By J. FERGUSON
Sun Staff Reporter
Arizona Daily Sun
http://www.azdailysun.com/
Friday, December 07, 2007

Plans for the massive Villaggio Montana master-planned community that would have provided affordable, workforce housing for Flagstaff have been scrapped.

In its place is a much smaller, large-lot residential subdivision.

One of the principal land owners, Ross Wilson of the Phoenix-based First United Realty, has confirmed that the controversial project is dead. Originally, it called for 3,591 homes on 1,020 acres.

He said the decision was primarily due to the high cost of two highway interchanges for which Villaggio would have been partially responsible. One estimate put that figure at $170 million to build the two interchanges.

"It really prevented us from what we needed to do," said Wilson. "In the end, it was unworkable."

The developers have instead submitted a conceptual plan for 206 homes to be built on 330 acres that were once part of the Villaggio Montana plan. The new project, named Tuthill North, would be built west of the Mountain Dell neighborhood.

Wilson said he would have preferred to go ahead with Villaggio, despite the estimated 30,000 daily vehicle trips it would have generated.

"We thought it was a better plan. We did match the comprehensive (regional) plan for the area that was approved by voters," he said. "But once it got administered, there were too many problems."

Wilson called the costs of the new interchanges and other infrastructure sought by the city of Flagstaff "excessive."

ONE UNIT PER ACRE The Flagstaff Area Regional Land Use and Transportation Plan identifies the area to be developed as a Planning Reserve Area.

PRAs are mostly undeveloped tracts on the edges of the city and were designated for dense populations, with an average of five homes per acre. Villaggio came in with a plan that averaged seven units an acre after land for stores, offices and open space was subtracted.

But Tuthill North will use the underlying zoning for the property, which is roughly one unit per acre.

A portion of the Villaggio Montana development was sold to a third party in 2006 for undisclosed reasons.

That developer, Mike Malais, has plans to develop 59 acres into a 150-unit, low-density subdivision called Camryn Pines. Malais said he has no connection to Villaggio.

Neil Gullickson, a city development case manager familiar with the project, said he would need to see a traffic impact analysis for the 206 units before he could comment on what type of infrastructure the developer would be responsible for.

He said the new project represents a substantial reduction in the population for the area.

Councilwoman Karen Cooper said it was unfortunate that developers had given up on the pursuing the Villaggio development, saying that the residents of Flagstaff are in dire need of workforce housing.

At one point, the Villaggio developers agreed to give 4.5 acres in the first phase of development to the city to build deed-restricted affordable housing.

Cooper said she doubts affordable housing will built under the new plans.

Wilson said he hopes to begin developing the parcel within a year and expects to complete the development in three to five years.

J. Ferguson can be reached at 556-2253 or jferguson@azdailysun.com.

BY THE NUMBERS

Past Proposal (2005)

Villaggio

1,020 acres to be developed

3,591 residential units

Current Proposal

Camryn Pines

59 acres to be developed

150 residential units

Tuthill North

330 acres to be developed

206 residential units

For a list of current homes in Flagstaff see:

http://www.villagelandshoppe.com/

Flagstaff Homes & Land: http://www.villagelandshoppe.com Also see: Green Flagstaff Real Estate http://www.greenflagstaffrealestate.com, Flagstaff Homes: http://www.flagstaffhomes.net,  Flagstaff Real Estate: http://www.flagstaffrealestatehomes.com