If you own near East Mauna Loa Avenue and North Calera Avenue, the proposal for the vacant school site is specific: 128 two-story homes called Delaney Square. If you’re considering a future purchase there, the same distinction matters. It’s a proposal, not an approved project.
As of October 27, 2026, the Azusa Planning Commission was scheduled to consider its recommendation at a special meeting that evening. The City Council makes the final decision on the General Plan Amendment and Zone Change; no council date had been posted when this was written.
Where is Delaney Square proposed?
Delaney Square is proposed at 1035 East Mauna Loa Avenue, the former W.R. Powell Elementary School site at the northwest intersection with North Calera Avenue.
The property covers about 9.77 acres on Azusa’s eastern edge. The City of Azusa project page collects the project materials under that address.
Azusa Unified School District operated the school from 1957 until 2023. According to the staff report, its board closed the school as part of a reorganization due to declining enrollment. The October 27, 2026 staff report says all buildings on the site are vacant.
The district designated the property exempt surplus land in August 2023. Its Request for Proposals process led to the selection of Taylor Morrison as developer.
What homes does the proposal include?
The proposal includes 65 single-family detached cluster homes and 63 attached townhomes, with no units exceeding two stories.
The detached homes would include 48 three-bedroom homes and 17 four-bedroom homes. The attached townhomes would include 17 two-bedroom homes and 46 three-bedroom homes.
That differs from the original concept presented through Preliminary Plan Review in March 2025: 153 units in a two- and three-story format. The current proposal reduces the count to 128 and limits every unit to two stories.
Planned common open space totals 15,100 square feet, including a central paseo, tot lot, barbecue area, shaded gathering space and butterfly garden. Private yards total 36,916 square feet, about 288 square feet per unit. The staff report assigns management of the common areas to the proposed HOA.
Why does the project need a zone change?
The current Institutional/School zoning does not allow residential use, so the proposed homes need a change in land use designation and zoning.
General Plan Amendment GPA-2025-01 would change the designation from Institutional/School to Medium Density Residential. Zone Change ZC-2025-01 would change the zoning from Institutional/School to Neighborhood General 3 - Medium, identified as NG3-MED.
Medium Density Residential allows up to 15 dwelling units per acre. Delaney Square proposes 13.1 dwelling units per acre.
The October 27 staff report also identifies the requested Tentative Tract Map TTM-84887, Design Review DR-2025-19 and Variance V-2025-01, along with certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report.
The Planning Commission serves as a recommending body. You can check the special meeting agenda portal for the meeting materials, then ask the city’s planning office about the recommendation and a City Council hearing date.
What exceptions to the development standards are requested?
The requested variances would allow less space between buildings and a smaller rear yard setback than the stated minimums.
Buildings would be separated by 7 feet instead of the 10-foot minimum. The city’s October 23, 2026 errata corrected the separation figure to 7 feet, so that is the figure to use when reading the proposal.
The rear yard setback request is 15 feet instead of the 25-foot minimum.
These are requested exceptions. If you’re reviewing a home near the site, ask the planning office to identify the proposed building separation and rear setback on the project plans. That makes the measurements easier to connect to the part of the property you’re considering.
What do the parking and traffic figures show?
The plan provides 326 parking spaces against 299 required, while the traffic study projects more daily trips than the former school and fewer trips during the AM peak hour.
Parking consists of 256 garage spaces, two per unit, and 70 guest spaces. The stated requirement is 256 garage spaces and 43 guest spaces. Access would come through two driveways, one on East Mauna Loa Avenue and one on North Calera Avenue.
The traffic comparison in the staff report is:
| Traffic measure | Proposed project | Former school |
|---|---|---|
| Daily trips | 863 | 788 |
| AM peak hour trips | 51 | 257 |
| PM peak hour trips | 65 | 56 |
The study examined five intersections, including North Calera Avenue at Route 66 and North Citrus Avenue at East Mauna Loa Avenue. The staff report says the intersections operate at level of service A or B today and are forecast to continue at A or B.
The traffic study assumed a 2028 opening. That assumption is not a sales or move-in date.
What would a future buyer inherit under the proposed conditions?
A future buyer would have an HOA and recorded CC&Rs carrying the Conditions of Approval if the draft conditions are approved.
Draft condition 12 calls for the developer to establish an HOA and submit draft Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions for city review before recordation of the Final Map. Condition 13 says the recorded CC&Rs shall incorporate the Conditions of Approval, including maintenance requirements.
The draft conditions also say the CC&Rs will require refuse bins to be stored in residence garages. Condition 20 says recreational vehicle parking must comply with Azusa Municipal Code section 88.36.130. These remain proposed conditions until approved.
The former Powell Elementary site came up while J. and I were looking at a home a few streets away. He remembered when the property was still used as a school and had not realized that a 128-home project was now planned there. He spent the next few minutes trying to place the proposed homes on the site in his mind. For him, the important distinction was between a developer’s plan and work that had already been approved or started. He wanted the current status before deciding how much weight to give the project.
The HOA disclosure guide is a related read when reviewing those documents.
What information is still missing?
The documents reviewed do not list home prices, HOA dues, special taxes, sales dates or a construction start date.
When the homes are offered, ask the seller whether any special tax applies and compare a new home with a resale.
Environmental review also forms part of the pending approvals. The staff report says the Environmental Impact Report concludes impacts would be less than significant with mitigation. Listed measures include a design-level geotechnical report before grading permits, a hazardous building materials survey, construction noise measures, nesting bird timing and tribal monitoring. You can check the state CEQA database entry and ask the planning office about those measures.
The short version
Delaney Square proposes 128 two-story homes on the former Powell Elementary site, with land use changes still awaiting the City Council’s decision as of October 27, 2026.
The parking plan, requested variances and draft HOA conditions give you concrete details to review. Prices, dues and sales timing remain unstated in the documents reviewed.
This guide is educational, not legal or tax advice.
If you’re considering selling a nearby home, start with the home value tool.
Common questions
Is Delaney Square approved?
As of October 27, 2026, the Planning Commission was scheduled to consider its recommendation that evening. The City Council makes the final decision on the General Plan Amendment and Zone Change; no council date had been posted when this was written.
How many homes are proposed?
The proposal includes 128 two-story homes on about 9.77 acres: 65 detached cluster homes and 63 attached townhomes.
Would Delaney Square have an HOA?
The draft conditions call for an HOA and recorded CC&Rs incorporating the Conditions of Approval, including maintenance requirements. These remain proposed conditions until approved.
Are home prices or HOA dues available?
The documents reviewed do not list home prices, HOA dues, special taxes or sales dates.
