| AGENDA ITEM #: 3. DATE: June 10, 2026 CAR #: 2969 CASE #: {Case#} |
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Planning & Zoning Commission - AMENDED ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: | ZONING ORDINANCE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE |
| STAFF PRESENTER(S): | Christian M. Williams, Planning Manager |
OTHER PRESENTER(S):
Matthew Klyszeiko, Michael Baker International (Zoning Ordinance Update consultant)
SUMMARY:
Receive an update on proposed standards for BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems), data centers, noticing requirements and additional ordinance modernization items.
RECOMMENDATION:
Provide staff direction on proposed standards for BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems), data centers, noticing requirements and additional ordinance modernization items. (Christian M. Williams, Planning Manager and Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Principal Planner)
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct budget impact associated with the comprehensive update. Funding for tasks associated with the Zoning Ordinance update has been approved for this fiscal year.
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. A community workshop was held on April 23, 2025, at the Goodyear Recreational Center. Ten residents attended the workshop and were engaged with the consultant and city staff throughout the workshop. A final community workshop was held on May 5, 2026, at City Hall’s Canyon Trails meeting room. The workshop was attended by five developer representatives interested in learning about the proposed regulations.
The first work session with the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council occurred in October and November of 2025, respectively. Topics discussed at the first work session included expanding allowances for temporary signage in multi-family zoning districts, increasing noticing requirements, reviewing permitted and use permit uses, and creating middle housing opportunities in single-family zoning districts. A second work session was held in March of 2026. At the March work session, staff presented proposed regulations for BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) and data centers. Other topics were also included in the work session staff report such as an arts district overlay, and drive-through and parking regulations. Based on the feedback received at these work sessions, staff and the consultant modified proposed regulation language. The revised proposed regulations are being presented in this final work session to the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council for additional feedback.
The comprehensive update process kicked-off January 2025. A community workshop was held on April 23, 2025, at the Goodyear Recreational Center. Ten residents attended the workshop and were engaged with the consultant and city staff throughout the workshop. A final community workshop was held on May 5, 2026, at City Hall’s Canyon Trails meeting room. The workshop was attended by five developer representatives interested in learning about the proposed regulations.
The first work session with the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council occurred in October and November of 2025, respectively. Topics discussed at the first work session included expanding allowances for temporary signage in multi-family zoning districts, increasing noticing requirements, reviewing permitted and use permit uses, and creating middle housing opportunities in single-family zoning districts. A second work session was held in March of 2026. At the March work session, staff presented proposed regulations for BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) and data centers. Other topics were also included in the work session staff report such as an arts district overlay, and drive-through and parking regulations. Based on the feedback received at these work sessions, staff and the consultant modified proposed regulation language. The revised proposed regulations are being presented in this final work session to the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council for additional feedback.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The complete draft ordinance is available in Attachment A. Highlights of the major changes include the following:
CONCLUSION
The comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update aims to protect our residents’ health, safety, and welfare by establishing land use classifications, diving 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, staff and consultants will finalize the draft of the Zoning Ordinance. The comprehensive update is expected to be presented to the Planning Commission on July 1, 2026, for a recommendation and to the City Council on July 6, 2026, for approval.
- BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems)
- Special Use Permit in Light Industrial Park (I-1) and General Industrial Park (I-2) zoning districts
- Minimum 330-foot separation from residential uses
- Can be reduced to 150 feet when supported by a plumes study through the Special Use Permit review and approval process
- Minimum 150-foot separation from commercial zoning districts
- Minimum 100-foot separation from Business Park District and other I-1 or I-2 zoning districts
- Worked with Fire Marshall to refer to NFPA for life safety items and maintain additional protections as necessary
- Considerations for emergency response and decommissioning
- See Attachment B, BESS Handout, for a list of recommended regulations and a comparison with regulations in other jurisdictions
- Data centers
- Permitted in Light Industrial Park (I-1) and General Industrial Park (I-2) zoning districts with conditions
- Minimum 300-foot separation distance from residential uses
- Considerations of water, electric power and noise
- See Attachment C, Data Centers Handout, for a list of recommended regulations and a comparison with regulations in other jurisdictions
- Noticing Requirements
- Increasing the notification area from 500 feet to 600 feet for Use Permit, Special Use Permit and standard Rezone applications
- Further increasing the notification area from 500 feet to 1,200 feet for Planned Area Development applications
- Other modernizations
- Housing
- Permitting manufactured homes in the Agricultural (AG) and Agricultural Urban (AU) zoning districts
- Permitting attached product in the R2, R1-6, and R1-4 zoning districts
- Temporary signage
- Additional duration of temporary signs for more events such as construction, grand opening, new ownership, and special promotions for commercial, industrial, and mixed-used uses.
- Off-Street Parking
- Permit the reduction of required parking up to 25% for mixed-use walkable areas with support of a parking study
- Permit the reduction of required parking up to 25% for age restricted communities and affordable housing with support of a parking study and parking management plan
- Reduce medical office parking requirements from 1 space per 150 square feet of floor area to 1 space per 200 square feet of floor area
- Convenience uses
- Additional regulations provided for drive-through uses to prevent queuing and circulation issues
- Industrial height
- Industrial height increased from 50 feet to 70 feet to meet today’s industrial development while providing buffers from residential zoning districts
- Multi-family height
- Multi-family height may be increased from 30 feet to 40 feet, not to exceed three stories, in MF-28 zoning districts and from 40 feet to 60 feet, not to exceed four stories, in MF-24 zoning districts for developments that provide pitched roofs and lower building height adjacent to single-family residential and arterial roads
- Housing
CONCLUSION
The comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update aims to protect our residents’ health, safety, and welfare by establishing land use classifications, diving 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, staff and consultants will finalize the draft of the Zoning Ordinance. The comprehensive update is expected to be presented to the Planning Commission on July 1, 2026, for a recommendation and to the City Council on July 6, 2026, for approval.
Attachments
- Attachment A - Zoning Ordinance June 2026 public draft
- Attachment B - BESS Handout
- Attachment C - Data Center Handout