Manjula Vaz, Gammage and Burnham

This is a public hearing for and consideration of a Special Use Permit request for a self-storage use proposed at the northeast corner of Indian School Road and Sarival Avenue. The property is located within the Palm Valley Phase V Planned Area Development (PAD).

1. Conduct a public hearing to consider a request for a Use Permit for Dollar Self Storage, a self-storage facility with recreational vehicle storage, on a 6.5-acre parcel at the northeast corner of Indian School Road and Sarival Avenue (the “Property”) within the Palm Valley Phase V PAD
2. Recommend approval of the request for a Special Use Permit for Dollar Self Storage, a self-storage facility with recreational vehicle storage, on approximately 6.5 acres at the northeast corner of Indian School Road and Sarival Avenue within the Palm Valley Phase V PAD, subject to stipulations. (Alex Lestinsky, Senior Planner) 

The approval of the Special Use Permit is subject to the following conditions and stipulations

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; and
2. Vehicle rental operations and truck rental operations are not permitted within the Property. 
3. The preliminary and final landscape plans for the Property shall show the 40-foot drainage easement along the Property’s eastern boundary. Owner shall install a continuous row of 24-inch box trees along the western boundary of the 40-foot drainage easement Unless otherwise approved by the Development Services Director or designee, said trees shall be planted every twenty-feet. Said trees shall be planted prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for any building on the Property; and
4. Owner shall complete the construction of all improvements needed for completion of full half-street improvements for the east half of the section of N. Sarival Avenue along the western boundary of the Property required for a Minor Collector as set forth in the Engineering Design Standards in effect at the time of construction except as modified by the City Engineer or his designee, which improvements may include, by way of example but not limitation, irrigation, street frontage landscaping, street lighting, and any required deceleration lanes; and
5. Owner shall complete the construction of all improvements needed for completion of full half-street improvements for the south half of the section of W. Charles Boulevard along the northern boundary of the Property required for a Minor Collector as set forth in the Engineering Design Standards in effect at the time of construction except as modified by the City Engineer or his designee, which improvements may include, by way of example but not limitation, irrigation, street frontage landscaping, street lighting, and any required deceleration lanes; and
6. If secondary emergency access is provided for the Property off of W. Charles Boulevard, this access may also be used as a public exit from the Property to W. Charles Boulevard.  There shall be no public access into the Property from W. Charles Boulevard.  The access to the Property from W. Charles Boulevard shall be gated with an electronic gate that allows all vehicles to exit the Property on to W. Charles Boulevard but is secured to limit access from W. Charles Boulevard in to the Property solely to emergency service vehicles; and;
7. Windows or faux windows shall not be mirrored in a manner that causes glare or reflection and materials that cause glare or reflection shall not be used in the construction of any structure on the Property; and
8. The Property shall conform to the standards designated for Lighting Zone 2 as established in Article 10, Outdoor Lighting Standards, of the City of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance; and
9. All site lighting (building, parking, or security) shall be directed down with sharp cut-off directional lighting fixtures.  All lighting on the site shall be dimmed to 50% between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. No wall mounted lights may be placed on the east side of buildings located closest to the residential development east of the Property; and
10. No signage is approved as part of this Special Use Permit. All signage proposed on the Property shall require separate submittal and review of sign permits, and shall comply with the City’s Zoning Ordinance and the following:
    1. No illuminated wall signs shall be permitted on the east side of buildings located closest to the residential development east of the Property.  

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 Property is located within Phase V of the Palm Valley PAD. The PAD zoning for Palm Valley Phase V was approved on August 11, 2003. Pursuant to the PAD, neighborhood commercial uses are permitted on the Property, subject to the city’s C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial) zoning regulations. In accordance with the C-1 zoning district, mini-storage and recreational vehicle storage require approval of a Special Use Permit.

Current Policy:
A Special Use Permit requires review by the Planning and Zoning Commission and approval by the City Council following required public hearings. The process for the review of a Special Use Permit is set forth in section 1-3-4 of the Goodyear Zoning Ordinance and in the City of Goodyear Administrative Process Manual.

Details of the Request:
The applicant is requesting a Special Use Permit for a self-storage facility on a vacant parcel within the Palm Valley Phase V PAD. As previously noted, the Property is designated for neighborhood commercial use and will be developed in accordance with the PAD’s design guidelines and city’s C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial) zoning district.

The proposed storage facility consists of five one-story storage buildings (ranging from 6,400 square feet to 13,650 square feet), one two-story storage building (103,900 square feet), and covered RV parking. There are 939 individual storage units ranging in size, 66 covered RV parking spaces, and a washing/cleaning bay. Parking for the self-storage facility will be provided onsite in conformance with city standards. The master site plan, which includes Dollar Self Storage and McDonald’s has been submitted concurrently with the respective Special Use and Use Permits.

Section 1-3-4 (Special Use Permits) of the Zoning Ordinance provides the evaluation criteria for special uses:

1. Will be desirable or necessary to the public convenience or welfare;
   1. Storage facilities support residential and non-residential uses in the area that are in need of off-site storage. Additionally, this proposal provides the opportunity for residents within the area who do not have RV garages a location to store their RVs. 
2. Will be harmonious and compatible with other uses adjacent to and in the vicinity of the selected site or sites;
   1. The site is currently zoned for C-1 uses and sits between industrial and single-family developments. A self-storage use may act as a buffer between the industrial uses to the west and the single-family to the east by providing a low impact (minimal traffic and activity). The storage is proposed on the north end of the C-1 parcel leaving the more traditional commercial uses (including the proposed McDonald’s) along the major arterial road (Indian School Road).
3. Is in conformance with the adopted General Plan and any adopted Area Plans; and,
   1. The property is designated in the General Plan as Business & Commerce and Neighborhoods. The dividing line is based on the Luke Compatible Land Use Area (LCLUA) Overlay, identified by the hatch pattern area on the below map, which prohibits residential uses and promotes low employment populations such as industrial and warehousing. The self-storage proposal is on the portion of the property that is included within the LCLUA.

   

4. Will not be detrimental to surrounding properties or persons in the area due to:
   1. Impact on the circulation system of the adjacent neighborhood;
      1. Full access to the facility is proposed off of Sarival Avenue. A driveway off Charles Boulevard is provided as exit only and emergency secondary access. The project does not have any direct access to the adjacent neighborhood. The Indian School Road and Sarival Avenue intersection is currently signalized. Per the approved traffic study, a signal at Charles Boulevard and Sarival Avenue is not warranted as part of this project and will remain as a two-way stop at this time.
   2. Excessive noise or light generated from within the site;
      1. Self-storage facilities are typically quiet, low-impact commercial uses. In addition to the 40-foot drainage easement between the residential property line and the proposed self-storage project, the site layout includes a single-story storage building (18-feet tall) along the east side which serves as an additional noise and light buffer. The RV wash station has been located away from the residential property line, approximately 320-feet. The development would need to comply with the City’s Zone 2 lighting standards, which are designed to protect residential developments by requiring house-side shielding and other mitigation measures. Article 10-10 of the Zoning Ordinance also addresses parking canopy requirements that  block any direct view of the lights from beyond the property line. Additional stipulations have been included restricting site lighting including dimming requirements, an 8-foot maximum height placement on wall mounted lights, and prevent any wall mounted lights from being placed on the east side of the building adjacent to the residential property.  
   3. Excessive scale or height in relationship to surrounding properties;
      1. There is a 40-foot drainage easement that separates the proposed storage facility from the residential property lines to the east. The drainage easement will contain rip rap and the commercial side will include trees planted to ensure a continuous canopy. Additionally, there is a single-story (18-foot tall) storage building closest to the residential, which ensures that a two-story building is not abutting the single-family residential and provides a visual barrier to the RV storage area which is centralized within the property. The maximum height in the C-1 district is 30-feet, the proposed self-storage building height does not exceed 26-feet.
   4. Hours of operation;
      1. The proposed storage access hours are 6:00AM to 10:00PM. Staff does not recommend any restrictions to the hours of operation.
   5. Inadequate parcel size to provide adequate buffers or mitigation measures to surrounding properties;
      1. The proposed parcel size is appropriate for the facility and will allow the adequate buffers and setbacks from surrounding properties.
   6. Inconsistency with the development character or architecture of the adjacent properties.
      1. Building design has been proposed to be complementary to the adjacent properties including similar desert colors that are cohesive with the existing residential property wall to the east and the proposed McDonald’s elevations.
5. Other concerns, which may place the advisability of the proposed convenience use in question.

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	3.59	1.29	3.59	1.29		#183	7.87	3.43	7.87	3.43

Public Participation:
In accordance with the city’s Citizen Review Ordinance, a notice was sent to all property owners within 500 feet of the Property. A neighborhood meeting for this item along with the McDonald’s Special Use Permit on July 13, 2022. Approximately 50 residents were in attendance and predominately expressed concerns related to the proposed McDonald’s use. The comments regarding the storage facility were related to visibility of RVs, construction and traffic impacts, light intrusion, and impact to property values. At the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting held on September 14, 2022, during the public comments portion of the agenda a resident expressed concerns about the proposed McDonald’s and Storage facility on the property.

Notice for the public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council included the following: a notice mailed to surrounding property owners; a sign posted on the property; and a legal notice published in the Arizona Republic, Southwest Edition.

Staff Findings:
Staff finds that the proposed Special Use Permit for a self-storage facility with recreational vehicle storage, subject to the conditions and stipulations set forth above, meets the Zoning Ordinance requirements for Special Uses, will not be materially detrimental to adjacent properties, and will be compatible with the surrounding area. Staff is recommending approval of the Special Use Permit subject to the conditions and stipulations set forth above.