| ITEM #: 8. DATE: 11/13/2023 AI #:1445 |
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: | GENERAL PLAN 2035 GROWING GOODYEAR, PLANNING OUR FUTURE |
| STAFF PRESENTER(S): | Steve Careccia, Planning Manager |
OTHER PRESENTER(S):
Matt Klyszeiko, with Michael Baker International (General Plan Consultant)
SUMMARY
This public hearing will be for City Council consideration and adoption of the General Plan 2035.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
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RECOMMENDATION
1. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2023-2362 ADOPTING THE CITY OF GOODYEAR GENERAL PLAN 2035 AND SUBMITTING THE CITY OF GOODYEAR GENERAL PLAN 2035 TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY OF GOODYEAR PURSUANT TO ARS §9-461.06; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF: THIS RESOLUTION, THE CITY COUNCIL’S ADOPTION OF THE CITY OF GOODYEAR GENERAL PLAN 2035, AND THE CITY OF GOODYEAR GENERAL PLAN 2035 AND THE STATUS OF GOODYEAR 2025 GENERAL PLAN UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CITY OF GOODYEAR GENERAL PLAN 2035.
2. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2023-2359 ORDERING THE GENERAL PLAN 2035 BE SUBMITTED TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF GOODYEAR WITH REGARD TO THE GENERAL PLAN 2035; PROVIDING NOTICE OF A SPECIAL ELECTION ON MAY 21, 2024; DESIGNATING THE DATE THAT VOTER REGISTRATION CLOSES; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER, OR HER DESIGNEE, TO ENTER INTO ALL AGREEMENTS TO EFFECTUATE ELECTION SERVICES; DESIGNATING THE PLACE AND BEGINNING AND ENDING DATES TO ACCEPT ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE GENERAL PLAN; AND ORDERING THE CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH THIS CALL OF ELECTION. (Steve Careccia, Planning Manager)
2. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2023-2359 ORDERING THE GENERAL PLAN 2035 BE SUBMITTED TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct budget impact associated with the adoption of the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035.
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS
Arizona law requires each municipality in the State to adopt a comprehensive, long-range General Plan for the development of the municipality (ARS §9-461.05). Pursuant to State law, the General Plan shall include the municipality’s goals and development policies. It shall also include maps, any necessary diagrams and text setting forth objectives, policies and standards, and a set of required elements dependent on population.
A General Plan is effective for up to 10 years. The City’s current General Plan was ratified by voters on November 4, 2014. Therefore, a new General Plan must be adopted/updated by the City and ratified by voters prior to November 2024. As such, the city began the update process in January 2022 and has been working diligently towards a special election to be held in May 2024.
As a General Plan represents the comprehensive and long-range statement of a community’s values and priorities for the development of the community, effective public participation is critical to the process of creating or updating a General Plan. Furthering this objective, the City Council on April 18, 2022: (1) adopted a Community Outreach and Communications Plan, which represented the city’s commitment to public participation and included such outreach efforts as creation of a dedicated website, several rounds of community workshops, media releases and other digital forms of engagement; and (2) established the creation of the General Plan Committee, which is a group of volunteer citizens and stakeholders helping to facilitate the creation of the General Plan update.
The General Plan Committee held a total of nine public meetings. At their final public meeting held on August 9, 2023, the Committee unanimously voted to accept the 60-day review draft of the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 and recommended staff move forward with finalization of the draft in preparation of public hearings to be held before the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council. All agencies that were to be noticed pursuant to A.R.S. §9-461.06 (D) were provided notice of the draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 at least sixty days before the two public hearings that were to be held by the Planning and Zoning Commission were noticed.
At a public meeting held on September 11, 2023, the City Council reviewed the 60-day review draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 and the comments received from stakeholders and residents on the draft. The Council then took action to authorize staff to move forward with finalization of the draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035.
At a public meeting held on September 13, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission received an update on the 60-day review draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 and the comments received from stakeholders and residents on the draft. The Commission did not have any comments, and no action from the Commission was required/taken at that meeting.
Pursuant to the direction of the City Council, staff finalized the draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 addressing the comments received in response to the 60-day review, as applicable.
At a public hearing held on October 18, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a hearing to receive public comment on the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035. There was no public comment voiced at the hearing, and no Commission action was taken. Pursuant to the requirements set forth in ARS §9-461.06, the second of the two public hearings that are required to be held before the Planning & Zoning Commission was held on October 25, 2023, in Room 117 of the former City Hall building located at 190 N. Litchfield Road to receive public input on the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035. There was no public opposition to the draft General Plan. However, one citizen addressed the Commission and asked about future freeway alignments in the area south of the Gila River, especially within the Estrella community. The consultant advised that alignments shown for the proposed Loop 303 and I-11 corridors reflected in the Land Use Plan & Transportation Plan were based on the best available information to date. But, such alignments were subject to change as the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) still had to review the future freeway corridors and had not secured funding nor acquired any rights-of-way for either freeway. The Commission then took action recommending Council adopt the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035.
A General Plan is effective for up to 10 years. The City’s current General Plan was ratified by voters on November 4, 2014. Therefore, a new General Plan must be adopted/updated by the City and ratified by voters prior to November 2024. As such, the city began the update process in January 2022 and has been working diligently towards a special election to be held in May 2024.
As a General Plan represents the comprehensive and long-range statement of a community’s values and priorities for the development of the community, effective public participation is critical to the process of creating or updating a General Plan. Furthering this objective, the City Council on April 18, 2022: (1) adopted a Community Outreach and Communications Plan, which represented the city’s commitment to public participation and included such outreach efforts as creation of a dedicated website, several rounds of community workshops, media releases and other digital forms of engagement; and (2) established the creation of the General Plan Committee, which is a group of volunteer citizens and stakeholders helping to facilitate the creation of the General Plan update.
The General Plan Committee held a total of nine public meetings. At their final public meeting held on August 9, 2023, the Committee unanimously voted to accept the 60-day review draft of the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 and recommended staff move forward with finalization of the draft in preparation of public hearings to be held before the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council. All agencies that were to be noticed pursuant to A.R.S. §9-461.06 (D) were provided notice of the draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 at least sixty days before the two public hearings that were to be held by the Planning and Zoning Commission were noticed.
At a public meeting held on September 11, 2023, the City Council reviewed the 60-day review draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 and the comments received from stakeholders and residents on the draft. The Council then took action to authorize staff to move forward with finalization of the draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035.
At a public meeting held on September 13, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission received an update on the 60-day review draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 and the comments received from stakeholders and residents on the draft. The Commission did not have any comments, and no action from the Commission was required/taken at that meeting.
Pursuant to the direction of the City Council, staff finalized the draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 addressing the comments received in response to the 60-day review, as applicable.
At a public hearing held on October 18, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a hearing to receive public comment on the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035. There was no public comment voiced at the hearing, and no Commission action was taken. Pursuant to the requirements set forth in ARS §9-461.06, the second of the two public hearings that are required to be held before the Planning & Zoning Commission was held on October 25, 2023, in Room 117 of the former City Hall building located at 190 N. Litchfield Road to receive public input on the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035. There was no public opposition to the draft General Plan. However, one citizen addressed the Commission and asked about future freeway alignments in the area south of the Gila River, especially within the Estrella community. The consultant advised that alignments shown for the proposed Loop 303 and I-11 corridors reflected in the Land Use Plan & Transportation Plan were based on the best available information to date. But, such alignments were subject to change as the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) still had to review the future freeway corridors and had not secured funding nor acquired any rights-of-way for either freeway. The Commission then took action recommending Council adopt the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035.
STAFF ANALYSIS
Attached to this staff report is a summary edition, comprised of several introductory sections of the overall City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 document, that provides an overview of the General Plan, its purpose, format and how to use the document. Also, included within the attached resolution, is the full edition of the draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035.
The City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 being presented for adoption is the result of a process that began in January 2022 that involved extensive public outreach, including a formal 60-day review of a draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035, which was completed on July 31, 2023, during which comments from city staff, residents, outside agencies, and stakeholders were provided and addressed as applicable in the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 being presented for adoption.
Two public hearings at two different locations were held before the Planning and Zoning Commission as required to receive public input on the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 during which no one spoke in opposition to the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035. Following the second public hearing, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035.
Having completed the extensive public process required for the adoption of the City of Goodyear General Plan, with no public opposition voiced at the public hearings to date, staff is recommending that the City Council adopt the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 and submit it to the voters. If adopted, the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 will be presented to the citizens at a special election to be held in May 2024, following the conclusion of the State-mandated 180-day waiting period.
The City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 being presented for adoption is the result of a process that began in January 2022 that involved extensive public outreach, including a formal 60-day review of a draft City of Goodyear General Plan 2035, which was completed on July 31, 2023, during which comments from city staff, residents, outside agencies, and stakeholders were provided and addressed as applicable in the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 being presented for adoption.
Two public hearings at two different locations were held before the Planning and Zoning Commission as required to receive public input on the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 during which no one spoke in opposition to the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035. Following the second public hearing, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035.
Having completed the extensive public process required for the adoption of the City of Goodyear General Plan, with no public opposition voiced at the public hearings to date, staff is recommending that the City Council adopt the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 and submit it to the voters. If adopted, the City of Goodyear General Plan 2035 will be presented to the citizens at a special election to be held in May 2024, following the conclusion of the State-mandated 180-day waiting period.
Attachments
- 1. Resolution 2023-2362
- 1a. Resolution Exhibit A
- Resolution 2023-2359
- 2. General Plan 2035 (Introductory Summary Edition)
- Staff Presentation