By Richard Smith | Your Valley
After nearly 20 years of being tucked in south of Bell Road with an empty lot in front of its campus, Willow Canyon High School will have some company.
The Surprise City Council unanimously approved a zoning change for 11 acres from commercial to high density residential. The parcel is on the southwest corner of Bell and Citrus roads, north and west of the entrance to Willow Canyon.
It will be paired with a 24-acre parcel to the west to form a gated community of more than 300 rental properties, including single-family detached and town homes — both with two-car garages — by Sun Belt Holdings and Rock Point.
“It would match the zoning of the 24-acre parcel to the west, which allows for 8 to 18 dwelling units to the acre and is master planned for a maximum of 432 units at a density of 18 units per acre. Overall, if combined, the 35-acre site would result in a 315 single-family rental project with a density of 9 dwelling units per acre. This is far less than originally planned,” Surprise planner Chris Sexton said during the March 1 meeting.
