| AGENDA ITEM #:23-220-00001 DATE: September 13, 2023 CAR #: CASE #: {Case#} |
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Planning & Zoning Commission ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: | 23-220-00001 AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH A NEW BUSINESS PARK ZONING DISTRICT |
| STAFF PRESENTER(S): | Steve Careccia, Planning Manager |
SUMMARY:
This is a staff-initiated request to amend Article 3-3 (Commercial Districts) of the city of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance with the establishment of a new Business Park zoning district.
RECOMMENDATION:
- Conduct a public hearing to consider a request to amend Article 3-3 (Commercial Districts) of the city of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance.
- Recommend approval of a request to amend Article 3-3 of the city of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance, as set forth in the Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment to Article 3-3 (Commercial Districts). (Steve Careccia, Planning Manager)
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct budget impact associated with the approval of this Zoning Ordinance text amendment.
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS:
The city of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance regulates the development of all land within the city. Regulations set forth in the Zoning Ordinance may be amended when deemed necessary to best serve the public interest, health, comfort, convenience, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the city. The current Zoning Ordinance was originally adopted by the City Council in May 1999 and has been the subject of a number of amendments since that time.
In response to current industrial development trends along with feedback from developers and citizens, the City Council directed staff to create a new zoning district focused on commercial and employment uses not needing cross dock or significant distribution-type facilities. Such employment uses would generally consist of public-facing storefronts, offices and open spaces, with loading areas and dock doors placed within internalized courts screened from public view. This zoning district would be appropriate within transitional areas, such as between higher intensity industrial areas and commercial areas, and within proximity to residential uses, if appropriately buffered.
In response to current industrial development trends along with feedback from developers and citizens, the City Council directed staff to create a new zoning district focused on commercial and employment uses not needing cross dock or significant distribution-type facilities. Such employment uses would generally consist of public-facing storefronts, offices and open spaces, with loading areas and dock doors placed within internalized courts screened from public view. This zoning district would be appropriate within transitional areas, such as between higher intensity industrial areas and commercial areas, and within proximity to residential uses, if appropriately buffered.
STAFF ANALYSIS
Current Policy:
The following policies contained within the City of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations are applicable and relevant to this requested text amendment:
Details of the Request:
This request for text amendment is to establish a new Business Park zoning district in accordance with City Council direction. To achieve this intent, the text amendment proposes a new zoning district within the commercial zoning districts section of the Zoning Ordinance. The new zoning district will include a mix of commercial and employment uses that will be subject to the development and design standards applicable to the city’s existing commercial zoning districts. Additionally, new standards proposed with this amendment will ensure an attractive environment for these uses, within a campus-like setting, and will promote an environment compatible with nearby, existing developed areas.
With this amendment, the following revisions to the Zoning Ordinance are proposed:
Evaluation Criteria:
As previously noted, Section 1-3-1 (Amendments) of the Zoning Ordinance provides evaluation criteria for text amendments. The criteria and accompanying staff analysis (italics) are provided below:
A. Documentation indicating inconsistencies in terms of the Ordinance or problems and/or conflicts in implementation of specific sections of the Ordinance that will be resolved by the amendment;
B. Whether amendment is needed to respond to changes in the law, statutory or case law;
C. Whether amendment is needed to address zoning and/or development issues or to improve processes for addressing such issues;
D. Whether amendment will to promote implementation of goals and objections of the City’s General Plan;
E. Any other factors related to the impact of the amendment on the general health, safety or welfare of the citizens of the City and the general public.
Public Participation:
This Zoning Ordinance text amendment requires public hearings before the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council. Notice for these public hearings included a full-size legal notice published in the Arizona Republic on August 25, 2023. Information on this text amendment was also posted to the current development applications section of the city’s website.
The following policies contained within the City of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations are applicable and relevant to this requested text amendment:
Article 1, Section 1-3-1 (Amendments), of the Zoning Ordinance establishes the process for the review and approval of text amendments to the Zoning Ordinance. Amendments must be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission and approved by the City Council through the public hearing process.
Article 3-3 (Commercial Districts) of the Zoning Ordinance establishes zoning districts that provide for retail, service and employment uses in furtherance of the city’s economic base.
Article 3-3 (Commercial Districts) of the Zoning Ordinance establishes zoning districts that provide for retail, service and employment uses in furtherance of the city’s economic base.
Details of the Request:
This request for text amendment is to establish a new Business Park zoning district in accordance with City Council direction. To achieve this intent, the text amendment proposes a new zoning district within the commercial zoning districts section of the Zoning Ordinance. The new zoning district will include a mix of commercial and employment uses that will be subject to the development and design standards applicable to the city’s existing commercial zoning districts. Additionally, new standards proposed with this amendment will ensure an attractive environment for these uses, within a campus-like setting, and will promote an environment compatible with nearby, existing developed areas.
With this amendment, the following revisions to the Zoning Ordinance are proposed:
Creation of new business park zoning district to be established as Section 3-3-6 Business Park (BPD) District;
Within Section 3-3-6-C (Principal Permitted Uses), establish the listed uses of structures or land within the Business Park zoning district;
Within Section 3-3-6-E (Development Regulations), establish standards applicable to all new development within the Business Park zoning district to ensure conformance with the intent of the district; and
Renumbering of current Section 3-3-6 (Commercial District Standards) as new Section 3-3-7 (Commercial District Standards) and amending the newly renumbered Section 3-3-7 (Commercial Districts Standards), by revising Figure 8, in paragraph A, to add a column for the dimension requirements for the Business Park (BPD) District.
Within Section 3-3-6-C (Principal Permitted Uses), establish the listed uses of structures or land within the Business Park zoning district;
Within Section 3-3-6-E (Development Regulations), establish standards applicable to all new development within the Business Park zoning district to ensure conformance with the intent of the district; and
Renumbering of current Section 3-3-6 (Commercial District Standards) as new Section 3-3-7 (Commercial District Standards) and amending the newly renumbered Section 3-3-7 (Commercial Districts Standards), by revising Figure 8, in paragraph A, to add a column for the dimension requirements for the Business Park (BPD) District.
Evaluation Criteria:
As previously noted, Section 1-3-1 (Amendments) of the Zoning Ordinance provides evaluation criteria for text amendments. The criteria and accompanying staff analysis (italics) are provided below:
A. Documentation indicating inconsistencies in terms of the Ordinance or problems and/or conflicts in implementation of specific sections of the Ordinance that will be resolved by the amendment;
The city currently has two industrial zoning districts – I-1 (Light Industrial) and I-2 (General Industrial). The amendment is intended to provide an additional zoning district suitable for those commercial and employment uses that do not require cross dock or major distribution-type facilities. Loading areas, truck docks and service bays will be relegated to internalized courts, which will help reduce operational impacts, such as noise and truck traffic, and aesthetic impacts, such as the visible storage of trailers and goods, on adjoining properties and the public.
B. Whether amendment is needed to respond to changes in the law, statutory or case law;
This text amendment is not in response to any changes in law, statutory or case law.
C. Whether amendment is needed to address zoning and/or development issues or to improve processes for addressing such issues;
As noted herein, the intent of the amendment is to create an additional zoning district that will promote the development of commercial and employment uses not needing cross dock or other major distribution-type facilities, and that will be compatible with existing developed areas. To achieve this intent, the amendment proposes several development standards that will be applicable to all land uses within the proposed Business Park zoning district. Such standards shall include:
1. Prohibition of cross dock facilities. Instead, those uses needing loading docks and bay doors, for example, will be permitted to place those facilities on only one side of the building, within internalized courts screened from adjoining properties;
2. Requirement for all equipment and accessory structures, such chillers, silos and generators, to be located within internalized courts. Rooftop equipment exceeding the height of the building will be prohibited;
3. Requirement for five percent of the net site area to be developed as recreational open space for use by employees and customers;
4. Office and storefronts facing the primary street instead of being placed internal to the site, out of public view; and
5. Requirement for additional buffering and tree plantings when adjacent to a residential use (resulting in a minimum 40-foot buffer width).
2. Requirement for all equipment and accessory structures, such chillers, silos and generators, to be located within internalized courts. Rooftop equipment exceeding the height of the building will be prohibited;
3. Requirement for five percent of the net site area to be developed as recreational open space for use by employees and customers;
4. Office and storefronts facing the primary street instead of being placed internal to the site, out of public view; and
5. Requirement for additional buffering and tree plantings when adjacent to a residential use (resulting in a minimum 40-foot buffer width).
D. Whether amendment will to promote implementation of goals and objections of the City’s General Plan;
Standard 37 of the General Plan states light industrial uses such as warehousing and distribution centers are appropriate in the Business and Commerce land use if appropriately buffered from residential uses. The proposed Business Park zoning district is intended to correlate with the Business and Commerce land use. However, to provide an alternative zoning district that fosters commercial and employment uses complementary to transitional zones or nearby residential uses, the proposed Business Park zoning district will prohibit cross dock and other major distribution-type facilities. As such, larger warehouse and distribution buildings will choose to locate within the city’s Light Industrial or General Industrial zoning districts. Additional buffering will also be required if a property in the Business Park zoning district is located adjacent to residential uses.
Standard 38 of the General Plan states uses that create significant noise, glare, odors, or other adverse impacts should be located in the Industrial land use category. The proposed Business Park zoning district should provide a viable zoning option for certain commercial and employment uses desiring to locate in transitional areas or within proximity to residential areas.
Standard 43 and Standard 48 of the General Plan state general industrial uses and those land uses that create significant noise, odors, etc. should be separated and buffered from residential uses and commercial assembly, entertainment and retail uses. The proposed Business Park zoning district is intended to function as an appropriate buffer between such higher and lower intensity uses.
Standard 38 of the General Plan states uses that create significant noise, glare, odors, or other adverse impacts should be located in the Industrial land use category. The proposed Business Park zoning district should provide a viable zoning option for certain commercial and employment uses desiring to locate in transitional areas or within proximity to residential areas.
Standard 43 and Standard 48 of the General Plan state general industrial uses and those land uses that create significant noise, odors, etc. should be separated and buffered from residential uses and commercial assembly, entertainment and retail uses. The proposed Business Park zoning district is intended to function as an appropriate buffer between such higher and lower intensity uses.
E. Any other factors related to the impact of the amendment on the general health, safety or welfare of the citizens of the City and the general public.
The text amendment should not have any adverse impacts on the general health, safety or welfare of citizens or the general public. Rather, it should promote these elements by providing an additional zoning district for certain commercial and employment uses considered appropriate within transitional areas or in areas within proximity of residential uses.
Public Participation:
This Zoning Ordinance text amendment requires public hearings before the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council. Notice for these public hearings included a full-size legal notice published in the Arizona Republic on August 25, 2023. Information on this text amendment was also posted to the current development applications section of the city’s website.