Michael Park, Atwell Group

Preliminary Plat for Citrus Farm, subdividing approximately 45 acres of property into 110 lots and 4 tracts.

Recommend approval of the Preliminary Plat for Citrus Farm subject to stipulations. (Alex Lestinsky, Senior Planner)

The following stipulations are conditions of approval of the Preliminary Plat for Citrus Farm subdividing approximately 45 acres of property into 110 lots and 4 tracts (the “Property”). 

1. Owner shall underground all permanent utilities, excluding power lines 69 kV or larger, within the Property and within or adjacent to the streets along the frontage of the Property prior to issuance of the first Certificate of Completion, Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, or Certificate of Occupancy for any structure within the Property including model homes;
2. The Owner shall dedicate in fee, lien free, and at no cost to the city, right-of-way along the western boundary of the Property needed for the full half-street improvements for a minor arterial for the east half of Citrus Road, including all turn lanes, bus bays and the like. 
3. Owner shall construct, at no cost to the city, full half-street improvements for the east half of the section of Citrus Road along the western boundary of the Property, which includes, but is not limited to, curb, gutter, sidewalk, paving, bus bay, landscaping, landscape irrigation, street lights, traffic signals (as necessary), signing and striping (the “Citrus Road Improvements”).  Except for model home, no certificates of completion, temporary certificate of occupancy or certificates of occupancy shall be issued until the Citrus Road Improvements have been completed and accepted by the City Engineer or his/her designee subject to the completion of the two-year warranty period;
4. Owner shall remit to the City an in-lieu payment for one-half the cost of a full median and one-half the cost of full-median landscaping for the median that is to be installed within the section of Citrus Road along or adjacent to the frontage of the Property. The in-lieu payment for the median shall be based on the estimated cost of the full median and full median landscaping as determined by the City Engineer or designee, and it shall be paid prior to the recordation of the first final plat subdividing all or part of the Property;
5. The Owner is responsible for a proportionate share of the costs for adjacent traffic signals.  The Owner shall either construct these signals when warranted or pay to the city the proportionate share of the costs to install the required signals when requested by the City Engineer, or his/her designee.  The following traffic signals obligations are as follows:
   1. 25% at Citrus Road and Campbell Avenue;
6. The first final plat subdividing all or part of the Property shall include Tract A as shown in the Preliminary Plat for Citrus Farm and prior to recordation of the first final plat subdividing all or part of the Property, Owner shall:
   1. Provide Maricopa County Water District (“MWD”) a 20-foot easement within Tract A, in the location depicted in the Preliminary Plat for a lateral irrigation line (the “MWD Easement”).  The easement shall be in a form required by MWD and the recording information shall be inserted into the final plat prior to recordation;
   2. Obtain and record a license from MWD to the City of Goodyear in a form reviewed and approved by the City Attorney or his/her designee, authorizing the construction, maintenance, repair, replacement and removal of sewer lines and the operation of said sewer lines within the sections of the MWD Easement within which sewer lines needed for the city to provide sewer service to the Property will be constructed.  The recording information for the license shall be included in the final plat prior to recordation;
   3. Obtain and record a license from MWD to EPCOR authorizing the construction, maintenance, repair, replacement and removal of water lines and the operation of said water lines within the sections of the MWD Easement within which water lines needed for EPCOR to provide water service to the Property will be constructed.  The recording information for the license shall be included in the final plat prior to recordation; and
   4. Obtain and record a license from MWD to the City of Goodyear in a form reviewed and approved by the City Attorney or his/her designee, authorizing the construction, maintenance, repair, replacement, removal and use of street improvements and emergency vehicle access improvements that will cross over sections of the MWD Easement The recording information for the license shall be included in the final plat prior to recordation. 
7. Prior to the issuance of any certificates of completion, temporary certificates of occupancy or certificates of occupancy for any structure within the Property except for model homes, Owner shall obtain a release from the Maricopa County Municipal Water Conservation District No. 1 of any interest it has in the real property located within the alignment for the south-half of the section of Citrus Road along the western boundary of the Property; and
8. Owner shall dedicate, either on the final plat or by separate instrument, an emergency access easement providing secondary access from N. Citrus Road to the cul-de-sac at N. 178th Drive.  The easement shall comply with requirements of all applicable Development Regulations, including the fire code and the City of Goodyear Engineering Design Standards and Policies, and shall be in a form acceptable to the City Attorney, or his/her designee. If the easement is conveyed by separate instrument, the easement shall be recorded and the recording information inserted into the final plat that includes the location of the emergency access easement prior to the recordation of such final plat;
9. Owner shall dedicate on the final plat a 10-foot wide public utilities easement, in a form acceptable to the City Attorney, or his/her designee, along the east side of the 20-foot MWD Easement;
10. Prior to approval of the first final plat subdividing all or part of the Property, Owner shall obtain from the owner of Tract B of Final Plat of Abel Ranch – Phase 1 recorded at Book 1669 of Maps Page 12 (Instrument 2022-0405151) in the official records of the Maricopa County Recorder (the “Abel Ranch Phase 1 Final Plat”) a 10-foot wide public utility and sidewalk easement that is located within Tract B of Abel Ranch – Phase 1 Final Plat in the location reflected in the Preliminary Plat for Citrus Farm.  The easement shall be in a form acceptable to the City Attorney, or his/her designee, and it shall be recorded, and the recording information inserted into the final plat that includes the location of the public utility and sidewalk easement prior to the recordation of such final plat;
11. No final plat subdividing any part of the Property or site plan for development shall be approved until the existing road easement as purported on Bk 17, Pg. 28 M.C.R. as reflected in the Preliminary Plat for Citrus Farm has been abandoned or terminated.  Proof of abandonment shall be demonstrated by the submittal of a title report demonstrating that the Property is no longer burdened by the easement or by any other document acceptable to the City Attorney in his/her sole discretion demonstrating that the easement no longer burdens the Property;  
12. If necessary, Owner shall, at no cost to the city, obtain, and convey to the City, lien free and free of all encumbrances unless expressly agreed to by the City Engineer or his/her designee right of way for the east half of Citrus Road located south of southern boundary of property needed to construct pavement taper for northbound lane transition. The right-of-way to be conveyed herein shall be conveyed to the City prior to recordation of the first final plat subdividing all or part of the Property;
13. Waiver Agreements that run with the land shall be obtained from each initial homebuyer to sign, and shall include the following statement in the waiver agreement: “Citrus Farm is subject to attendant noise, vibrations, dust, and all other effects that may be caused by over flights and by the operation of aircraft landing at, or taking off from, Luke Air Force Base and/or the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport.  The Owner does release and discharge the City of Goodyear from any liability for any and all claims for future damages and complaints of any kind to persons or property that may arise at any time in the future from the operation of such aircraft near and over the area”;
14. The Public Sales Report and final plat shall include a statement that Citrus Farm is subject to attendant noise, vibrations, dust, and all other effects that may be caused by overflight and by the operation of aircraft landing at, or taking off from, Luke Air Force Base and/or the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport; and
15. Signage shall be posted within all subdivision sales offices identifying the location of the Luke Air Force Base Accident Potential Zones (APZs), 65 Ldn and higher noise contours, and departure corridors, as well as the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport Traffic Pattern Area and noise contours. This display shall include a 24”x36” map at the main entrance of such sales facility and shall include the approximate locations of the homes being sold clearly depicted.

Although a fiscal impact analysis has not been conducted on this specific project, all new development will have an ongoing fiscal impact on the city. The development is responsible for construction of all infrastructure necessary to serve the site and will generate one-time revenue for the city through payment of permits, construction sales tax and development impact fees. Longer term fiscal impacts include increased demands for municipal services, the costs of which may or may not be offset by increased property values/tax levies, city sales tax, state shared revenues and the increased demand for commercial and retail development. Any areas that will be maintained by the city are constructed by the developer and then conveyed to the city two years after construction.

The site is located east of Citrus Road, south of Camelback Road, west of Abel Ranch. On September 24, 2018, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2018-1405 approving the rezone of the property to R1-6 (Single Family Detached).

This preliminary plat has not been previously presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission nor City Council.
 

Current Policy:
Prior to subdividing a property, the owner must submit a preliminary plat that demonstrates compliance with public objectives, subdivision design principles and standards, and streets and thoroughfare planning. The preliminary plat also must be accompanied by information demonstrating the adequacy of utilities, open space and other public facilities necessary to serve the site. The preliminary plat presented herein, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions of approval and as discussed below, satisfies the foregoing requirements.  An approved preliminary plat shall expire within 12 months from the date of City Council approval unless either a final plat has been submitted for all or part of the property included in the preliminary plat or an extension has been obtained.

Details of the Request:
The request is to subdivide approximately 45 acres into 110 lots and 4 tracts. The subdivision will be accessed by W. Campbell Avenue, which aligns with the Sedella entrance off of Citrus Road.

Surrounding development includes:

• North – Abel Ranch community; Camelback Road
• East – Abel Ranch community
• South – Abel Ranch community; Indian School Road
• West – Citrus Road and Sedella community

The typical lot within the subdivision will be 55-feet wide by 130-feet deep and 60-feet wide by 135-feet deep. As designated by the R1-6 zoning district, minimum setbacks are 20-feet to the front, 5-feet for the sides, and 20-feet for the rear. Lot coverage is 60%. The maximum building height is 30 feet. The applicant is representing Gehan Homes for this project.
The subdivision includes approximately 5.5 acres of active open space as required by the Zoning Ordinance and includes amenities such as exercise/fitness stations, play equipment for multiple age groups, ramadas, shaded seating, charcoal BBQ’s, soccer goals, and an internal trail.

School Districts:
The subject property is located within the Litchfield Elementary School District and the Agua Fria Union High School District. High school students will attend Verrado High School. Elementary school students will attend Mabel Padgett Elementary School and Verrado Middle School.

Luke Air Force Base and Phoenix Goodyear Airport:
The subject property is located in the vicinity of Luke Air Force Base and the Phoenix Goodyear Airport Traffic Pattern Airspace. A stipulation has been included to require a general note on the final plat to inform the public and homeowners of base and airport operations and the potential for attendant noise and potential over-flights and stipulation #16 requires signage to be posted in the sales office of the model home complex in efforts to notify homebuyers of base operations.

Fire Department:
Emergency response times and distances are provided below:
 

Nearest Goodyear Fire Station	Shortest path		Longest path		2nd nearest Fire Station	Shortest path		Longest path
	Mins	Miles	Mins	Miles		Mins	Miles	Mins	Miles
#185	7.58	3.79	8.30	4.15	#183	11.78	5.89	12.5	6.25

Police Department:
This parcel is located within an existing patrol beat and the current level of service within the patrol beat can accommodate development of the property.

Solid Waste/Recycling:
Solid waste and recycling will be provided by the City of Goodyear.

Water/Wastewater:
Water services will be provided by EPCOR and wastewater services will be provided by the City of Goodyear.

Streets/Transportation:
The parcel will be accessible by W. Campbell Avenue. A secondary emergency access driveway is provided off of N. Citrus Road. All streets within the subdivision will be public and constructed to city standards. A traffic signal at Campbell and Citrus is not warranted at this time.

Staff Findings:
The preliminary plat is consistent with the development standards established within the R1-6 (Single Family Detached) Zoning District.  The preliminary plat is consistent with public objectives, subdivision design principles and standards, and streets and thoroughfare planning. The information that accompanied it demonstrated the adequacy of utilities, open space and other public facilities necessary to serve the site.