Developer shares plans for area abutting Sun City

ANNIE BOON
NORTHWEST VALLEY NEWSPAPERS

(Daily News-Sun, Oct. 6, 2006) — Developers of a single-family housing development planned for the Peoria/Sun City border promised that noise, dust and unsightly brush won't become a nuisance for Sun Citians on the other side of the wall. At a Sun City Home Owners Association's Land Use Committee meeting Thursday, developers of Montleban Homes presented their plans to construct 156 homes on 20 acres of vacant land at 91st Avenue and Bell Road in Peoria, which abuts a Sun City boundary wall. The homes, some two-story, will be set back at least 50 feet from the Sun City wall and there will be large trees planted as a buffer between the two communities, developers said.

Developer representative Paul Donovan said that when construction begins within a month, trucks or other noisy apparatus won't start work until after 7 a.m. And water trucks will be present at the site to wet down any fugitive dust. "We told them to tread lightly in that area," Donovan said. Two years ago, the Peoria Unified School District proposed to use the vacant land as a school bus parking lot. Those who opposed the bus lot were successful in restricting the land to that use.

Among the coalition's concerns were air-quality conditions and possible health problems posed by the school buses. The homeowners also worried that property values would decrease by having the lot near a residential area, and there were concerns about traffic problems at four intersections near the proposed bus lot. At the meeting Thursday, Montleban Homes developers asked the SCHOA Land Use Committee if it would be OK to renovate a five-foot area between a portion of the Sun City wall and a wall backing up the new development.

"We're not sure who actually owns that 5-foot easement, but county (sources) say it's maintained by the Sun City Home Owners Association," said Mody Gruenberg, Montleban representative. She said Montleban would like to uproot all the dry brush in the gap, lay gravel and do some attractive landscaping. They also plan to paint the Sun City wall to match the look of the subdivision's walls.
The area would continue to be maintained by the subdivision's private HOA, Gruenberg said.

"We have no problem with you coming right up to our wall if you maintain it," said David Rolph, Land Use committee member. SCHOA President Doug Kelsey asked if Montleban representatives would draft an agreement, stating their intentions, any further stipulations and a clause that would take any liability away from SCHOA should anything happen in that small area or to the wall.
Gruenberg said the agreement would be written promptly.

Kelsey said that although SCHOA has minimal interest in the development of the new Peoria subdivision, he appreciates the open communication with Montleban.
"It's better to talk to them and know what's happening on the other side of the fence," he said. "This way, we can answer questions our residents have and we know who to call if there are (complaints)."

Annie Boon may be reached at 876-2532 or aboon@aztrib.com.