'Americana' village gains

Gilbert developer Joe Johnston made a splash at the town's Planning Commission meeting Wednesday with plans for a mixed-use village at Agritopia that likely would be unique to the Valley. The case, including a 32-acre conceptual plan and code deviations, won a unanimous recommendation and goes to the Town Council for final approval. Epicenter, on the northwestern corner of Higley and Ray roads, will draw on environmentally friendly design elements, a strong agricultural influence and the use of "vernacular architecture" to stand out from the sea of strip malls across the Valley. Vernacular architecture, as defined by Johnston, refers to commercial buildings with architecture that indicates the type of product sold within the building. For example, a coffee shop might be shaped like a coffeepot, according to a project narrative submitted to the town. At first, some commission members voiced concerns about the inclusion of vernacular architecture and other non-traditional elements in the project narrative. Signs, for example, could be in the form of vehicles, tractors, rocks, decorative awnings or animated neon, according to the plans.

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