Gantzel Road Annexation Moves to Signature-Gathering Phase, Queen Creek Fire Question Surfaces
This is a follow-up to our earlier coverage: Neighbors Push Back at San Tan Valley's First-Ever Annexation Hearing (July 2026) and Gantzel Road Commercial Parcel Moves Toward a Zoning Vote (September 2026).
The Town of San Tan Valley's first-ever annexation request — 3.3 vacant acres at the southwest corner of Gantzel Road and Lone Star Lane — is now in the signature-gathering phase, with no vote taken at any stage of the process to date.
Where the Request Stands
The Town Council held the state-required public hearing on July 15, where neighbors spoke against the request. A blank annexation petition was recorded with the Pinal County Recorder on June 22, starting the statutory waiting period. The applicant is now gathering signatures; state law requires owners representing at least half the property value in the annexation area. If that threshold is met, the request returns to the Town Council for a decision, which Community Development Director Gilbert Olgin said could come in September or October, with the date not yet finalized.
The Planning and Zoning Commission received an information-only presentation on the request at its Aug. 24 meeting; no vote was taken or scheduled. A separate commercial rezoning application (to C-2 General Commercial) is expected before the commission next month for a recommendation, contingent on the annexation succeeding — if the annexation fails, the rezoning does not take effect.
The Queen Creek Complication
The parcel sits inside the Town of Queen Creek's planning area. Staff told the commission that Queen Creek had put this parcel on hold when advertising changes to its planning area, and that the reason is a third attempt underway to expand the Queen Creek fire district into the area. Queen Creek is not opposed to the annexation itself, staff said, following two meetings between the towns. However, if San Tan Valley annexes the parcel, it cannot remain in the Queen Creek fire district — it would be covered by Rural Metro, like the rest of San Tan Valley.
A Commissioner's Concerns
Planning and Zoning Commissioner Donna Hallman, who cited more than 30 years of familiarity with the area along with real estate and construction experience, cautioned the commission that the parcel may not be well suited to commercial use given access constraints on Lone Star Lane, which she said cannot be widened. She said she worries the town could focus on the tax-base benefit of the project without weighing the full picture, and separately raised concerns about the parcel remaining in Queen Creek's planning area.
What the Owners Have in Mind
A representative for the property owners — organized as TB Lone Star LLC, DB Lone Star LLC, PK Lone Star LLC and DK Lone Star LLC — told the commission the group intends to pursue commercial zoning whether or not the annexation succeeds. A preliminary site plan, labeled “Gantzel Commercial Center” and stamped not for construction, shows two 8,233-square-foot buildings (16,466 square feet total) with retail, restaurant, and service space, 57 parking spaces, a six-foot masonry wall and 25-foot landscape buffer along residential property lines, and a new right-turn lane on Gantzel Road. A completed traffic impact study calls for a deceleration lane along the Gantzel Road frontage so the site would not depend solely on Lone Star Lane for access.
What Happens Next
The next step belongs to the applicant: complete the petition signature-gathering, then return to the Town Council for a decision.
Sources: SanTanValley.com, “Gantzel and Lone Star Annexation Still Moving Despite Resident Opposition” (Sept. 7, 2026)