Peoria planning commission recommends removing collector road in Aloravita South (GPA 25-02)

The Peoria Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Aug. 7 to recommend that the City Council approve a minor general plan amendment (GPA 25-02) that would remove a planned southern collector roadway from the circulation map for the Aloravita South planned community development.

City Senior Planner Sarah Dirks told the commission the application, submitted by Clint Morris of Wood Patel on behalf of property owner Pulte Homes Company LLC, proposes removing approximately one-third of a mile of a collector shown in the Aloravita South circulation plan. "The request is to remove it from the circulation plan," Dirks said, and staff recommended the commission forward the amendment to council with a recommendation of approval.

The amendment would not change the land use designation: the site is zoned and entitled for single-family residential development. The applicant supplied a traffic impact analysis (TIA) assessing whether the remaining collectors—Kiefer Trail and Yearling Road—would provide sufficient vehicular capacity if the southern collector were removed. The applicant's consultant reported that a typical collector roadway is anticipated to carry roughly 7,500 trips per day, while Yearling would carry about 1,700 trips per day and Kiefer about 1,200 trips per day without the southern collector—well below collector thresholds.

Andrew Yancey, an attorney representing Pulte Homes, told commissioners the southern line on the map is not an existing paved road or dedicated right-of-way but a future alignment shown on the general plan. "This is not a constructed road that we're removing. There's not even a right of way dedicated," Yancey said. He and staff said the Trailhead mixed-use development approved in 2022 provided alternative access to West Wing Parkway and Happy Valley Road, reducing the traffic demand that originally supported the south collector.

The applicant also proposed a pedestrian bridge where the removed alignment would have crossed Rock Springs Wash to preserve a walking connection for nearby residents. Commissioners asked whether shade and safety features for the bridge (important given peak summer heat) could be required; staff said those details would be evaluated at the preliminary- and final-plat stages and captured during staff-level review. "Shade is always a part of our analysis when we do the review of the preliminary plat," Dirks said.

Commissioners also asked about a reserved school site in Parcel 13 on the east side of West Wing Parkway and whether removing the collector could affect access for roughly 70 nearby homes. Staff said the school site remains reserved and that the preliminary plat has been submitted and is under administrative review. Staff noted there was no response from the police department on this application and that fire response locations nearby appeared to provide coverage.

Dirks gave additional background: a 26-acre carve-out for the Trailhead development approved in February 2022 altered the originally contemplated circulation and reduced the number of homes that would have used the southern collector. She said a 2024 sale of roughly 260 acres (referred to in staff materials) further changed the development footprint and informed the current request.

After closing the public hearing with no public speakers, a commissioner moved to approve item 3R (Aloravita Southwest circulation minor general plan amendment, GPA 25-02); a second was made and the motion passed unanimously. The Planning and Zoning Commission's action is a recommendation to the City Council, which will take the final decision.

The commission's staff flagged that detailed features—bridge materials, shade, and precise lot layouts—will be reviewed during the preliminary-plat and final-plat processes and captured through coordination with the applicant during administrative review. The applicant's traffic analysis and staff reviews will be part of the record when the City Council considers the amendment.