Queen Creek Town Council Regular Meeting – October 7, 2026

The Queen Creek Town Council met on October 7, 2026, for its regular meeting. The council approved routine consent items, held public hearings on a liquor license, an annexation/rezone, the Summerwell Residences residential project, and an irrigation-service transfer agreement, and received a detailed utility-rate study presentation. Most routine items passed 5–0; the Summerwell rezoning failed 3–2.

Ceremonial Matters

• The council issued proclamations for Red Ribbon Week, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month. Representatives of the East Valley Young Marines, victim advocate Danielle Cottonwood and Queen Creek Police Department members, and Hispanic Heritage performers accepted the proclamations.

Committee Reports

• Council members did not comment on the committee report slide.

Consent Calendar

• Approved 5–0, with one remote councilmember not recorded due to connection issues: minutes from the September 16, 2026 special and regular meetings; the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee FY 2026/2027 Work Plan; FY 26-27 carry-forward budget reallocations totaling $106,298,519, consisting of $73,463,581 for open contracts and purchase orders and $32,834,938 for previously authorized project budgets; the Maricopa Association of Governments project agreement for the Hawes Road: Rittenhouse Road to Jude Drive project; Resolution 1680-26 declaring intent to seek bond reimbursement for up to $277,815,981 in capital expenditures; and Resolution 1684-26 authorizing acquisition of property for the Sierra Vista Waterline Project, including through gift, purchase, or eminent domain if necessary.

Public Hearing Consent Agenda

• Approved 5–0: a Series 12 restaurant liquor license for Rosati’s Pizza at 25166 S Ellsworth Road, B101; Ordinance 897-26 annexing approximately 31,000 square feet (0.72 acres) north of Ellsworth and Happy roads; and Ordinance 898-26 rezoning that property from RU-43/R1-43 to C-1 with site plan approval for the Carder Development Parking Lot Expansion. No public comments were offered.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General public comment had no speakers.
• Summerwell Residences public hearing speakers:
  • Joe Klonick (18585 E Raven Drive, Cortina) opposed the rezone, saying the same land-use change had previously been withdrawn twice and council members had earlier opposed residential zoning for this property. He argued the General Plan should be honored, commercial opportunity would be lost permanently, and added residential demand would burden roads, services, and water.
  • Victoria Obenauer (18646 E Siegel Drive) opposed, citing traffic congestion, an oversupply of rentals in the area, unmet demand for commercial and office space such as therapist co-working space, and concerns about the 100-year water supply.
  • Liz Robinson (18618 S 186th Way), a business owner and resident, supported the project, saying the residential layout with rear yards would improve security for her business compared with the earlier apartment proposal and would bring customers and town revenue.
  • Brett Crosby (1916 E Macaw Drive), a Cortina resident, supported the project, saying the vacant lot had not attracted commercial development and the rental homes would meet demand. He also urged the town to push Germain Road through to Sossaman and said online opposition included misinformation.

Discussion Items

Summerwell Residences Rezone (Ordinance 896-26) and Site Plan

• Principal Planner Les Johnson presented the request to rezone approximately 16.8 acres from C-2 (General Commercial) to MDR/PAD and approve a site plan for 150 rental units consisting of 102 single-family detached units and 48 duplex units, plus a clubhouse, pool, dog park, linear park, private streets, and 427 parking spaces. He reported that a neighborhood meeting was held on August 26 with six residents, the Planning Commission recommended approval 6–0 on September 9, and 85 public comments had been received, with 59 opposed and 26 in support; more than half of the comments lacked verifiable addresses.
• Applicant representative Brennan Ray spoke on behalf of Graystar. He noted the site had previously been proposed for 340 apartments, while the current proposal was 150 residences in 126 buildings. He described outreach including 251 mailed letters and 80 emails, and argued that commercial development had not proved viable, that a private 2003 Power Ranch Marketplace/Home Depot agreement restricts certain commercial uses, and that the residential use would generate about 90% less traffic than commercial development. He also estimated that future residents would spend $3–3.25 million annually in the local area.
• Council discussion: Councilmember Benning called the project a major improvement but acknowledged the volume of opposing resident comments. Councilmember Martinell supported the project, citing property rights and the long-vacant site. Vice Mayor McClure supported it, citing lower traffic, 40% open space, and private property rights. Councilmember Brown opposed, saying he had opposed the same rezone two years earlier and that the project did not clearly exceed the General Plan land-use designation. Mayor Wheatley expressed mixed views, mentioning the need for the Germain/Sossaman connection and concerns about water costs and the ongoing General Plan update.
• Councilmember Benning asked staff to follow up with resident Brett Crosby about supporting the town’s Arizona Corporation Commission application regarding the Sossaman and Germain crossing.
• A motion to approve failed 3–2, with Councilmember Padilla not voting.

Final Action: IGA with Queen Creek Irrigation District

• Assistant Town Manager Shay Yoakum presented Resolution 1685-26, an intergovernmental agreement to begin negotiations to transfer all town irrigation assets and service to the Queen Creek Irrigation District. The town has about 500 irrigation customers using about 1,400 acre-feet per year. QCID infrastructure already covers 17 of the 19 subdivisions served by the town, with Orchard Ranchettes and Pegasus outside QCID’s boundary. The transfer would take about 12 months and would require a future final agreement for council approval.
• Deputy Town Manager and CFO Scott McCarty said that, if the IGA is approved, flood-irrigation customers would be exempt from the proposed water resource fee during the transition, costing about $1.4 million in the first year, paid from the town’s operating budget so other customers would not pay more. Potable water use would still be subject to the fee.
• The council approved Resolution 1685-26 5–0. No public comments were offered.

Utility Rate Discussion: Water Delivery, Wastewater, and Solid Waste

• Staff and consultants presented a continuation of the utility rate process. A public hearing and vote are scheduled for November 18, 2026, following required notice steps on October 19 and October 29.
• On the proposed new water resource fee, staff explained a septic-system recharge credit. The town expects to receive approximately 200 acre-feet of incidental recharge credit initially, worth about $200,000 per year, equating to roughly $40 per year per septic account, or about $60 if the credit is raised from 4% to 6%. Year-six estimates were about $140 and $210 per account. The town is seeking a consultant study to try to increase the credit.
• Staff answered common questions: new growth would pay its fair share through capacity fees and monthly fees; the wastewater credit is 40% for single-family homes, 80% for multifamily, and a percentage for commercial based on measured return flows; 40-year debt was used because 100-year debt is not practical; multi-year rates are indicative, starting at about $23 million per year and rising toward about $60 million per year in year six; and the rate structure is designed to avoid cross-subsidization.
• DTA consultant Kuda Wikuey presented the updated water delivery capacity fee. The 10-year infrastructure plan totals $186 million, with about 90% attributable to growth. After carve-outs, cash balances, and financing carry costs, the proposed fee is $4,591 per ERU, about a 90% increase. Multifamily would pay 25% of the single-family fee, and larger commercial meters would be charged based on the greater of meter capacity ratio or project-specific water use.
• Stantec’s Andy Burnham presented the new water resource capacity fee. It is designed to recover growth’s share of securing a 100-year water supply. Based on about 20,000 new ERUs and 270,000 additional acre-feet, the estimated cost is about $170 million. The fee would recover 50% of that cost, with the remainder from monthly water resource fees. Proposed fees included about $10,000 for a water-only single-family account, about $6,000 for a combined water/wastewater account, and multifamily set at 25% of the single-family fee, with an 80% credit for combined accounts. Developers who bring their own water could be recognized.
• Ramona Simpson presented solid waste services: the current monthly rate is $16.22 for about 28,000 households and 63,000 carts, with a 23% diversion rate and many included services. The last solid waste rate increase was in 2013. A proposed FY27 adjustment of about $3.78 per month would bring the rate to about $20.00. Cart replacement, reserve contributions, customer service, and support costs were included in the analysis; the recommended reserve target is three months of operations and maintenance expenses.
• Council members asked questions about growth-related projects and Box Canyon water improvements. No vote was taken; staff proposed deferring the final two discussion items to the October 21, 2026 council meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar and Public Hearing Consent Agenda approved 5–0.
• Summerwell Residences Rezone and Site Plan failed 3–2.
• Resolution 1685-26, the IGA with the Queen Creek Irrigation District, was approved 5–0.
• Utility rate discussions continued without a vote; additional rate items were deferred to October 21, 2026, with the required public hearing scheduled for November 18, 2026.
• The meeting was adjourned after council direction to defer the remaining items.