Some students at Maricopa’s new Desert Sunrise High School could have a very short walk to school once DR Horton’s newest proposed community is complete.

The new community, tentatively called Murphy and Farrell, is proposed in two phases, with a total of 1,643 homes at total buildout. At Maricopa’s rate of 3.2 people per household, that will bring more than 5,250 residents to the community, which sits directly east of Desert Sunrise.

The project covers a total of 326 acres, with 112 acres in the initial phase. That phase, which will be built on the western edge of the property, will include 479 dwelling units. Access to the community will be from Murphy and Steen Roads. There is a proposed 200-foot utility and irrigation easement along Farrell Road.

The initial phase includes four parcels, and two sizes of lots: 40 by 110 feet (4,400 square feet); 45 by 115 feet (5,175 square feet); and 50 by 115 feet (5,750 square feet).

The second, larger phase of the project includes eight parcels ranging from 20 to 34 acres. Lot sizes in that section of the community are yet to be determined. Phasing of the second area will be determined at a future date.

DR Horton is requesting rezoning of the parcels from General Rural (GR) to PAD zoning. According to the developer’s pre-application narrative, “this allows for the development of a series of single-family subdivisions and neighborhoods that are planned as part of a larger master plan. The modifications to the residential development standards for RS-4 and RS-5 are to create a more cohesive community that is in line with the current market demand and to develop a series of connected neighborhoods through public roadways and a network of trails that connect a series of active and passive open space areas.”

The builder also said in its pre-application that the southeast portion of the site will include a mixed-use designation of Neighborhood Commercial, “to provide for the future option to include commercial that can provide goods and services necessary to support the residents of the PAD and the surrounding communities or multi-family residential depending on the needs of the future market.”

Vehicle access to the community will be from Murphy and Steen Roads and the proposed PAD will improve the contiguous half of those two roads as part of the development.