Green Scene April 2008, by Lucinda Smedley

Touted by the mayor of Marana as raising the bar for development throughout the entire state, the 512.5 acre Sky Ranch master plan is considered to be one of the most environmentally-conscious developments in Southern Arizona. At the time of the purchase, the development, located near Tangerine and Thornydale, was within the boundaries of the federally designated pygmy owl critical habitat. Because of that, obtaining financing was a challenge. However, the developer Scott Stiteler, owner of Stellar Homes, along with his partners, believe they timed the purchase right and bought the land for $6,000 per acre.

Stiteler, recognizing that homebuyers would pay a premium for open space, views, natural vegetation, and a lower density community, chose to voluntarily incorporate the suggested US Fish and Wildlife guidelines for disturbance of critical habitat. As the guidelines called for a mitigation of 4 to 1, Stellar Homes produced a Specific Plan that included developing only 20% (102.5 acres) of the land, leaving 80% (410 acres) as undisturbed open space. Within the 100 acres, they have created a community of 365 homes, yielding an overall density of 0.71 units per acre; whereas the original zoning of the site called for more than 3,000 homes.

Even though they agreed early on to develop only 20% of property in accordance with the critical habitat designation, the one year process turned into several years with the project getting final approval in 2003. Site work was completed in 2004 with sales starting in 2005. The land plan incorporated limited disturbance of the natural vegetation on the lots and protection of the open space. This was the first project in the State of Arizona to take care of the 4 to 1 mitigation totally on-site. The result is 410 acres of contiguous open space that will provide significant habitat opportunities.

In order to preserve the open space and make the project economically viable, Stiteler collaborated with the Planning Center to design a modified cluster development. As the lots were relatively small, they incorporated large areas of open space adjacent to at least one side of the lots.

Of the 365 lots, Stiteler kept 130 lots to build homes in 50/50 partnership with James Gray and formed Stellar Gray Homes. 70 lots were sold to Cutshaw Yeager for their Sanctuary at Sky Ranch community and 166 lots were sold to Pathway Developments for two communities—Fountain Estates and Fountains at Sky Ranch.

Stellar Gray is building two communities at Sky Ranch–The Adobes at Sky Ranch and The Bungalows at Sky Ranch. Their goal and focus at Sky Ranch is to create living environments that echo the rhythm of their natural surroundings—the homes are an extension of the beliefs that drove the land plan. The homes are designed to be environmentally friendly, energy efficient and blend into the natural landscape. The vision behind the development is that the architecture has historical reference and is seamless with the landscape. Specifically, they are incorporating 19th century ranch style architecture with adobe walls and naturally rusting roofs; as well as utilizing low water xeriscape landscaping with imported specimen mesquite, ironwood and palo verde trees.

The Stellar Gray homes are built utilizing cement stabilized mud adobe which is earth-based and obviously blends very well with the natural landscape. The homes have a high level of energy efficiency derived from their material uses, such as 16” thick mud adobe walls, and a 10” thick R 27 ICF wall system, which is recycled polystyrene with a cementitious binder. All home sites have been specifically designed to be oriented 15 degrees off south to the east in order to optimize ideal passive solar orientation. This provides the homes with very little exposure to the west and good positioning to take advantage of the low southeast sun in the winter.

Aside from the 26 home, Adobes at Sky Ranch, Stellar Gray is also developing 100 lots to the south, where they have re-vegetated some of the lots and divided the land plan into 5 different enclaves. In the first enclave of 27 home sites, they are building the Bungalows at Sky Ranch which consists of mid-century styled architecture and Bungalow design.

Part of the vision for Sky Ranch includes a children’s education center called “Small Hands, Big Minds” to provide an environment for children and young adults to participate in a variety of projects as decision makers. Several programs will provide opportunities for participants to experience the desert in a lasting and unique manner. The center will also provide the participants with a level of responsibility and decision-making authority that is significantly higher than general societal standards. In other words, the kids will be running the show. Stiteler plans to start this project in 2 to 3 years, but stated that it will unfold over next 10 years.

Benefits of the Project
Both Stiteler and Jameson Gray of Stellar Gray Homes commented on the quality relationships that they have built with this master plan. Stiteler expressed that the project has been rewarding on many levels, one of which was building trust with the parties involved. They created a partnership between the Town of Marana, US Fish and Wildlife and Department of Interior. The Sky Ranch development recently recognized by the Sonoran Institute with a Building from the Best award for its integration of natural open space. On the homebuilding side, Jameson expressed that they ‘are very blessed to work with a clientele that feels what we feel, resulting in an inimitable experience and long lasting relationships that we are very proud of.”

As most of the buyers at Stellar Gray’s Sky Ranch communities are from another state or another country and are not as affected by local market economics, the community has not been as impacted as others in Tucson. The first sale at Sky Ranch in January 2005 was to the owners of an international trading company who moved to Tucson from Poland. The 1910 sf home sold for $613,000. Another home that was purchased in mid-2005 for $613,000 is currently being listed at $850,000. The most recent sale is the highest price paid to date– just over $1 million for a 2,789 sf home (2,350 sf main house with a 439 sf casita). This certainly lends credibility to Stiteler’s belief at the beginning of the project that people would pay a premium to live in this type of a community that co-exists in harmony with nature.