Hillside Building Committee approves large Paradise Valley home with roof and landscaping stipulations

The Hillside Building Committee voted July 15 to approve the formal review of a new single-family residence at 5611 East Roadrunner Lane with two additional stipulations on roof finish and landscaping.

Chair Scott Jarson moved to approve the project, describing the conditions he wanted added. "I would like to, at this time, make a motion that we approve item A26187 ... with the stipulations as indicated in the report adding 2 additional stipulation 1 would be applicant to provide final roof color and surface material inclusive of a sand broadcast or similar non glare topcoat material for approval by staff and chair," Jarson said. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote with no opposition recorded in the transcript.

Hillside planner Jose Mendez presented the application, saying the property is about 5 acres and the applicant proposes a roughly 28,792-square-foot house with about 18,827 square feet of living area. Mendez outlined site compliance details including disturbance calculations, the applicant’s demonstration that an attached casita meets the town’s interpretation (direct access under 20 feet and a continuous roof), and a maximum building height of about 39 feet, 9.75 inches, which staff said fits within the applicable planes and height limits. Mendez also walked the committee through the proposed materials palette and lighting schedule and noted that most proposed fixtures are below the town’s lumen limits.

Architect Stratton Andrews, representing the applicant, described the design as a low-profile project meant to reuse existing disturbance and follow the site contours. "The essence of this is to use the disturbance that was there, right?" Andrews said, adding that the design seeks to improve driveway and sewer connections and that neighbors the team consulted had generally received the project well.

Committee members focused extensive discussion on the proposed landscape palette after staff noted large numbers of ornamental grasses in the plan. Several members expressed concern that the massing of grasses could spread seed beyond the site and recommended reducing grasses near edge conditions. Chair Jarson’s second stipulation requires the applicant to remove the named "blue gamma" grass from edge conditions and replace it with native or similar plants to be reviewed by staff and the chair before final approval.

On site infrastructure, the town’s hillside engineer described proposed drainage as including 48-inch retention tanks under the garage and catch basins designed to bleed off within 36–48 hours; staff said the sewer will be extended up Roadrunner and that construction staging is expected to be on-site and on the existing disturbed pad rather than in the public street.

The motion passed by voice vote; the transcript records the committee calling for 'aye' with no recorded opposition. The transcript did not include a roll-call tally in the record. The committee then handled routine scheduling and adjourned.

The committee’s stipulations require the applicant to return final roof color and the specified non-glare topcoat for approval by staff and the chair, and to submit a revised landscape plan that removes blue gamma grass from edge conditions and substitutes native plants for staff-and-chair approval. Next procedural steps are staff review and building-permit requirements tied to the recorded stipulations.