Neil Feaser, RKAA Architects

A request for use permit for a convenience use (restaurant with drive-through) within the Centerra Crossing Planned Area Development (PAD) located at the southeast corner of Estrella Parkway and Van Buren Street.

 Approve a request for a use permit for a convenience use (restaurant with drive-through) on a 1.1-acre parcel within the Centerra Crossing Planned Area Development, subject to stipulations. (Steve Careccia, Principal Planner)

1. All future development on the subject property (Property) will be subject to site plan review and approval by city staff, at which time all elements of site development will be reviewed, including, but not limited to, architecture, landscaping, grading and drainage, lighting, infrastructure, parking, access and circulation;
2. The configuration and location of the proposed drive-through lanes and pick-up windows and resultant traffic patterns shall be developed in substantial conformance with the conceptual site plan submitted with the use permit application. Any changes to the configuration of these improvements, as shown on the conceptual site plan, that result from the approval of the site plan for the Property may require an amendment to the use permit as determined by the Development Services Director or designee; and,
3. All signage, including all preview and menu boards, proposed on the Property shall require separate review and approval of sign permits. No signage is approved as part of this use permit.

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 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 1.1-acre subject property is located within the Centerra Crossing PAD. This mixed-use PAD was approved on September 26, 2011 with the adoption of Ordinance No. 11-1248. Pursuant to the PAD, the property is designated for commercial use in conformance with the city’s C-2 (General Commercial) zoning district.

The final plat for Centerra Crossing Phase 2 was approved and recorded in 2017. The subject property is Parcel 5 of the final plat. Said parcel is 1.14 acres.

Current Policy
A use permit requires review by the Planning and Zoning Commission and approval by the City Council through the public hearing process.

Details of the Request
The applicant is requesting a use permit for a convenience use (Salad and Go restaurant with drive-through) on a 1.1-acre parcel within the Centerra Crossing PAD. As previously noted, the Property is designated for commercial use and will be developed in accordance with the PAD’s design guidelines and city’s C-2 (General Commercial) zoning district. As required in the C-2 zoning district, a restaurant with a drive-through must obtain approval of a use permit prior to development.

The proposed use will consist of a Salad and Go restaurant with drive-through. As shown on the conceptual site plan submitted with the use permit, the restaurant will consist of a single story, 758 square-foot building. The configuration of the primary drive-through lanes has customers entering from the west and traveling through the site to access the drive-through window located on the north side of the building. Customers will then exit to the west, with the option to go either north or south.

The city’s design guidelines require drive-through lanes to provide queuing for five cars (150 feet) measured from the first stopping point (i.e. order board). While the drive-through lanes each provide queuing for approximately five cars from the first stopping point, the lengths do not meet the 150-foot standard. But while the lengths do not conform to the design guidelines, it was considered an acceptable deviation, to provide a greater separation between the ordering/menu boards, and resultant speaker noise, and the multi-family residential development to the east.

In addition to the conventional drive-through lanes, food sales/pick-up will also occur from a pedestrian window located on the west side of the building and from a vehicular pick-up window on the south side of the building. However, this vehicular pick-up window is for online/remote purchases only, and per the applicant, does not require any vehicle queuing since customer pick-up times are assigned at time of order.

Parking for the proposed convenience use will be provided onsite in conformance with city standards.

As shown on the conceptual building elevations submitted with the use permit, the building design will primarily utilize the materials and colors approved for Centerra Crossing. Accent colors have also been proposed for use on the building and drive-through canopies. Final building design will be approved at time of site plan review and approval.

Section 1-3-2 (Use Permits) of the Zoning Ordinance requires that the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council determine that the proposed use meets the following findings prior to granting a Use Permit:

1. The Use Permit will not be materially detrimental to persons residing or working in the vicinity adjacent to the property, to the neighborhood, or to the public welfare;

The proposed use is in conformance with the intent of the Centerra Crossing PAD, which intends commercial uses within the overall area also encompassing the property. Regarding persons residing in the area, a single family rental development is located to the east. However, this single family rental community functions more like a multi-family development, rather than traditional single family neighborhood, and therefore can be considered an acceptable transition use adjacent to the proposed Use Permit.

2. The proposed use is reasonably compatible with uses permitted in the surrounding area;

The proposed use will be located within an area intended for similar commercial uses, including those uses with drive-through facilities, as allowed with a use permit, and multi-family uses. As such, the proposed use should be compatible with the intended uses of the surrounding area in terms of hours of operation, traffic generation, and intensity (noise, light, etc.)

Section 4-2-2 (Convenience Uses) of the Zoning Ordinance provides the following additional evaluation criteria for convenience uses regarding their potential impact on traffic congestion, the neighborhood in general, and their appropriateness for the site:
 

1. Adequacy of the parcel size and configuration to provide for proper access and internal circulation.

The 1.1-acre parcel is of sufficient size and configuration to accommodate the proposed restaurant with drive-through. The proposed access and internal traffic circulation pattern have been designed to be consistent with the overall master design for the area.
 

2. Compatibility of the proposed hours of operation with adjacent residential areas.

The intended Salad and Go restaurant is proposed to be open from 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week. Given the proposed use’s location within a developed commercial center, and with transitional multi-family development to the east, staff does not recommend any restrictions on hours of operation.
 

3. Required traffic mitigation measures, if any.

The traffic study for the site was approved by the Engineering Department. Street and access improvements adjacent to Centerra Crossing have been completed. A full median break exists at the commercial center’s primary ingress/egress point with Estrella Parkway. This ingress/egress point is unsignalized.
 

4. Other concerns, which may place the advisability of the proposed convenience use in question.

Staff found no other concerns with the development of a convenience use on the Property.

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
#184/181	3.66	1.83	3.66	1.83		#181	3.72	1.86	3.72	1.86

Public Participation:
In accordance with the City’s Citizen Review Ordinance, a written notice was mailed to all property owners within 500 feet of the subject parcel. To date, staff has not received any inquires as a result of this written notice.

Notice for the public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council included a notice mailed to surrounding property owners, a sign posted on the property, and a legal notice published in the Arizona Republic, Southwest Edition, on June 18, 2021. To date, staff has not received any inquires on this request.

The Planning and Zoning Commission considered this item at a public hearing held on July 7, 2021. The Commission unanimously voted (6-0) to forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council. There was no public opposition voiced on this item.