Gilbert's Planning Commission has given its blessing to a zoning change that would let developers build taller and denser housing near SanTan Village, a move some nearby small business owners say could finally put more feet on the sidewalk outside their doors. The proposed Northside PAD amendment would raise the maximum residential building height from 36 feet to 60 feet and allow up to 34 homes per acre, up from the current limit of 22.
The commission voted 7-0 on Oct. 8, 2026, to recommend approval of the amendment, according to ABC15 Arizona. The Gilbert Town Council is now set to make the final call on Nov. 17, which will determine whether the taller, denser standards actually take effect near one of the East Valley's busiest shopping and dining destinations.
Small Business Owners See Opportunity in More Neighbors
For some shop owners inside SanTan Village, the prospect of more rooftops nearby isn't a nuisance — it's a sales pitch. Erin Dragoo, who owns Lunch Money at SanTan Village, said she'd welcome local residents walking over for boba or a quick lunch, embracing the idea of more people living close to the shopping center, the station's report noted.
Tiffany Kerr, who opened her boutique Elle & Benn in March, offers East Valley shoppers clothing options closer to home and told the outlet that her perspective on Gilbert's growth shifted once she became a business owner herself. She said more local residents and workers bring opportunities for small businesses, and per the same account, she and Dragoo both hope that additional residents will help shoppers discover the locally owned stores tucked into SanTan Village.
Zoning Fits Into a Broader Economic Push
The timing lines up with a wider shift in how Gilbert thinks about its economy. The town's newer economic development strategy emphasizes keeping more retail and dining spending within town limits rather than losing it to neighboring cities, per ABC15's reporting. That approach tracks with findings reported by the Gilbert Independent, which found that the town's economic development team is leaning on redevelopment, tourism and business attraction as its primary drivers of revenue growth.
Part of the calculus traces back to how much of Gilbert's land is already spoken for. Town staff have reported that 70.86% of Gilbert's land is designated for residential use, while just 9.54% is set aside for commercial purposes, according to the East Valley Tribune. These figures show that residential-designated land accounts for a larger share than commercial land.
A Pattern of Density Proposals Near SanTan Village
Back in 2018, Vedura Residential sought a PAD amendment for its Elevation SanTan project that would have raised building height from 35 feet to 55 feet, with AZBEX reporting the request also aimed to boost density from 22 to 36 dwelling units per acre. That project called for 297 units across roughly 8.9 acres in a mix of two- and four-story buildings.
A year later, Vedura returned with a separate proposal for 214 luxury apartments at the southeast corner of SanTan Village Parkway and Coronado Drive, again seeking to raise the density cap — this time from 22 to 34 dwelling units per acre, according to AZBEX. The Town of Gilbert approved the Planning Commission and Design Review Board's recommendation for that project at a Sept. 5, 2019 meeting. Vedura has said separately that it has been impressed by the growth in employment, retail and entertainment around the SanTan mall area.
Elsewhere near SanTan Village, a larger mixed-use project known as Aura San Tan went through its own density debate. That proposal called for 357 apartments spread across three buildings with some ground-floor office space, the East Valley Tribune reported, after the developer adjusted plans to increase commercial space from 9,137 to 16,075 square feet while trimming the apartment count from 366 units. The developer argued at the time that more apartments would help drive additional traffic to the project's commercial areas — echoing the same logic now being offered by shop owners near the Northside PAD site. Gilbert's land-use code requires that 20% of a mixed-use development be set aside for retail, per the Tribune's reporting.
Whether the current Northside amendment follows the same trajectory as those earlier projects remains to be seen. The Town Council's Nov. 17 vote will determine if the taller buildings and higher density move forward, but for shop owners like Dragoo and Kerr, the hope is straightforward: more neighbors, more foot traffic, and more reasons for East Valley shoppers to stay close to home.
