The property, currently known as Estrella 14, contains approximately 1,505 acres of land and is generally located on the east side of Estrella Parkway and west of the S. Cotton Lane alignment, south of Estrella Foothills High School and north of the W. Pecos Road alignment (the “Property”). The Property is located within the Estrella Phase II PAD, which was approved on July 25, 1988, under Case No. 88-257. This zoning authorized a mix of uses for the Property, including single-family residential (up to six dwelling units per acre), multi-family residential (up to 20 units per acre generally, but up to 50 units per acre near town-center commercial), commercial and office uses (to include a regional mall), three school sites, a portion of a higher education site, and four parks.
On December 13, 2021, City Council adopted Resolution 2021-2197 that approved a General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation of 481 acres within a portion of the Property from Business & Commerce to Neighborhoods in the General Plan 2025. The General Plan 2035 was approved in 2024 and retained the same land use designations within the Property. Except for forty (40) acres near the intersection of Estrella Parkway and Willis Road that retains the Business & Commerce designation, the entirety of the Property is now within the Neighborhoods land use designation. |
Current Policy:
A rezoning request requires public review and approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. The proposed rezone must be in conformance with the General Plan and should not adversely impact the surrounding area as outlined in the Zoning Ordinance.
Summary of the Rezoning Request:
The applicant seeks approval to remove approximately 1,505 acres from the Estrella Phase II PAD and rezone the property to the Estrella 14 PAD. The proposal establishes a flexible Land Use Group (LUG) framework to organize permitted uses and guide future zoning applications. Six LUGs are proposed:
· Open Space (OS): Preserves natural features and provides community parks, sports fields, trails, plazas, and other outdoor amenities.
· Civic Space (CS): Includes schools, government facilities, public safety stations, arts and cultural spaces, and community amenities.
· Estate (E): Single-family residential neighborhoods.
· Village (V): Neighborhood-scale residential with a mix of single-family attached/detached homes, live-work units, and small-scale commercial.
· Hub (H): Higher-intensity multi-family residential, commercial, and office uses.
· Core (C): Mixed-use areas supporting the highest intensity of multi-family, commercial, office, and civic uses.
The LUG boundaries are conceptual and may overlap. Within this context each LUG is layered atop any preceding LUG allowing multiple zoning districts within a given portion of the Property. All development proposals will require preliminary plat or site plan approval, during which the applicant will select a zoning district compatible with the assigned LUG.
Proposed Development Program
· Residential: A maximum of 6,034 total dwelling units, which includes a maximum of 864 multi-family units.
· Open Space: Minimum 271 acres (approx. 18% of the Property) devoted to parks, trails, community facilities, native character areas, drainage corridors, a power line corridor, and other public spaces. At least 75% of required open space within single-family districts will be usable, with each home within ¼ mile of a park.
· Phasing: Open space is calculated sitewide, allowing flexibility in individual developments while maintaining the overall requirement.
Modified Development Standards
Instead of creating a unique set of standards, this PAD largely implements the use permissions and development standards from the City's zoning ordinance with limited exceptions that are appropriate for the character of this large master planned community.
· Single-Family Residential: Reduced lot sizes, widths, and setbacks for certain districts; elimination of lot coverage limits; reduced rear setbacks with added amenities to offset smaller private yards.
· Multi-Family Residential: Height flexibility with pitched roofs; setback reductions in certain contexts; ability to meet some open space requirements off-site if contextually appropriate.
· Commercial & Public Facility Districts: Establishment of a Mixed-Use (MU) district in the Core with the same standards as C-2 but also allowing residential and civic uses; reduced setbacks when adjacent to open space or landscape areas; adjusted setbacks next to residential.
· Flexibility for drive-through restaurants, automobile service stations (gas stations), and car wash facilities within the LUG C (Core) area, as follows:
o Drive-Through Restaurants:
o End-cap or multi-tenant building drive-through restaurants permitted when located at least 150 feet from planned or developed residential.
o Up to two (2) standalone drive-through restaurants permitted when located at least 150 feet from planned or developed residential.
o All other drive-through restaurants to follow prevailing City Zoning Ordinance standards.
o Automobile Service Stations and Car Washes:
o One (1) service station and one (1) car wash permitted when located at least 500 feet from planned or developed residential, unless separated by a roadway, canal, or railroad track. The service station shall not contain semi-truck fueling, on-site semi-truck parking, or overnight parking. A combined service station and car wash shall count toward the allocation.
o All other service stations and car washes to follow prevailing City Zoning Ordinance standard.
Key Outcomes
The Estrella 14 PAD is designed to:
· Provide a flexible land use framework that can respond to changing market conditions while protecting community character.
· Ensure meaningful open space and community connectivity through parks, trails, and amenities.
· Support mixed-use centers and walkable neighborhoods in higher-intensity areas.
Additional details of the request can be found within the Planned Area Development which is an exhibit to the Ordinance (Attachment A), Aerial Exhibit (Attachment B), Details of the Request (Attachment C), and the Project Narrative (Attachment D).
Summary of Compliance with Rezoning Evaluation Criteria:
The proposed rezone of 1,505 acres from Estrella Phase II PAD to Estrella 14 PAD is consistent with the General Plan designations for Neighborhoods, Business & Commerce, the Village Center Overlay, and the Estrella Parkway Corridor Growth Area. The plan supports a mix of residential, commercial, civic, and open space uses, with a commercial node focused at Estrella Parkway and Willis Road.
The property’s physical features are suitable for the proposed uses and compatible with surrounding residential neighborhoods, schools, and open space. The layered Land Use Group approach allows appropriate placement of higher-intensity uses near major intersections while maintaining lower-density residential, community commercial, and open space in the rest of the site.
The updated PAD shifts from a regional mall concept to community-serving commercial uses, responding to current market conditions. It addresses population growth, diversifies housing choices—particularly multi-family—and adds commercial services in an underserved area.
Public services, including fire, police, schools, and utilities, can serve the site, with school site planning coordinated with the districts. Transportation connections are planned, with traffic impacts addressed through approved master and future site-specific studies.
Public input included mixed opinions, with concerns about traffic, schools, views, and multi-family housing, alongside support for more commercial services and amenity requests.
The proposal promotes orderly growth by extending development adjacent to existing infrastructure and will meet all City standards at subsequent approval stages.
Additional details on the city Evaluation Criteria are found within Detailed Evaluation Criteria (Attachment E). |
