Gilbert Town Council Regular Meeting - August 6, 2025

The Gilbert Town Council held a regular meeting on August 6, 2025, called to order at 6:00 PM (local time). The meeting included public hearings, a consent calendar, a major zoning item, citizen communications, and reports from the town manager and council members. All votes were unanimous (6-0) except where noted.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (public hearing items) were approved together via a motion, with no separate discussion. The vote was 6-0.
• Items 10 through 35 and item 37 (appointments to the Public Works Advisory Board) were approved as a consent calendar. The board appointments included Seth Templeton, Greg Froilick, Mark Horn, Jason Robinson (full terms ending August 14, 2028), and Eric McCleskey (partial term ending August 14, 2026, then full term ending August 14, 2029).
• Item 38 (special taxing district) and item 39 (2026 council meeting schedule) were also approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Frank Banachesky (Commander, American Legion Post 39): Thanked the police and fire departments for their professionalism in handling a veteran suicide. Expressed concern that a planned road extension on Ash Road would eliminate parking and potentially shut down the Legion post, which provides about $300,000 in annual charity. Asked the council to negotiate a solution.
• Bradley Heck (Queen Creek resident, Legion member): Supported Commander Frank's comments and stated the Legion is open to negotiations, possibly moving to a different location in downtown Gilbert.
• Josh Reynolds (former Gilbert firefighter): Alleged that his forced retirement in July 2022 was based on a fabricated social media complaint about a video he posted. He claimed the town's investigation was flawed and that the external complainant "Jason Smith" was not a real person. He stated that the Goldwater Institute investigated and that digital media director Dana Birchman was forced to resign. He called for accountability from town leaders.
• Steve Laval (former Gilbert firefighter): Spoke about alleged abuse of power by Assistant Chief Corey Girard, who is leaving the department. He claimed Girard blocked a fleet employee from interviewing for a job at Hughes, a contractor, to prevent outsourcing. He criticized the town's leadership and predicted Ryan Cadden would be the next assistant chief.

Discussion Items

• Item 3: General Plan Amendment GP24-08 and Rezone Z24-20 (Aura Santan)
  • Staff Presentation (Ashley): The applicant requested a minor general plan amendment on 14.24 acres at the southeast corner of Alvista and Pecos Road to change land use from regional commercial to residential (25-50 du/ac) and rezone from regional commercial to mixed-use large. The project proposes 357 units (25.1 du/ac) in three buildings, with 16,000 sq ft of ground-floor office space (3.49% non-residential, vs. the required 20% in mixed-use districts). Staff recommended denial due to the significant deviation from the land development code. The Planning Commission had recommended approval 7-0. Staff noted that the site is in the Central 202 Core Growth Area, which supports high-density residential, but the retention of commercial land is critical as the town approaches build-out (currently 70.8% residential, 9.5% commercial).
  • Applicant Presentation (Adam Baugh): Explained the history of the site, originally part of the Main Street Commons PAD (2004), which failed due to the 2007 recession. The property has never had a commercial development application due to low traffic (3 cars per minute on Market Street vs. 29 on Pecos). The applicant argued that the current zoning already allows similar uses, and the mixed-use zoning would provide 28% open space (exceeding requirements). He noted that the parking garage square footage is counted in the non-residential ratio, which penalizes the project. He requested a continuance to explore adding more parking and commercial space.
  • Owner (Morgan Neville, Park Corporation): Stated they purchased 58 acres in 2009 and have developed 34 acres (retail, medical, apartments). They have tried to market the remaining 11.5 acres for office for seven years without success. He argued that the site's lack of rooftops and traffic makes retail infeasible, and high-density housing is the best use.
  • Public Comment in Support: Online comments from Brandon Hall, Jeffrey Hall, Sharon Hall, and Chris Yacub.
  • Council Discussion: Vice Mayor Buckley expressed concern about losing commercial land, as the town needs commercial revenue. Councilmember Bongiovanni wanted more commercial, especially restaurants to serve nearby hotels, but felt the office space was insufficient. Councilmember Lyons opposed the reduction from 20% to 3% commercial, citing the town's need for commercial tax base. Councilmember Torgeson noted the lack of neighborhood opposition but was uncomfortable with the low commercial percentage. Mayor supported exploring more commercial. The applicant requested a continuance to study adding parking and commercial space.

Key Outcomes

• Item 3 (Aura Santan): The council voted 6-0 to continue the item to the October 14, 2025 meeting to allow the applicant to explore increasing the commercial component and addressing parking constraints.
• Consent items: All consent items (1-2, 4-9, 10-35, 37, 38, 39) were approved unanimously.
• Boards and Commissions: Appointments to the Public Works Advisory Board were approved as presented.

Town Manager Report

• Patrick Banger highlighted the Finance Department, noting 33 consecutive years of excellence in financial reporting, a clean audit, and triple-A credit ratings. He provided an update on the new utility billing system, which has 49,575 registered users (50% of accounts). No late fees or disconnections during transition.
• Recognized Captain Adam Hellman for 32 years of service.
• Introduced the preventative MRI program, which has detected early-stage cancer in two employees, with significant cost savings.
• Welcomed new Assistant Town Manager Mario Paniagua, who introduced himself.

Council Reports

• Councilmember Bongiovanni: Promoted "Gilbert's Last Splash" event on August 16 and the first Adaptive Resource Fair on August 23.
• Councilmember Lyons: Asked about the delay of the electric vehicle discussion to the fall retreat; the town manager explained it allows for comprehensive analysis.
• Mayor: Reported on a tour of Redemption Gilbert's heat relief center, a back-to-school shopping event with Kohl's (60 students), and a listening session at Gilbert High School with 40-50 students.