Call to order this February 19th, 2026 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting for the City of Surprise.

Renee, may we please have a roll call?

Commissioner Perry.

Here.

Commissioner Holland.

Here.

Commissioner Leonard.

Commissioner Leonard has an excused absence.

Chair Chapman.

Chair Chapman has an excused absence.

Vice Chair Spada.

Here.

Commissioner Everett?

Here.

Commissioner Bash.

Here.

We have a quorum.

Thank you.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

Indivisible Liberty and Justice.

Before we proceed with our regular agenda, uh, we want to remember former Commissioner Matthew Keating, who passed recently.

And ask you to please join us in a moment of silence to honor his memory.

Thank you.

Current events and reports.

Director Fleetham, do we have anything to offer?

Thank you, Vice Chair Commission.

Um, just one item for you.

Um, as you may know, we have been working on a zoning text amendment for to address uh battery energy storage systems within the city.

We'll be coming to you uh next meeting with a work session presentation on that to have a discussion about what we've drafted.

Thank you.

Move on to the planning and zoning commission agenda.

Consent items, Renee.

Consideration and action to approve or disapprove the February 5th, 2026 planning and zoning commission meeting minute.

Moved.

Second.

Moved and second.

Is there any discussion?

Yep.

No more discussion.

I'll move to a vote.

Motion passes with five votes in favor.

Thank you.

Uh regular agenda items.

Number one.

Consideration and action pertaining to a rezone of approximately 120 acres of rural residential R R to residential low density R1 and community commercial C2 for property generally located at the northeast corner of Deer Valley Road and 227th Avenue.

Case FS 241433.

The project is generally located at the northeast corner of Deer Valley Road and 227th Avenue.

The current zoning of the project is rural residential.

The zoning to the north is R2 to the east, rural residential with the desert overlay.

Surprise Foothills PH PAD to the south and R1 and C2 to the west.

The proposed zoning for tonight is R1 and C2.

The general plan land use designation is neighborhood with some open space to the south of the project and rural residential overlay to the east of the project.

A big portion of the project is located with the zero to six contour lines, with a smaller portion located up in the northeasterly section within the zero to four dwelling units per acre.

This caps the number of dwelling units at 714.

However, the next slide will show you the lotting plan, and it looks like they have approximately 370 dwelling units.

So this is a conceptual lotting plan.

It divides the parcels into A, B, and C and D.

A, B and C are residential lots with the sizes as shown in parcel D is the commercial site.

Additionally, to accommodate the desert rural residents to the east of the site, the applicant agreed to 150 foot buffer on the eastern side of the project.

So the applicant has provided a conceptual open space plan.

There will be active open space, an eight-foot community trail, plus an equestrian trail located within the 150-foot open space buffer on the easterly portion of the site.

Please note that the access is into the project as shown, and there will not be any east-west connections to the site, only north-south connections.

This is the roadway network slide.

In the development agreement, the project will be responsible for their proportionate shares of the traffic signals along 219th Avenue and 227th Avenue.

Primary access to the site will be 227th Avenue from Sun Valley Parkway with secondary access provided through 219th Avenue through via Sun Valley Parkway.

This developer has coordinated with the adjacent developer to align Deer Valley Road southward to protect the existing rural residential development north of Deer Valley Road.

An outreach meeting was held on February 27th, 2025 at Willow Canyon High School.

There were 13 attendees.

It was advertised according to the surprise land development ordinance.

Some of the questions and concerns that arose during the meeting were the commercial site, access and density, to name a few.

Staff recommends that planning and zoning commission recommend approval subject to STIPs A through C.

And this concludes my presentation.

I'm available as well as the applicant with any questions.

And Jeff Bliley, who represents the applicant, is here and would like to speak on the project.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jeff Bliley, 701 North 44th Street.

Here just a few words about the project itself.

As uh Christine pointed out, we're rezoning the property from R R to R1 and the current general plan for that area is neighborhood.

And so the R1 is very consistent with that.

A few things I wanted to bring up.

Uh as she pointed out, there's a 150 foot buffer that we've added to the eastern side to provide some additional buffering between the rural residential to the east and our project.

The city's working on a desert overlay for that area.

Our property is not included in the desert overlay, but we would be adjacent to it.

Now that's not adopted yet, but we've gone ahead and agreed to impose the 150 foot, which is what the city's proposing once they get that adopted.

So I think the current setback would be about 100 feet, but we went the 150 feet.

We also included an equestrian trail through there to again to accommodate the uh some of the concerns we've had because we've had a number of meetings with the the neighbors about this project to make sure we're doing what we can to try and accommodate uh their rural lifestyle.

Um and one of the big issues was the the roads, Williams Road, and I can't remember the other one to the south of that, but they were really concerned about those roads getting punched through.

And initially the city uh per their normal standards would want those roads to go all the way through.

They provide much better circulation if they do, but but through our negotiations, we've worked it out.

There won't be any roads that cut through from 227th over to the site.

The role their only access will be 225th, which we won't even be building.

It'll be we're gonna give the right-of-that, but there'll be no roads, so their existing access will still serve them.

And so there'll be from between us and them will just be this 150-foot buffer and then the backyards.

And again, along that edge, we've also agreed that we wouldn't have any more than 50% of the homes would be two stories.

So just again to eliminate more uh things like that.

The development agreement, which you haven't seen and and typically don't seen, but I I know I want to bring it up that uh it'll be going to council probably at the next hearing.

Uh again, we're we're gonna be agreeing to dedicate and build to 27th as well as Deer Valley.

And I don't have the the map up.

You can you've seen there's an all the projects kind of around this are have are approved, and we're kind of a little donut hole there.

That's what left.

And so it's it's critical that that these projects go in so all these roads go in uh properly, and so we don't end up with the scallops route thing.

And and so that they've you know they'll be building theirs.

Uh, if for some reason it were to go first, you know, before some of the ones to the south, they would have to extend, you know, the additional uh lanes down to Sun Valley Parkway, they'd have to build Deer Valley over.

Kind of around this or have our are approved and we're kind of a little donut hole there that's what left and so it's it's critical that that these projects go in so all these roads go in uh properly and so we don't end up with the scallop stroop thing and and so that they've you know they'll be building theirs uh if for some reason it were to go first you know before some of the ones to the south they would have to extend you know the additional uh lanes down to Sun Valley Parkway they'd have to build Deer Valley over so but given the size of this project it's probably one of those that'll probably go after like say a mesquite mountain ranch that you saw at the last meeting uh in addition because it's going through this rezoning process uh the city of surprise is already contractually obligated with the county to build the traffic signals at 219th and 227th and they're working on both those right now but now with this zoning case coming in they're able to uh exact uh contribution from us for both of those traffic signals as they did for all the projects in the area and so we'll be making that contribution as well um the project will be participating uh in the wastewater treatment plan expansion that we're in the process of working on right now uh and we've also worked out uh with with regard to the water system the surprise foothills water campus is is the water campus for this entire area and they will be annexing into that and agreeing to pay a significant pseudo impact fee if you will uh to to obtain water um other than that uh just happy to answer any questions and hope for your support thank you thank you this matter requires a public hearing uh renee do we have anyone wishing to address the commission yes vice chair i have eddie eaton my name's eddie edens i uh reside uh within the um area just due east of where the development is between 219th and 225th i'm at uh i'm just right off of millions and 222nd in that subdivision uh just came in support of our subdivision to address the buffer along the east side of that of that development uh we're a horse community we have uh several residents or horses my daughter and I exercise our horses in that area and um we've noticed a lot of excess traffic that's hit that comes through 219th and and a lot of people aren't aware of the laws on passing uh uh horses on the roads and we're noticing a lot of that on 219 219th and we want to make sure we're not having it over on that east side to uh reduce the amount of through way into our subdivision because everybody is riding in their horses throughout that and community because we go up into the north end of uh pinnacle peak into that desert land to exercise our horses because there's no traffic it's a lot of open land and it suits our horses well in exercising um we just want to make sure there isn't a throughway from those developments on pinnacle peak uh because that is our direct access to that open land uh for the horses and um a lot of people that walk their dogs also increase traffic ways when they're passing on horses really alarms our horses and puts us at risk and we're just trying to prevent some of that risk because of what we have in our community um as as it looks so far uh they've given us the buffer we we really look forward to that and see how that does but uh the one big question for us is is there going to be a through way for those residents on Pinnacle Peak cutting across to 219th and want to make sure that that is closed off to give us the direct access to that desert land.

So thank you.

Thank you for your comments uh yeah as I mentioned we won't be building any roads over 225th is the road that would run along our eastern boundary we aren't building 225th and we are putting no roads to 225th so 225th will remain the way it is right now if it I don't even know if it goes all the way to Pinnacle Peak but we're not improving it and we're not going to be utilizing it.

All of our access and all of our will go out on 227th with I think we have one access point onto Deer Valley Road as well but there'll be no access to 225th.

If he's if the question was are we if Pinnacle Peak is going to go through we're not we won't be building Pinnacle Peak at all so I I know in the long plan the city does have plans for Pinnacle Peak to be built at some point but that's not part of this project at all.

Jeff I don't know if I understood his question correctly but is there going to be anything that to your knowledge that's going to go from the west to the east or east west uh through your development or otherwise that would cut across that equestrian trail no with that that buffer will remain intact and it won't be broken and along our entire eastern boundary.

Um I'm concerned with a small 10-acre commercial section here on the middle of this site.

And I'm just a bit perplexed as to why.

Now, before that gets answered, let me say I thank the owners of the property, the developers, for putting that uh uh that 150 foot buffer because I've been at a few of the neighborhood meetings, and that is going to make this this property uh much more amenable uh next next to a desert rural site.

But I'm wondering what is uh what's the thought process behind having a a small uh commercial section in there?

And I guess I'll uh I'll ask that question to Mr.

Blyley.

Sure.

Um, I think this the city actually would encourage us to have some commercial opportunities at that particular intersection because 227th in Deer Valley is going to be a major intersection.

There's also commercial on the other side of the road, about a 15-acre piece, I believe.

And so between the two, we're gonna have more neighborhood level uh commercial, and you probably have maybe a grocery store on the other side of the road.

But uh I think it's just planning for the future.

This is a the location where you'd probably want to see commercial at some point in the future.

Uh it won't you you and I know it's not gonna happen today or tomorrow, but uh when these roads start getting built out and there's more homes out there, this would be the natural location for it.

And then if I can, the second question would be uh what is the projected timeline for this project to break ground?

The the projected timeline because of it's the size of this project, it's not the kind of project where somebody could go in and probably build all those off-site roads.

So it's going to have to trail, say a mesquite mountain ranch, because it really needs to go sequentially.

Uh, as you, you know, the first portion of Mesquite Mountain Ranch, kind of the southern portion and Rancho Vista went first.

They built that initial uh road up to the their southern boundary up to Beardsley, uh, and then the project you saw at your last meeting that kind of the north half of Musquete Mountain Ranch, which is which is currently under contract with home builders.

Uh, if that everything goes the way it's supposed to go, they would then come in and build the rest of that that that off-site portion of 227th, they'd build their portion of 227th internally, and then that would be the natural progression then for this project to go next.

It it really it would be a big hurdle for them to try to go first because of all the off-site roads that have to go in.

So uh given the the where those are now with the plating, that's gonna take a few years.

You're probably three years out before you saw any construction through the Mesquite Mountain Ranch project.

This to me looks like it's more on that four to five year horizon.

Um but they could start working a little quicker if mesquite was moving, and then they could kind of just kind of piggyback right on that.

Thank you.

Appreciate it, Mr.

Blyer.

No problem.

Commissioner River.

My question is uh first I want the resident that spoke to know I I heard you loud and clear.

Um, and I'm I'm a horse person myself.

And I was wondering if maybe the city, with all of the development going on out here, if we could consider some type of public education campaign on the how automobiles interact when there is a horse on the roadways.

I'm not saying we have to do that, but with all this development, it's something maybe we might want to consider because this isn't the first time I've heard that concern.

I caught you off guard.

It's okay.

We don't have to come up with a plan now.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

It's just a thought.

Um I I've been hearing that complaint, uh, well, that concern uh from multiple people about different projects lately.

And I value our rural residents just as much as I value, you know, our our folks that live in closer into the city, and I want them to feel heard.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Michael, so uh thank you, Vice Chair.

Um to uh Commissioner Perry's uh question about the commercial property or at least the portion there, and I I certainly not gonna be adversarial with Commissioner Perry.

I I like him.

Uh but I I actually am in favor of having that commercial site there.

And the reason for that um is I I do anticipate with what's going to happen here is that that uh um Deer Valley Road and 227th is going to become a much larger location.

And what we've seen with like 163rd and otherwise is we've seen a lot of growth with residences, and then we can't get the amenities out there, and uh everybody's coming into town to to find those amenities uh because they just they weren't built out there yet, and now we're kind of catching up, and hopefully we catch up fairly soon uh uh with with getting the amenities so that they don't have to cross the railroad tracks and so forth.

And I would anticipate that with the development that's gonna go on out here that that some amenities are gonna be needed out in that location.

Uh so having a commercial commercial parcel kind of carved off, especially on the corners here, uh, would make sense to me uh that that would go in there.

So I'm I'm actually not offended by, nor I don't think it's a bad idea to put it there simply for the fact that they're gonna need some amenities out there uh to provide uh services to those individuals who are moving out there, be them those who are currently there in the residential horse communities, or be them individuals in the Mesquite Mountain Ranch or uh the project that we're talking about here.

So I'm I'm actually in favor of having that commercial parcel there.

Uh so we provide those amenities.

Thank you.

Any other comments, questions?

Okay, then I will move to motion to vote.

I move to recommend approval of the rezone of surprise 120 case FS24-1433, subject to stipulations A through C as outlined in the staff report.

I second moved in second.

Please vote.

Motion passes with five votes in favor.

Thank you.

Nathan, next item, please.

Consideration.

Consideration and action pertaining to the CIP project 51010, multi-generational community resource center comprehensive sign program for the surprise community and resource center, generally located at West Santa Fe Drive and North Hollyhawk Street, case FS250535.

I'm sorry, 0835.

Thank you.

Good evening again, Chair and Commission.

Item number three before you is a comprehensive sign program for case number FS25-0853 for a CIP project PSM P51010 multi-gen.

The project is generally located on the northwest corner of Santa Fe Drive and Hollyhawk Street.

The zoning for the parcel is Surprise Heritage District with the commercial overlay zone, which is the same zoning for parcels to the north, south, and west.

The zoning to the east is surprise heritage district with a residential overlay zone.

The CSP is proposing three signs as shown on the site plan.

The primary monument sign is denoted with the red box around it as seen on the site plan and located on Santa Fe Drive.

The tertiary ground sign is in the green box, which will be in front of the facility, and the secondary monument sign will be located along Hollyhawk Street.

It's in the yellow box.

The primary monument is a class six signed in the LDO.

Per the code, class six signs are only permitted on arterial roadways.

Therefore, the CSP tonight asks for a deviation to place the sign along Santa Fe Drive, which is on a local road.

Additionally, other deviations are being requested in regards to height and the sign area to the primary monument sign.

The LDO allows eight feet for a maximum height, however, 14 feet eight inches is being requested, and the sign area maximum of 32 square feet in the LDO.

However, 45.96 square feet is being requested.

The location height and square footage along Santa Fe will ensure sufficient visibility.

The secondary ground sign meets the LDO as a maximum height is six feet and three feet is being proposed.

The maximum square footage is 12 square feet, and they are proposing 3.11 square feet.

And this is the last sign, the tertiary ground sign per the LDO, the max height is six feet while only three feet four inches is being proposed, and the sign area will meet the LDO, which is 12 square feet.

An outreach meeting was held on November 12th, 2025 at the Villa Nueva Recreation Center.

There was one attendee with no concerns or questions.

If the planning and zoning commission recommends approval to the mayor and city council, staff recommends the planning and zoning commission recommend approval subject to stipulations A and B.

This concludes my presentation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This requires a public hearing, Renee.

Is there anyone who wishes to speak?

No, Vice Chair.

Thank you.

And I'll close the public hearing and open it up to our commissioners.

Commissioner Perry.

Thank you, Vice Chair Spadter.

I uh I first of all, just I'm gonna ask questions because I wanna put uh director uh I'm only kidding.

Uh my my question would be the signs look nice.

How do they fit with uh monument sign, which is reasonably close to this that uh announces the surprise original town site.

Um that uh I know that's done on this property, but it's the first thing you see when you come off of Grand and uh are heading in that.

And I'm wondering what the design considerations in terms of some uh some aesthetic uh compatibility.

Mind if I oh no, please, please.

All right, good evening, Mr.

Chair, members of the commission, Commissioner Perry.

Good question.

Um this project's very special.

The the original town site monument sign is very special.

So we wanted to keep that in place, and we wanted to put it down the road quite a ways where it wouldn't mess with the the visibility.

Um but we also wanted to show the neighborhood and those in the uh driving by the programming opportunities that were happening on campus at the center.

So the digital sign was what um we as the owner and operator were pushing hard.

So that's why the uh that's why we're here tonight.

Um we wanted to go a little bit bigger because we always get asked, well, we didn't know that you were doing that, or we so even though we promote different programs and uh opportunities, this will get us one step closer to communicating with our neighborhood and maybe some of the folks that I don't think you'll be able to see it really well off of Grand Avenue, but at least it'll be something or they may catch their eye and then come back into the neighborhood.

So to answer your specific question, I don't we were very intentional about where we placed it, um, working with the city team and our designers, uh Gabor Laurent and Associates, um, we're very intentional, make sure we honored the history of the original monument sign, and then uh adding our our new one.

And then there's a third monument sign that's part of our heritage senior development uh just down the way.

We feel like the spacing's uh enough where it's not too crowded, it still um gets what we want to accomplish, our messaging across.

And so I don't think there'll be a lot of clutter if that's what you're uh had in mind.

Uh it wasn't clutter as much as the uh the aesthetic compatibility between the signs.

Uh the second question would be for the digital sign.

There's some housing in that area.

And I I apologize that I couldn't uh visualize exactly what the direction of the digital sign was going to be in relationship to uh the heritage housing and perhaps some other housing in the future that uh could be developed in that area.

So is there any consideration uh about that?

Uh uh yes, through the chair, Commissioner Perry.

A lot of discussion around that.

Uh, this particular um site is in very intentional to then reduce the impact for anyone that's living around there.

So we have 99 units of brand new uh uh heritage senior apartments, thanks to uh city attorney uh Murray over there, he helped us big time on that and Trevor, both of you.

Um, but none of them have uh windows facing this, all the windows are facing the opposite direction.

Um we do have one uh household here and a few households along Hollyhawk Street.

Um but with the trees, the monument sign, and and and the distance, we didn't think it'd be a big deal.

We did uh go through the normal process of notifying all the neighbors.

Um the one neighbor that showed up uh was actually Mrs.

Vill uh Villeneuve.

Oh, and she wanted to hear all about the project, and she had no questions about the sign.

She was very excited about the project, but um, you can see it was very intentional where we put it.

So we think there's minimal impact, and all the neighbors uh were invited to come, and we didn't hear from them specifically on the sign.

If former councilwoman Villanueva is happy with this, so am I.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Director.

Commissioner Holland.

Thank you.

I I just had a comment about the size of it, and and I as I saw this come coming up, I was looking at it, wondering why we needed additional size, but it it made sense.

I was looking at it, wondering why we needed additional size, but it it made sense.

And so I thought I'd share with everybody, but uh the the beans have already been spilled.

Uh the the the point of the size or of the sign, at least from my point vantage point, is uh that uh they're trying to draw individuals who might see it from grand.

While this is on gonna be on Santa Fe, and we have the railroad that's going right next to it, and so we're saying it's on a small road.

The fact is it's it's right next to grand, and so that that's meant and intended to attract individuals off of Grand, which is one of the largest roads that it's gonna go through our city.

So uh I I'm not offended by the the additional size, and actually I think it's a good idea to get to get the word out to everyone about the uh opportunities and services that are being provided by this facility.

So I I think it's actually a good idea to have the additional sign size.

Okay, yes, Commissioner.

I appreciate the size of the sign because signage has been one of my pet peeves since I've been on the commission that we have signs that are hidden by landscape and everything else.

This is going to be a well-used facility, and it's gonna be utilized by seniors a lot, and as we get older, we don't see as well.

So something that's upfront and personal, they can see and they can be directed to that campus.

Any more questions, comments?

Can I move to a vote?

I move to recommend approval of the comprehensive sign program for the surprise community and resource center case FS 25-0835, subject to stipulations A and B as memorialized in the staff report.

Second.

Moved and seconding, please vote.

Motion passes with five votes in favor.

Thank you.

So that concludes our regular agenda items.

No quiet group tonight.

Okay.

That case I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

Do we have to have a call to the public on none?

I'm sorry, Mike's still earning this job.

Uh with that, I'll open a call to the public.

Renee, do we have anyone who wishes to address the commission this evening?

No, Vice Chair.

Thank you.

I'll get it yet.

With that, then I will uh entertain a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor, please vote.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

The ayes have it.

We are adjourned.

Thank you.

We said we'd never break the three second rule.

We'd never make a separate dinner.

And never.