This is a Public Hearing to request a rezone of approximately 17.55 acres located at the northwest corner of PebbleCreek Parkway and Monte Vista Road, within the Palm Valley Phase VIII Planned Area Development (PAD), from PAD to PAD with an underlying zoning of Multi-Family (MF-24) with a PAD Overlay.
 

1. Conduct a public hearing to consider a rezone of approximately 17.55 acres generally located at the northwest corner of PebbleCreek Parkway and Monte Vista Road from Planned Area Development (PAD) to the Planned Area Development (PAD) Zoning District, with an underlying zoning district of Multi-Family (MF-24) with PAD Overlay.
2. Recommend approval of the request to rezone approximately 17.55 acres generally located at the northwest corner of PebbleCreek Parkway and Monte Vista Road from Planned Area Development (PAD) to the Planned Area Development (PAD) Zoning District, with an underlying zoning district of Multi-Family (MF-24) with PAD Overlay, as set forth in the draft of Ordinance No. 2025-XXXX. (Ann Dolmage, Principal Planner).

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 Property is located within the Palm Valley Phase VIII PAD (Attachment B). The PAD zoning for Palm Valley Phase VIII was approved on May 9, 2005. Pursuant to the PAD, the zoning district of High Density Residential MF 1-18 (UR/H) is the city equivalent of Multi-Family (MF-18) and is the applicable zoning to the Property. At 17.55 acres, the Property can accommodate up to 315 units under the current zoning.

A Site Plan for a 300-unit multi-family development was approved for the Property on December 27, 2007, under Case No. 07-600-00040. The project was never constructed, and the Site Plan has since expired.

The General Plan Land Use Plan designates the subject property as Neighborhoods. This designation provides for a range of housing densities and products up to 18 units per acre. The rezone request would change the zoning of the site to PAD with an underlying zoning of MF-24 with a PAD Overlay. PAD is a permitted use within the Neighborhoods land use designation; however, MF-24 is compatible with the Neighborhoods designation in only certain locations and with a General Plan overlay. However, per the General Plan a change in land use categories does not require an amendment to the General Plan if the property is 19.9 acres or smaller. The Property in this request is 17.55 acres in size; therefore, no General Plan Amendment is necessary prior to rezoning to allow MF-24 development.

Current Policy:

A rezoning request requires public review and approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. The proposed amendment must be in conformance with the General Plan and should not adversely impact the surrounding area as outlined in the Zoning Ordinance.

Details of the Request:

The request is to remove the subject property from the Palm Valley VIII PAD and rezone it to PAD with an underlying zoning of Multi-Family (MF-24) with a PAD Overlay, to permit a multi-family development of up to 24 units per acre (Attachment C). The rezone, if approved, would apply the city’s MF-24 regulations with a PAD Overlay to modify existing MF-24 standards and establish additional standards. A full list of proposed development standards is contained in the attached regulatory document.

A site plan has been provided with the rezone application; however, this site plan is conceptual and will not be approved with this rezoning action. The site plan proposes to construct 383 units on the property, which will result in an actual density of 21.8 units per acre. The applicant must obtain approval of a Site Plan application prior to construction on the site. If the rezoning is approved and if a modified Site Plan is submitted, it shall remain in conformance with all stipulations found within the Zoning Ordinance as well as the MF-24 and PAD Overlay regulations.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Consistency with the General Plan.
As mentioned in the Background and Previous Actions section, the General Plan designates this area as Neighborhoods.

Per Neighborhoods Development Standard 24 of the General Plan, higher-density residential uses may be considered within an overlay along arterial roads, interstate corridors, transit corridors, adjacent to employment or commercial areas, adjacent to regional or community parks or open space areas or to provide transition between residential and non-residential uses. The General Plan includes two overlay types that allow high-density residential within the underlying land use designation, even when the underlying designation does not normally allow it. These overlays are the Village Center Overlay that denotes areas serving as a center and destination for neighborhoods and the Mobility Corridor Overlay which denotes focal points within the transportation network that integrate different modes of transportation to maximize first-mile and last-mile connectivity in support of mixed-use development. However, the applicant submitted their rezone application before the 2035 General Plan was adopted, and the overlay requirement in this standard was not included in the 2025 General Plan. The closest Village Center Overlay to the proposed MF-24 development within the Property (the “Project Site”) is centered over the intersection of McDowell Road and PebbleCreek Parkway but does not encompass the Project Site. The closest Mobility Corridor Overlay to the Project site extends along McDowell Road between the eastern boundary of the City and Loop 303, but this overlay does not include the Project Site. Under the current General Plan, the Project Site is less than 20 acres; therefore, no General Plan Amendment is needed to locate a use that is not normally compatible with the Neighborhoods designation on the site.

Per Neighborhoods Development Standard 26, high density residential developments shall not be located directly adjacent to single family residential developments with densities under five dwelling units per acre unless a buffer is between these uses or unless high density residential development is providing significant active open space buffers, reduces scale of buildings, or introduces architecture that would blend in with the surrounding neighborhood. The Project Site is bordered on the west by the Portales single-family residential neighborhood. The Palm Valley Phase VIII PAD designates the Portales neighborhood as R1-10, meaning that the minimum lot size here is 10,000 square feet, and the density is under five dwelling units per acre. An open space tract within the Portales subdivision separates the single-family residential properties from the western boundary of the Project Site; this tract was intentionally zoned and developed to buffer single-family development from future multi-family and commercial development. Additionally, the rezone request requires additional standards within the PAD Overlay regulatory document to reduce the impact on the neighboring single-family residential neighborhood.

Per Neighborhoods Development Standard 27, High density residential projects are most appropriate: Within a 10-minute walk  of a transit stop and/or of a regional or community park or other significant open space feature or major trail system; Within a mixed-use development; Adjacent to existing or planned commercial areas; Near transportation corridors or; In areas that provide transition between lower density residential uses and non-residential uses. The site is located within a ½-mile walk of a bus stop on the north side of McDowell Road and a second bus stop is located on the south side of McDowell Road, though this stop is slightly more than a ½-mile walk from the Project site. The Project site is also within a ½-mile walk of Bullard Wash Park, which is identified in the city’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The Project site has frontage on PebbleCreek Parkway, which is identified as a Scenic Arterial in the 2035 General Plan. Finally, multiple commercial areas are located within a short walk of the Project, including The Market at Estrella Falls, PebbleCreek Plaza Shops and Cobblestone Creek.

2. Suitability of the subject property’s physical and natural features for the uses permitted under the proposed zoning district.
The subject property is currently a vacant lot. The property’s physical and natural features are suitable for the proposed rezone and multi-family use as the property will be required to be graded and developed in accordance with all applicable engineering design guidelines and standards.

3. Compatibility of all potential uses allowed in the proposed zoning district with surrounding uses and zoning.
Uses and development surrounding the subject property include:

· North – Village at Harvard Crossing, a bungalow-style multi-family development. Zoning is Villages at PebbleCreek PAD (similar to MF-12).
· South – Portales Park (a 16-acre neighborhood park), the easternmost homes in the Covina single-family residential neighborhood, and a commercial development (Cobblestone Creek). Zoning is Palm Valley Phase VIII PAD.
· East – PebbleCreek Parkway, commercial development (PebbleCreek Plaza Shops), and multi-family development (District at Civic Square and Evolution at Estrella Falls). Zoning is C-2 (General Commercial), MF-24 with a District at Civic Square PAD Overlay, and Goodyear Planned Regional Center PAD.
· West – Portales single-family residential neighborhood. Zoning is Palm Valley Phase VIII PAD.

The proposed zoning for the Project site is PAD with an underlying zoning of MF-24. This proposed zoning is compatible with the development in the surrounding area. An existing single-story multi-family development is located to the north, and single-family residential neighborhoods are located to the west and southwest with open space separation exists between the Project Site and the single-family properties to the west. Two multi-family developments are located across PebbleCreek Parkway, one contains buildings up to four stories tall and has a density of 37.5 units per acre, while another has a density of 19.3 units per acre. Finally the Project Site is in close proximity to an arterial road, public transit stops, a major public park, and multiple commercial areas.

4. Proposed zoning district’s consistency with other land uses within the immediate area and whether uses allowed under proposed zoning district would be better suited to the subject property than the uses allowed under current zoning.
The proposed zoning district and current zoning district both allow multi-family development on the site. The site is suited for high-density development as it is located on an arterial roadway, is near a public transit stop, and has public open space and commercial uses within a ½-mile walk. Additionally, it is located across the street from two multi-family developments that both have densities over 18 units per acre and is immediately adjacent to the Village Center Overlay.

Single-family residential neighborhoods are located to the west and southwest of the Project Site. The PAD Overlay has several development standards to minimize impacts to these uses.

The Project site is located within the vicinity of Luke Air Force Base, a military airport. Notice was provided to Luke and they have indicated that their base operations will not be adversely impacted by the proposed multi-family development.

The Project site is also located within the Phoenix-Goodyear Traffic Pattern Airspace, but given the location of the property, airport operations will not be adversely impacted.

5. Demand for the types of uses permitted in the proposed zoning district in relation to amount of land currently zoned and available to accommodate the demand.
Per the 2035 General Plan, data from the Maricopa Association of Governments indicates that the population of Goodyear increased by 46% between 2010 and 2020 and is expected to reach 240,000 people by 2055. The General Plan estimates that 56,462 units are needed by 2055 to accommodate this growth. Furthermore, per the U.S. Census Bureau approximately ten percent (10%) of the city’s occupied housing units are located within multi-family developments of two or more units, while approximately eighty-nine percent (89%) are detached or attached single-family homes. The overall growth of the city requires that housing stock keep pace to prevent overcrowding and to maintain affordability. Additionally, the construction of additional multi-family units provides housing options for residents for whom a single-family home is not a feasible or desirable option.

6. Demands for public services that will be generated by the uses permitted in the proposed zoning district.  
Below is a summary of impacts to public services.

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

Nearest Goodyear Fire Station	Shortest path		2nd Nearest Goodyear Fire Station	Shortest path
	Mins	Miles		Mins	Miles
#185	2.52	1.26	#181	5.54	2.77

Police Response:
The subdivision is located within an existing Police patrol beat and the current level of service within the beat can accommodate the development of the property.

School Districts:
The subject property is located within the Litchfield Elementary School District and the Agua Fria Union High School District. The application was sent to both school districts for comment. Agua Fria Union High School District responded that they are supportive of growth in Goodyear but requested that development impact fees be imposed on all units with more than one bedroom, to help offset the financial impact of the Project to their district. Goodyear does not collect impact fees to benefit schools, so the applicant was advised to work with Agua Fria School District on an agreement for compensation. As of the date this report was written, the agreement has not been finalized.

Streets/Transportation:
Although the conceptual site plan will not be approved with the Rezone, access is expected to be provided from both PebbleCreek Parkway and Monte Vista Road. The access from PebbleCreek Parkway will be located at the northeast corner of the Project site, via an existing signalized driveway that will be shared with The Village at Harvard Crossing. The Project will install a gate on its own side of the driveway, and access here will include ingress and egress for residents and emergency vehicles, and egress (no ingress) for delivery services and guests. A second access point on Monte Vista Road will provide full-service ingress and egress to guests, residents, and emergency vehicles. Two gates will be provided to restrict access from the Monte Vista Road entrance to the interior areas of the complex. Although these gates will each be set back over 100 feet from the front property line, and though the traffic study prepared for the project did not determine that a deceleration lane on Monte Vista would be necessary, the Project is proposing a deceleration lane to address neighbor concerns about incoming vehicles stacking into the public street.

Water/Wastewater:
The subject property is located within the Liberty Utilities water and wastewater service area.  

Solid Waste/Recycling:
Solid waste and recycling services for the property will be contracted through a commercial provider.

7. Potential adverse fiscal impacts that will result from providing services to areas not in proximity to where existing public services are provided.  
The subject property is in proximity to where existing public services are provided.

8. General public’s concerns.
Pursuant to the Citizen Review process, a neighborhood meeting was held on February 28, 2024; a postcard notification was sent to property owners within five hundred (500) feet of the Property on February 2, 2024, and two signs were posted on the Property on February 12, 2024. Approximately 29 members of the public attended the meeting. Topics discussed during the meeting included the appropriateness of the proposed density and building heights, impacts to traffic, sufficiency of on-site parking and ingress/egress design, sufficiency of landscaping, provision of amenities, timing of city approvals and construction, and pricing of units. 

Staff received three emails in late 2023 and early 2024 in response to the project proposal. All three emails were in opposition to the project. Issues cited included impacts to neighborhood aesthetics, property values, and traffic.

Many of the development standards proposed for this site have been designed as a response to neighbor concerns expressed in these emails to city staff, concerns expressed during the neighborhood meeting, and conversations between residents and the project applicant. Such standards include restrictions on three-story development within specified distances of the west and north property lines, provisions for anti-glare treatments on windows facing toward single-family development, provisions for enhanced landscaping along the western boundary of the Project site, and the inclusion of a deceleration lane at the project entrance on Monte Vista Road.

Notice for this public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission included a postcard mailed to the 86 owners of property within 500 feet of the subject property on July 18, 2025, and a legal notice and display ad published in the Arizona Republic on July 25, 2025. Additionally, the two signs posted on the property on February 12, 2024, were updated to include the public hearing information on July 28, 2025, and a summary of the request was posted on the Development Services Department webpage.

9. Whether the amendment promotes orderly growth and development.
The subject property is located adjacent to existing infrastructure and developed areas. The amendment will allow development of the subject property and promotes the orderly growth and development of the City.

10. Any other factors related to the impact of the amendment on the general health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City and the general public.
The development of the proposed multi-family project will be required to adhere to all applicable design, building, and engineering standards of the City of Goodyear. Adherence to these standards will be evaluated during the site plan, civil engineering, and building plan review processes.