The Town Council approved a rezoning request for a proposed 147-unit rental development on 16 acres surrounding the Bashas’ shopping center.

The council vote was 6-1 in support of the plan, with Councilman Mike Scharnow casting the dissenting vote. He expressed concerns over the parking allotment.

The amendment changes the zoning on the property from commercial (C-2) with an entertainment overlay on a portion to a new designation of Keystone PAD.

Keystone Homes, based in Scottsdale, is proposing construction of 147 rental units on the parcel which bounds Westby Drive to the west, Avenue of the Fountains on the south, Palisades Boulevard to the north and La Montana Drive on the east.

Brennan Ray, an attorney representing Keystone Homes, called the plan a “non-traditional” apartment complex combining the best of single family home living and apartment life. The units are mostly single story and detached.

The proposed plan would construct 46 one-bedroom (20 duplex units), 81 two-bedroom, 11 two-bedroom units with a loft and nine three-bedroom, two-story units.

Vehicle access to the property would be from Palisades Boulevard on the north and Avenue of the Fountains on the south. There is no proposed vehicular access to the site from Westby or La Montana. There are several pedestrian access points to the property along those streets.

On-site parking for the apartment units will be covered parking along driveways and also 36 garage spaces. There will be covered outdoor parking for each of the rental units. The garage spaces would be leased separately by renters wanting a garage.

Scharnow questioned whether the parking plan was adequate and suggested overflow parking would spill into nearby commercial properties, creating conflict.

Ray explained that the parking plan includes two spaces per unit.

Upon voting Scharnow attempted to amend the motion to add new parallel parking slots along Westby Drive and off the property to that designated for the complex. That effort failed and he ended up withdrawing the motion to amend.

Project detail

Keystone is planning three housing styles for the site including Spanish, ranch and prairie with three color schemes per elevation type.

The PAD variances include changes to the interior drive aisles. Code requires 24-foot width with six-foot back-up in front of garages. The applicant asked for a 27-foot drive with only two feet in front of the garages.

Parking requirements for visitors was originally .25 spaces per unit. The developer asked to delete that, requesting two spaces for one-bedroom units where the requirement is 1.5. They also asked for parking spaces 18 feet deep as opposed to the requirement of 19 feet.

The developer also sought cut and fill waivers for the site. Town Senior Planner Marissa Moore showed mapping of the site dating back to the 1950 indicating that the entirety of the site has previously been disturbed, leaving no natural grade on which to base cut and fill requirements.

On the east side of the property, behind the shopping center, the garage units will be 14-feet in height, above the allowable six feet for retaining walls.

Town Code calls for 49 cubic-yard trash containers where the developer will provide 48 cubic yards.

There are also setback variances from the code.

A walkway through the property will connect several “grand paseo” parklike sites within the site.

Five phases of construction are planned to begin at La Montana, working west along Avenue of the Fountains to Westby Drive and north to Palisades.

The plan also includes a small park-like plaza outside the property enclosure at the intersection of La Montana and Avenue of the Fountains. This provides a connection to the Avenue Plaza.