Developer Fulton Homes is planning two new housing developments in the Southwest Valley, one in an unincorporated part of Litchfield Park and the other in the city of Goodyear.
The company stated that construction is set to begin next year, and once completed, will bring nearly 1,500 homes to the area.
The 187-acres of land acquired in Litchfield Park is located on the northwest corner of Perryville and Indian School roads. It’s the future site of 675 homes in a “master-planned community.”
The land was previously leased by Blue Sky Organic Farms, local growers who have farmed the area for nearly three decades. The farm lost 70% of its land when the parcels were sold to Fulton Homes, and the operation was saved only by a last-minute lease with the Justice Brothers Ranch.
The owners of Blue Sky Organic Farms, Sara Dolan and David Vose, still own about 20 acres of farmland, which is adjacent to the Fulton Homes development site. Some years ago, Vose was given the chance to buy the land, but it was too expensive.
The land was purchased by Fulton Homes for $14.75 million, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.
The developer applied to have the plots rezoned from agricultural to residential, and the request was approved by the Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission in September 2020.
READ: Blue Sky Organic Farms leases 40 acres to replace land it’s losing to Fulton Homes
In Goodyear, 790 homes are planned on parcels on Yuma Road and Estrella Parkway, surrounding the Goodyear Ballpark Village.
The new development will be gated, with “higher-density designs,” meaning the homes will be closer together and will likely include two-story floor plans, a Fulton Homes spokesperson said in an email.
The Tempe-based company applied to reserve the name ‘Fulton Homes at Ballpark Village Homeowners Association,’ back in March 2020. The application was approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission in April, but the entity status is now listed as inactive, meaning the name is still available.
The Southwest Valley has exploded in population in recent years. Goodyear ranked number 14 on the list of fastest growing cities in the nation, according to 2020 census data, and Litchfield Park was the fifth fasted growing Arizona municipality between 2017 and 2018.
Madeline Ackley can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.