The Planning and Zoning Commission delayed its discussion and recommendation regarding the Daybreak apartment plan proposed for Fountain Hills.

The commission considered a continuance at the request of the developer during the July 25 meeting. Paul Gilbert, an attorney for the developer, asked the commission to postpone its action until Thursday, Aug. 8. He said the developers wanted another chance to meet with residents in the area of the proposed project. However, the motion made by the commission set the date for Sept. 12.

Gilbert then told the commission that if they were going to delay until September his client preferred to go forward at the July 25 session. However, Commission Chair Susan Dempster noted that the motion had already been made and seconded and she called for the vote. The motion to delay until Sept. 12 passed on a 5-1 vote.

An audience of about 200 had come ready to discuss the plan but the public hearing was not opened.

Robert Courtney, president of the West Ridge Village Homeowners’ Association which has been opposed to the plan, said they were unprepared for the delay.

“We were surprised by the Daybreak developer’s request for a two-week continuance,” Courtney said. “There was no outreach to us by the developers before last night’s hearing.

“Obviously, there was absolutely no way in the world that Daybreak could have accomplished what they said they wanted to in just two weeks. The Planning and Zoning Commission clearly recognized that fact.”

The Daybreak development is planned for 23 acres of an approximately 60-acre site off Palisades Boulevard north of Shea. The plan calls for 36 acres of the property to remain open space.

The site is currently zoned for lodging and there have been a few aborted resort plans for the parcel.

Jeremy Hall, former MCO Properties president who oversaw development for MCO in Fountain Hills, and Neil Ginsberg, who was part of the team that initially developed the CopperWynd Resort in town, are teaming up on the Daybreak development proposal as Hilltop Vista Properties, LLC.

Their zoning request calls for a minor amendment to the General Plan changing the site designation from lodging to multi-family medium density to allow for the multi-family development.

A second request before the commission is to designate a Planned Area Development, or Daybreak PAD, as the zoning for the parcel. The existing zoning is L-3 PUD (for the lodging) and OSR, or open space.

The changes would allow for development of 400 apartment units on the site. The plan calls for 270 garden apartments in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom without age restriction. Additionally, the proposal includes 130 one- and two-bedroom units that would be age restricted to 55 and older.

EPCOR Water and the Fountain Hills Sanitary District have written the town indicating they have no issues in providing service to the development.

Since the project was first unveiled in March the town has received nearly 100 comments from people stating opposition to the project. Many of those come from the West Ridge Village subdivision just north of the development site, and Crestview on the west side of Palisades Boulevard from the project.

Traffic is a major concern with opponents stating the southern access to Daybreak is too close to Shea Boulevard. It would be directly across from and share access with the Crestview entry.

There is also concern with the multi-family use with some stating the property should remain designated for resort. Hall has stated that with CopperWynd just about a mile from that site there is no need for another resort property in that area.