Per The San Tan Valley Sentinel, Pinal County recently hosted two public meetings where residents got to weigh in on the future growth of San Tan Valley.

The county presented three hypothetical changes for the San Tan Valley Special Area Plan and sought feedback on each.

Plan A represented no changes in the current development policies. The area would continue to include primarily suburban residential growth with single-family housing and minimal commercial development. Residents would continue to need a commute for employment opportunities as the town would not seek out ways to bring new businesses to the area.

Plan B, dubbed “community nodes” by the county, would focus on hotspot areas of commercial businesses to expand alongside residential density. This would encourage walkability and help drive consumer demand, thereby encouraging commercial growth. The plan would also create offices to bring more employment to the area while a majority of residents would still need to commute to employment.

Plan C allows for high-density housing while creating a main commercial center in the town between Bella Vista Road and Skyline Road. The plan would expand infrastructure by adding bus lanes, bike lanes, and more walkable areas.

Noting that the plans were “only as good as the feedback we get,” Community Planning Practice Lead Matthew Klyszeiko heard both positive and negative responses with some voicing concerns that a potential city incorporation would render the Special Area Plan null and void. 

With a reveal date of early 2018, the preferred plan will be shared at a public meeting to allow comments before going to the Board of Supervisors, who will officially adopt the changes. In all likelihood, Klyszeiko forecasts the final plan will be a “hybrid” of all three.