729 apartments in first phase of 311-acre development

Article originally posted on HERE on April 14, 2025

The town Planning Commission got a look at a massive 311-acre development along Gilbert’s eastern border that is so big it will have five different zoning districts, including one for 729 apartment units.

In a study session earlier this month, developer Power Ranch Land Co. submitted preliminary plans for The Ranch, located southwest of Elliot and Power roads and northwest of the Warner-Power road intersection.

Town senior planner Nicole Russell explained that the large swath of land is zoned for five different uses – multi-family medium use, mixed use small, mixed used larger, general commercial and light industrial, all coming together under a planned area development.

As is usual with projects of such magnitude, construction would come in phases.

Russell noted that all landscaping for Phase 1 of the project, about 18.5 acres of open space, will need to be completed before other construction for that phase can start. The other two phases cannot be started until proper financing and permitting are in place.

Additionally, commercial construction as part of Phase 1a would need to be in the “frame” stage, with the structural skeleton of those buildings completed, Russell said.

As detailed in town documents, phase 1a includes 22 two-story multifamily buildings over 14.92 acres with 220 units and amenities like pools, a gym, children’s play area and pickleball courts spread across the open space.

This phase also includes some small mixed-use spaces with seven three-story apartment buildings on 9.07 acres for 215 units total, six hybrid living and working units and two commercial buildings on over 15,000 square feet of space.

The phase also has a mixed-use-large designation.

“The mixed-use large comprises eight 33 plex buildings, one 30 plex building with ground-floor commercial and five standalone commercial buildings,” Russell explained.

This portion of the development will include another 294 apartment units as well as amenities in open space areas.

Phase 1a will also consist of some general commercial development – including four retail or restaurant spaces, two commercial buildings, two more restaurants, and four quick-service eateries spread over 19.38 acres behind the buildings facing Elliot road.

Another four commercial buildings on 3.82 acres of the northwest portion of the site around a plaza will also be built in Phase 1a.

“The general commercial on the southeast corner includes a fueling facility for passenger vehicles in conjunction with a convenience store, a fueling facility for semi-trucks and a quick service restaurant and an oil change facility,” Russell said of the third sub-phases of the first phase of the development.

This lot, which also has an unused portion, is 8.03 acres and is considered Phase 1C.

“The industrial portion of the project includes Phase 1B, Phase 2 and Phase 3, spread over 211 acres,” Russell

Per town documents, 1b has three industrial buildings over 75.58 acres, ranging in size from 87,589 to 879,986 square feet.

It also has three buildings over approximately 28 acres located next to Power Road, with buildings ranging from 75,165 square feet to 134,549 square feet.

Phase 3 includes five buildings over an approximate 108.07 acres. Of that, 18.28 acres are marked as “restricted use” per town ordinances with 280-foot setbacks from industrial land toward adjacent residential land.

Planning commissioners were only expected to give some general feedback about the plan during the study session.

Commissioner Brian Andersen wanted to clarify if residential parking on the multifamily portions complied with town land code and included enclosed parking spaces provided.

Russell confirmed that both enclosed and covered parking spaces are included in the apartment plans.

“I feel the architecture and the design on this is kind of lacking, especially compared to what’s happening around it in the overall development,” Andersen said. “I’d like to kind of see if they can do something to address that.”

Commissioner Jän Simon agreed with Andersen. While he had no issues with the commercial plans for the site, Simon said he would prefer an “agrarian” look suited to that corner of the development.

Commissioner Lesley Davis took issue with designs for loading zones in the commercial plan along Elliot road.

“I think it’s an unattractive entry off of Elliot, I have concerns with the location of it, and I didn’t love the design of the walls,” she said. “I thought it didn’t really lend itself to what the rest of the development is.”

Davis was also opposed to plans for a drive-thru restaurant at the south corner of Power Poad, noting that space is a gateway to Morrison Ranch.

She also suggested that industrial buildings should utilize different colors to group them together for better wayfinding in the area.

Commissioner Louis DeGravina wanted to make sure such a large development had been thoroughly vetted for a good balance of its different zoning areas.

Planning Chair William Fay said he was present during the zoning hearings for the land in question and the staff had followed a “thorough, adversarial process.”

Fay himself was concerned that the current phasing had heavy multifamily construction in the beginning.

“I could very easily see a situation based on this phasing plan, where the multifamily comes in the market, doesn’t work out, they can’t do the industrial and we’re back here two years from now, filling in phase three with multifamily which I, if I’m here, would not be supportive of,” he said.

Fay also said that for such a large-scale project, staff should keep a check on the developer’s financing for each phase to avoid any future stalling of the construction.