Queen Creek Roads). The R/C/P land use classification for this portion of the project area is no longer appropriate given this property exchange.

The request to amend the 2008 Land Use Plan by changing the land use classifications of approximately 241-acres from Employment - Type B and Recreation/Conservation/Parks (R/C/P) to Mixed-Use and Medium-High Density Residential B (MHDR-B) (up to 8 dwelling units per acre) is supported by the following findings:

• This request is founded on the necessity to provide a balance of land uses to meet the community’s needs, and the impact on the mix of land uses in relation to each other and their location within this geographical area, and is not founded on the property owner’s immediate desire to develop. Rather than basing the General Plan on a generic, hypothetical and formulaic approach to overall land use percentages across the Town, this proposed amendment considers specific real world geographic, infrastructure, and market conditions and seeks to achieve a sustainable plan for the Town.

• Proposed land use classifications provide for a desirable land use at this location to serve as a transition from the more intense employment uses to the north of Germann Road.

• The notion of an overabundance of employment type land uses is supported by analysis of the multi-agency sponsored ULI report for Williams Gateway Area, as well

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as various economic studies previously commissioned by the Barney family (Applied Economics and Elliot Pollack & Company) during the previous General Plan Amendment requests for the area in 2004 and 2009.

• The results of the previous study by Elliot Pollack & Company suggest that the Town of Queen Creek has at least three times the amount of employment land designation than can most likely be absorbed under ideal, projected market conditions. The four primary reasons for this finding are the amount of existing employment land uses in the neighboring City of Mesa, the competitive advantage due to the immediate proximity of Mesa’s employment land uses to that of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Maricopa Association of Government’s population projections for the area, and the lack of immediate freeway access. The previous economic study by Applied Economics identified nearly the same conclusions. Further compounding the issue of sustainability and land uses, it may be important to note that subsequent to these professional analyses, the Town of Queen Creek has amended the General Plan Land Use Plan to add more than 3,000 acres of employment land uses.

• Inclusion of Medium High Density Residential uses will provide a greater mix of residential densities in the Town; will serve to provide a cross-section of attainable housing to accommodate an expanded local and regional employment base within closer proximity to employment centers; and to capture necessary tax revenues for the long term economic viability of the Town. Economic viability of this residential land use is also supported by the findings of both previous economic studies by Elliot Pollack & Company and Applied Economics, as well as the corresponding study submitted with this General Plan Amendment application.

• Location of the Medium High Density Residential land use areas have been responsibly located to not only respect the documented overflight areas of the airport, but to provide additional living opportunities to support the anticipated needs of the Town of Queen Creek and the Williams Gateway Study Area. These residential land use areas are planned to be separated from the future Employment Type B land uses to the west by including an appropriate, transitional land use classification of Mixed-Use within the project area.

• Viability of the Mixed-Use area is supported through the addition of approximately 124-acres of Medium High Density Residential land uses. Based on the notion that economic realities are forcing a greater emphasis on the need to provide more self-contained, sustainable communities, the proposed location of the Mixed-Use land use will provide desirable and necessary commercial and employment uses within closer proximity to nearby residents; thus, possibly reducing automobile emissions due to shorter travel distances, or alternate modes of transportation.

5.2 CONSISTENCY WITH GENERAL PLAN

Additionally, the proposed General Plan Land Use Plan amendment contains several notable features that respond to the 2008 General Plan vision by:

• Providing compatible land use relationships with the surrounding area. • Encouraging future growth in the Meridian Road Corridor Growth Area.

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• Protecting residential neighborhoods from intrusion of more intensive land uses through appropriate buffering.

• Incorporating transition of land uses within both the Queen Creek planning area and adjacent lands to ensure compatibility.

• Locating higher residential densities in close proximity to commercial and employment uses.

• Providing a diversity of housing opportunities within the Town.

• Encouraging residential developments that will provide attainable housing to accommodate an expanded local and regional employment base.

• Encouraging master planned communities that provide a mixture of housing types, lot sizes, and open space and trails.

• Effectively managing the Town’s growth by ensuring all new residential development within the AOA II area provides for appropriate noise attenuation and established disclosure standards.

• Reserving the area within the 65 Dnl noise contour of the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport for future employment and compatible land uses and discouraging additional residential development within this noise contour area.

• Providing connections to the parks, trails, and open spaces as identified in the Parks, Trails, and Open Space Element.

• Providing opportunities for pedestrian and bicycle circulation, equestrian trails and other alternatives to automobile travel, as identified in the Parks, Trails, and Open Space Element.

• Increasing the Town’s sales tax base.

• Will not be detrimental to public health, safety, and general welfare of persons living or working in the surrounding area or to the general welfare of the Town as a whole.

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The following table identifies existing General Plan Land Use classification in comparison to those proposed by this request:

TABLE 5.201: LAND USE SUMMARY –BARNEY FARMS

EXISTING

GENERAL PLAN LAND USE

CLASSIFICATION ACREAGE PROPOSED GENERAL PLAN LAND USE CLASSIFICATION ACREAGE PERCENTAGE OF PROJECT AREA (%) Employment B 121 Mixed-Use 97 40 Employment B --

Medium High Density Residential – B

(0 - 8 DU/AC) 24 10

Recreation/Conservation/Parks 120 Mixed-Use 16 7

Recreation/Conservation/Parks --

Medium High Density Residential – B

(0 - 8 DU/AC) 104 43

Total 241 241 100

5.3 FISCAL ANALYSIS OF LAND USE CHANGE

The total annual fiscal impact from development of Barney Farms under the proposed General Plan Amendment is estimated at $500,000.00 per year, over a 20-year time span, which estimate is approximate 14-percent more than municipal expenditures. This estimated amount for the proposed land uses is greater than the estimated annual net impact of $37,000.00 anticipated under the existing land uses. It should be noted that this analysis considered the recent land trade, which effectively removes the R/C/P land use from the project area. As a result, the analysis for the ‘existing’ scenario was performed using data for the Employment – Type B land use for the entire property.

These annual fiscal impacts have the most direct affect on the Town, as these anticipated revenues ensure financial health of the Town through capture of continual sales tax, lease tax, and property tax.

This study analyzed the potential build-out of both scenarios without regard for feasibility of the land uses or timing of development.

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June 2013 Barney Farms Project Narrative | General Plan Amendment

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June 2013 Barney Farms Project Narrative | General Plan Amendment Page 13 of 19

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6. F

INDINGS OF

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ACT

The following are responses to the five required Findings of Fact identified in the Town’s General Plan application. Per the suggested format, the required Findings of Facts are listed below with a response for each:

A. Whether the development pattern contained in the Land Use Plan provides appropriate optional sites for the use proposed in the amendment.

The Town’s General Plan Land Use Plan may contain other appropriate areas for the proposed, traditional mix of uses however; the impetus of this request is that the existing employment and Recreation/Conservation/Open Space land use classifications are not appropriate at this specific location.

Although the location of the existing Employment - Type B land use classification for a portion of the property is consistent with the established vision of the Queen Creek General Plan, the distance separation from major transportation corridors such as the Santan Freeway (202L), future State Route 24, and the Union Pacific Railroad, coupled with the overabundance of employment land uses within the geographical location, contribute to the undesirable employment use of the property.

Additionally, the Town’s General Plan does not provide a sufficient cross-section of attainable housing to accommodate the anticipated local and regional employment base along the northern planning area boundary. Excluding higher residential densities permitted in the nearby Regional Commercial land use classification, the Town has only allocated less than 2% of the Town’s overall 43,700 acre planning area as permitting residential densities greater than 3 dwelling units per acre. In an effort to promote the General Plan vision concerning housing diversity and higher residential densities within proximity to employment and commercial areas, the Medium High Density Residential Land Use classification is proposed.

B. That the amendment constitutes an overall improvement to the Queen Creek General Plan and is not solely for the good or benefit of a particular landowner or owners at a particular point in time.

The proposed amendment does not exclusively benefit a particular landowner at a particular point in time, but conversely constitutes an overall improvement to the Queen Creek General Plan as it will provide additional locations for Medium High Density Residential land uses for the geographical area; provide an improved balance of sustainable land uses for the Town, and facilitate private capital investment for roadway and other infrastructure improvements that will significantly benefit the area as a whole. Additionally, the proposed Land Use Plan amendment will offer superior land use transitioning and buffering for the existing, adjacent residential and nonresidential land use classifications.

Maintaining the existing Employment - Type B land use classification does not benefit the Queen Creek community or geographical area as the property has been deemed undesirable by Employment - Type B users due primarily to the relatively large distance separation from major transportation corridors such as the Santan Freeway (202L), future State Route

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24 and the Union Pacific Railroad. Additionally, suitability of this property for employment type land uses, now or in the distant future, has been compounded through the realization that the City of Mesa has continually amended its General Plan to include over 5,000 acres of industrial / employment classified land in between the Phoenix-Mesa Airport and this property.

Lastly, the proposed land use amendment will ultimately assist in alleviating vehicular traffic congestion in other parts of the Town and region by facilitating private improvements to adjacent roadways, which will enable more efficient transportation corridors for use by all residents of the community and surrounding areas.

C. That the amendment will not adversely impact the community as a whole or a portion of the community by:

1. Significantly altering acceptable existing land use patterns.

The proposed Land Use Plan amendment will not adversely affect the community as a whole by significantly altering land use patterns. The proposed amendment adheres to the goals and policies specified in the Queen Creek General Plan by: providing desirable and necessary commercial uses within closer proximity to nearby residents; integrating a transitional land use between the differing land use types to increase the compatibility, and provide a level of protection for each existing use; and encouraging residential developments that will provide a more diverse blend of housing types for different income levels and family types in an effort to accommodate an expanded local and regional employment base.

2. Requiring larger and more expensive improvements to roads, sewer or water systems than are needed to support the prevailing land uses and which, therefore may negatively impact development of other lands.

The proposed amendment will not have an adverse impact on the Town’s infrastructure; conversely, it will facilitate the dedication and improvement of Signal Butte and Queen Creek Roads, and it will provide necessary water and sewer infrastructure in the immediate area to serve as a catalyst for development of other, adjacent properties. As the project develops, necessary and required dedications and infrastructure improvements will benefit the Town as a whole. The net effects to the Town are lower direct costs, dramatically improved services, and increased tax revenues.

3. Adversely impacting existing uses due to increased traffic on existing systems.

The proposed amendment will not have an adverse impact on the Town’s existing land uses, as development of the site will facilitate adjacent roadway dedications and improvements resulting in improved vehicular circulation for the area. As identified in the corresponding Trip Generation Memorandum, Signal Butte and Queen Creek Roads are the primary, adjacent streets serving Barney Farms. The current land use for the project area is anticipated to generate approximately 10,013 vehicles per weekday, based on development of the site at its highest intensity of use. The proposed land uses are anticipated to generate approximately 34,639 vehicles per weekday at the highest intensity of use.

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The planned arterial level street system will serve adequate to accommodate the existing and projected traffic volumes.

4. Affecting the livability of the area or the health and safety of the residents.

The proposed uses will not adversely affect the livability of the area or affect the health or safety of the residents. Conversely, provision of residential development in this area, including its associated trails, parks, and open space areas, will provide the means to help promote healthy lifestyles for the residents of the development, as well as maintain a healthy sustainable community. The provisions of Medium High Density Residential land uses within close proximity to employment and commercial areas will also serve to substantially increase the livability of the area for Queen Creek residents by possibly reducing automobile emissions due to shorter travel distances. Livability of the area will further be increased through, at a minimum, development of the site in compliance with the Town’s livability test of aesthetics and low light impact guidelines.

While a portion of the project area is located within the AOA II zone, proposed residential uses have been planned responsibly by locating them outside of the 65 and 60 DNL overflight contours generated by Phoenix-Mesa Airport. The AOA II zone is designated as compatible for residential development in the Gateway Part 150 noise study, subject to appropriate noise mitigation and disclosure.

D. Amendment is consistent with the overall intent of the General Plan.

The proposed General Plan amendment to the Queen Creek Land Use Plan is consistent with the vision and fosters the overall intent, goals and policies of the General Plan as it: provides a greater balance of land uses in appropriate locations to assist in diversifying and creating a more sustainable economy for the Town and resultant increase in tax base; provides compatible land use relationships with the surrounding area; provides opportunities for attainable housing for certain sectors of the market; accommodates a broader mix of residential opportunities by allowing single family housing on smaller lots and lot clustering; provides higher residential densities in close proximity to nonresidential uses; will accommodate residential in conjunction with commercial and employment land uses within a master planned development; provides opportunities for connections to parks, trails, and open spaces; integrates transitional land uses between the differing land use types to increase compatibility, and provides a level of protection for each use; and will not be detrimental to public health, safety, and general welfare of persons living or working in the surrounding area or to the general welfare of the Town as a whole.

7. R

ELATIONSHIP TO

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URROUNDING

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ROPERTIES

The project is bound on the south by Queen Creek Road and east by 228th Street alignment. Germann Road lies approximately ¼ mile to the north, while the future and revised location of the East Park site lies contiguous to a portion of the western project boundary.

The General Plan land use classifications, along with the existing zoning and uses for the adjacent parcels, are listed below:

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TABLE 7.101: EXISTING LAND USE TABLE

DIRECTION GENERAL _C PLAN LAND USE ATEGORY (2008)

EXISTING

ZONING EXISTING USE

On-Site Employment – Type B I-2 Agriculture

(Recreation/Conservation/Parks) I-2 Agriculture

North

Employment – Type B I-2 Agriculture Commercial / Services I-2 Agriculture

South Employment – Type A R1-43 Agriculture

East

Employment – Type A I-2 Agriculture Medium-High Density

Residential A I-2 Agriculture

West Employment – Type B I-2

R1-43

Agriculture Rural Residential

Barney Farms has been systematically planned to be compatible with, and minimize any adverse impacts on, adjacent uses.

8. P

UBLIC

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TILITIES AND

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ERVICES

Utilities and services will be provided as follows: • Water: Town of Queen Creek

• Sewer: Town of Queen Creek • Electric: Salt River Project • Gas: Southwest Gas

• Telecommunications: Cox Communications; CenturyLink • Police: Maricopa County Sheriff

• Fire: Town of Queen Creek

• School: Queen Creek Unified School District

8.1 WATER

Potable water is to be provided by the Town of Queen Creek. Preliminary discussions with the Town indicate that existing water lines near the project boundaries can be extended with the development to serve the project adequately.

Preliminary analysis has also been performed to determine the net resulting change in water demand from the existing land use in the General Plan Land Use Plan to that of the proposed General Plan amendment. The anticipated gross decrease in water demand with

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the proposed General Plan Amendment is 0.27 MGD (million gallons per day), based on the average day water demand (based on 100 Gallons per Capita per Day).

The proposed water system improvements will be designed and developed in accordance with Town of Queen Creek and Maricopa County Environmental Services Department requirements.

8.2 WASTEWATER

The Town of Queen Creek is currently sending roughly 1 million gallons per day (MGD) average daily flow (ADF) of sewer flows to the Greenfield Water Reclamation Plant (GWRP). The Town of Queen Creek retains ownership to 4 MGD ADF of treatment capacity in the GWRP Phase II facilities, while also maintaining the first right of refusal to another 4 MGD, for a total of 8 MGD when the plant expands to its ultimate capacity. The Inter-Governmental Agreement (between the Town of Queen Creek, Town of Gilbert and City of Mesa) allows for negotiation of capacity ownership among the three municipalities to allow flexibility of future growth (General Plan Amendments Wastewater Impact Study, PBS&J, Sept. 2006).

The anticipated gross increase in wastewater generation with the proposed General Plan Amendment is 0.18 MGD (average daily flow plus Dry Weather Peaked Flow) (based on 75 Gallons per Capita per Day, a 2.7 Dry Weather Peaking Factor). Existing off-site infrastructure is adequate to serve the proposed wastewater flows.

According to preliminary indications from the Town of Queen Creek, the sewer method for Barney Farms will be dependent upon the time of project development. Currently, existing and planned wastewater lines have been designed to handle the anticipated peak flows as a result of the proposed amendment. It appears from preliminary research that the GWRP facility will also be able to handle anticipated flows generated from the proposed land use changes. Additionally, treatment capacity efforts will be coordinated by the Town of Queen Creek in the future to ensure adequate capacity.

The project will install utility improvements to adequately connect to existing infrastructure improvements. Barney Farms is committed to working with the Town to determine the overall system needs to provide sewer service for this proposed General Plan Amendment.

8.3 SCHOOLS

Efforts will be coordinated with the Queen Creek Unified School District throughout the entitlement process to ensure that adequate educational facilities are provided for.

9. P

HASING

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D

EVELOPMENT

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CHEDULE

It is anticipated that the project will be developed in multiple phases. The necessary on- and off-site improvements will be determined during the Preliminary Plat and Site Plan level of land use entitlements.

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10. P

UBLIC

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ARTICIPATION

At least one neighborhood meeting will be conducted prior to Planning and Zoning Commission consideration of this request in which adjacent property owners and owner’s association representatives within at least 1,200 feet of the property will be notified. This citizen participation plan adheres to provisions required by the Town of Queen Creek and any provisions set forth in Arizona Revised Statutes.

It is also anticipated that this Major amendment request, along with others that may be submitted to the Town, will be subject to a series of Town sponsored open house and neighborhood meetings to receive public input.

The development team of Barney Farms is committed to continuing the public participation process throughout the entitlement process for the project.

11. C

ONCLUSION

Barney Farms is a unique opportunity to implement the findings of the multi-agency sponsored ULI report, provide a balanced and sustainable land use solution for the Town and the region, provide opportunities for attainable housing to support nearby employment corridors, accelerate needed infrastructure improvements to the area, while also serving to increase fiscal revenues for the long term economic viability of the Town. We respectfully request approval of the General Plan amendment and rezoning requests as proposed.

Major General Plan Amendment. Project Narrative