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ITEM #: 3.
DATE: 03/09/2026
AI #:2985
 
CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
 
SUBJECT: ZONING ORDINANCE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE
 
STAFF PRESENTER(S): Katie Wilken, Development Services Director; Christian Williams, Planning Manager; Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Principal Planner

OTHER PRESENTER(S):

Matthew Klyszeiko, Zoning Ordinance Update Consultant, Michael Baker International

Summary

Council will receive an update on the ongoing update to the City's Zoning Ordinance, with specific discussion topics on the proposed BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems), data center, drive-through, and parking standards, and an arts district overlay.  Additionally, staff will request Council guidance. (Katie Wilken, Development Services Director; Christian Williams, Planning Manager; Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Principal Planner)

FISCAL IMPACT

There is no direct budget impact associated with the comprehensive zoning ordinance update. Funding for tasks associated with the Zoning Ordinance update has been approved and incorporated in the Development Services Department's budget.

BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS

Arizona state law provides municipalities with the ability to enact zoning regulations for the development of the municipalities and to conserve and promote public health, safety and general welfare (ARS 9-462.01). The city's last comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update occurred in 1999. Since then, text amendments have been completed to modify portions of the Ordinance to respond to changes in development and to comply with new state legislation. 

The comprehensive update process kicked-off January 2025. The first work session with the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council occurred in October and November 2025, respectively. For a summary of the update progress up to the first work sessions and information on the first work sessions topics please see Attachment A (November Work Session Staff Report). 

Since the first work sessions, staff and the consultant have focused on drafting the new Zoning Ordinance. Additional community meetings are planned for the future as the update process progresses. 

STAFF ANALYSIS

During this work session, staff and the consultant will be presenting information on the following uses and seeking input on proposed standards for:
  • BESS
    • Special Use Permit use in Light Industrial Park (I-1) and General Industrial Park (1-2) zoning districts
    • Minimum 500-foot separation from residential uses
    • Minimum 150-foot separation from commercial and industrial uses
    • Considerations for noise, hazard mitigation, emergency response, and decommissioning
See Attachment B, BESS Handout, for a draft of recommended regulations and a comparison of the proposed regulations with regulations in other municipalities.
 
  • Data Centers
    • Permitted in Light Industrial Park (I-1) and General Industrial Park (1-2) zoning districts with conditions
    • Minimum 300-foot separation from residential
    • Minimum 100-foot separation from commercial and industrial
    • Considerations for water, screening, undergrounding utilities, landscape buffers, backup power testing standards, and busing mass and height limits
See Attachment C, Data Centers Handout, for a draft of recommended regulations and a comparison of proposed regulations with regulations in other jurisdictions.

The uses and standards listed below are currently being incorporated into the Zoning Ordinance update. Additional details are provided in Attachment D. These items are not going to be presented as part of a formal presentation during the work session; however, staff is able to discuss these uses and standards at the conclusion of the work session presentation if there are any questions or concerns from the City Council.
  • Drive-through uses
    • Create conditions for drive-through uses such as service stations and vehicle repair facilities including:
      • 300-foot separation between drive through uses to avoid queuing conflicts
      • Ability to request queuing study to establish required queuing length
See Attachment E, Drive-through uses Handout, for additional details.
 
  • Off-street parking
    • Ability to reduce parking standards for the following uses and development scenarios:
      • Mixed-Use walkable areas
        • Reduction in parking requirements up to 25 percent based on a parking demand study demonstrating parking needs will be met at peak times
      • Multi-family (age-restricted and affordable housing)
        • Reduction in parking requirements up to 25 percent based on a parking demand study demonstrating parking needs will be met at peak times
        • Any demand study that requests a reduction in parking requirements by 25 percent or more shall further prepare a Transportation Management Plan (TMP). These plans may include:
           
          • Presence of basic daily uses within ¼-mile, such as grocery/corner store, drug store, or child care; and/or weekly uses such as bank, convenience store, restaurant, or theater
          • Transit passes or equivalent alternative transportation mode subsidies for tenants
          • Resident Carpool and/or Ridematch Program
          • Enhanced shuttle service (or contributions to extend or enhance existing shuttle service or to create new shared or public shuttle service)
          • On-site bicycle share program for residents or the general public
          • Bike-repair/workshop space in the building
          • Other approaches accepted by the City that reduce parking demand
      • Medical Offices
        • Lower parking requirements from 1 space per 150 sq. ft. indoor floor area to 1 space per 200 sq. ft. of indoor floor area
See Attachment F, Off-street Parking Handout, for a comparison of existing and proposed parking standards for these uses.
 
  • Arts District Overlay
    • Staff to conduct public outreach for a proposed overlay district area south of E. Santa Cruz Drive within Historic Goodyear (see map below).
    • The proposed overlay would allow small, low impact, neighborhood serving businesses such as art focused shops and studios.
    • Parking needs may be supported by the city-owned public lot south of E. Pico Drive.
 
Draft recommendations are being provided in this packet as the first step in making this information publicly available.

Any member of the public wishing to receive additional information or would like to provide feedback on the Zoning Ordinance update is welcome to do so by visiting: www.goodyearaz.gov/zoning, where additional details and staff contact information is available. 

The comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update aims to protect our residents’ health, safety, and welfare by establishing land use classifications, dividing the city into districts, and imposing regulations on land use, building dimensions, and open space among other regulations.

With the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council feedback received, staff and consultant will continue drafting the Zoning Ordinance. The update will come before the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council for an additional Work Session in the Spring, prior to public hearings in June 2026.
 

Attachments