Hey neighbor, I'm Jacob. I live in San Tan Valley with my family, and I kept missing the stuff happening right around the corner. So I started reading everything and boiling it down to the 10 things worth knowing each week: five main stories and five quick hits. This is the first one. A lot of this week's news is about the future being built around us, from fees to freeways to new stores. That's what I love about living here now: the opportunity.
1 · Talk of the town
New impact fees that mostly come to zero
The town council adopted street and parks impact fees on October 7, after a public hearing in September. An impact fee is a one-time charge on new construction that helps pay for the roads and parks growth needs.
Why zero? The town's construction sales tax is 5%, well above the 2.25% rate most businesses pay. State law makes the town credit that difference against the fee, so single-family homes, apartments, stores, offices and hotels owe nothing. Without the credit, the fee study supports up to $6,167 for a single-family home.
They take effect December 21 and apply only inside town limits, not the unincorporated parts of San Tan Valley. The zero isn't locked in, either. If the construction tax rate dropped to 4.25%, a single-family home would owe $642. Site plans and plats approved before December 21 can't be charged a new fee for 24 months, as long as they don't add units.
2 · New in town
Skyline Ranch keeps filling in
Skyline Ranch Marketplace, at the northeast corner of Hunt Highway and Gary Road, has had a busy fall. Ulta, Marshalls, HomeGoods and Five Below are open.
Rack Room Shoes is open too, in an 8,000-square-foot store at 1416 W. Hunt Highway. It celebrated with a ribbon cutting on September 12. Hours are 10 AM to 9 PM Monday through Saturday and 10 AM to 6 PM on Sunday.
PetSmart opened in the same center that day, per SanTanValley.com, at 1412 W. Hunt Highway, with a grooming salon, pet training and a veterinary hospital inside. Good news if your dog has opinions about bath time. As of September, Michaels was still under construction.
3 · Roads, because it's always roads
SR 24 is getting wider
ADOT plans to widen SR 24, the Gateway Freeway, between Loop 202 and Ironwood Drive. That means two more lanes each way from Loop 202 to Williams Field Road, one more lane each way from there to Ironwood, and bridges over Williams Field, Crismon, Signal Butte and Meridian so SR 24 no longer stops at cross streets. The Ironwood interchange becomes a diverging diamond.
ADOT finished the design this spring and expects construction to start in early 2027. Queen Creek's project page estimates completion in mid-2029. Bring patience.
One more honest note: extending SR 24 east of Ironwood toward US 60 is not funded, and there's no timeline for it.
4 · This weekend, October 23 to 25
Pumpkins and a Saturday market
Pumpkin and Chili Party at Schnepf Farms. Wednesdays through Sundays through October 31, at 24810 S. Rittenhouse Road in Queen Creek. Saturday hours are 10 AM to 10 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 9 PM. General admission is $28.95, and kids 2 and under get in free.
Queen Creek Family Market. Saturday, October 24, 9 AM to 2 PM, at 22301 S. Ellsworth Loop in Queen Creek. That's a special October spot, not the market's usual home at Schnepf Farms. Admission and parking are free.
5 · Local deals and classifieds
Your spot, free for now
Free for the first month while this gets rolling. Got a garage sale, a service, or a business to mention? Hit reply and I'll put it here. Short and local works best: what it is, when, and how to reach you.
6 to 10 · Quick hits
- 6 Youth show this weekend. QC GLEE puts local young performers on stage at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center, 22149 E. Ocotillo Rd., singing music from Beetlejuice, The Addams Family, Little Shop of Horrors and more. Shows are Friday, October 23, at 7 PM and Saturday, October 24, at 2 PM. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for kids and seniors.
- 7 Pumpkin party discounts. Fridays are senior day at the Pumpkin and Chili Party, with $15 tickets for ages 65 and up. Military, veterans, police and firefighters also get $15 tickets. Buy these at the gate only. Military buyers need a current military ID, and the discount covers only the person who qualifies, not the whole family.
- 8 Still coming to Skyline Ranch. Per SanTanValley.com's September report, Chick-fil-A is expected in summer 2027, and Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers was expected sometime in 2026 (no date yet). I'll tell you when the doors actually open.
- 9 Postino, someday soon. Postino's own site still says it's opening in Queen Creek in 2026, at 21791 S. Ellsworth Loop Road, Suite 101. With about 10 weeks left in 2026, there's still no date.
- 10 The one fee that isn't zero. Under the new impact fees, the "Mobile Home / Other" category still owes $2,469 per unit: $2,336 for streets and $133 for parks. The council asked staff to revisit the fees and the construction sales tax after 24 months.
Reader photo of the week
Pictured above: Rainbow over the fields from Schnepf Road, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. Photo: Jacob Padgett (mine this week, since this spot is for your photos). Send me yours: just reply to this email with the photo attached, and tell me the name to credit.
Hit reply and tell me what you want covered. What's one thing in STV you wish someone would just explain?
See you Thursday,
Jacob
