Public hearing on any and all matters regarding Major General Plan Amendment Case No. 2019-0396. A request by Vega & Vega Engineering, PLC, to change the land use designation of 493 acres located at the southwest corner of County 24th Street and Avenue D. 

A. Open public hearing B. Continue public hearing

This request for a Major General Plan amendment was submitted to the City of San Luis in June 2019 by Vianey R. Vega, P.E. from Vega & Vega Engineering, PLC, on behalf of David Loo, Eddie Loo and Elizabeth Carpenter, property owners/agents. The request is to amend the land use designation on 493 acres total by changing 447.8 acres from Business and Industrial to Neighborhood, 35.2 acres from Business to Industrial and 10 acres from Industrial to Business. The subject properties, Assessor’s Parcel No. 227-14-001, 227-14-002, 227-14-004, 227-14-005, 227-14-006, 227-14-007 and 227-14-008, are located on the east mesa of the City of San Luis. The general location of the proposed amendment area is bounded by County 24 Street to the north, County 25th to the south, Avenue E to the west and Avenue D to the east. 

The property to the north is vacant and zoned as Community Commercial (C-2) and Light Industrial (L-I), property to the east is vacant and is zoned as Heavy Industrial (H-I), property to the west across Avenue E is Southwest Arizona Industrial Subdivision and property to the south is the Magrino Industrial Park and the Commercial Port and zoned as Light Industrial (L-I).

The reason for the requested General Plan Amendment is to rezone the property to a combination of Medium Density Residential (R1-6), High Density Residential (R-3), Community Commercial (C-2) and Light Industrial (L-I). The current General Plan designation do not allow for the proposed zoning districts. 

Parcel 1
Assessor's Parcel Number:  Portion of 227-14-001
Property Owner: David Loo
Acreage: 40 Acres
Current Land Use Designation: Business
Current Zoning: Light Industrial (L-I)
Proposed Zoning: Medium Density Residential (R1-6)

Proposed Land Use Designation: Business to Neighborhood 
Legal Description: Northeast (NE1/4) of the Northwest Quarter (NW1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona.

Parcel 2
Assessor's Parcel Number:  227-14-002
Property Owner: Von Verde Development AZ LLC
Acreage: 160 Acres
Current Land Use Designation: Industrial
Current Zoning: Light Industrial (L-I)
Proposed Zoning: Medium Density Residential (R1-6), High Density Residential (R-3) and Community Commercial (C-2)

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 10 acres from Industrial to Business 
Legal Description: The Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of the Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of the Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 14 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and meridian, Yuma, Arizona.

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 150 acres from Industrial to Neighborhood
Legal Description: The Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.  Except the Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of the northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of the Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) thereof.

Parcel 3
Assessor's Parcel Number:  Portion of 227-14-007
Property Owner: Elizabeth Carpenter
Acreage: 20 Acres
Current Land Use Designation: Business
Current Zoning: Light Industrial (L-I)
Proposed Zoning: Medium Density Residential (R1-6)

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 20 acres from Business to Neighborhood
Legal Description: The East half (E1/2) of the Northwest Quarter (NW1/4) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.

Parcel 4
Assessor's Parcel Number:  Portion of 227-14-004
Property Owner: Moy Farming Company LLC
Acreage: 153 Acres
Current Land Use Designation: Industrial and Business
Current Zoning: Light Industrial (L-I)
Proposed Zoning: Medium Density Residential (R1-6), High Density Residential (R-3) and Light Industrial (L-I)
Proposed Land Use Amendment: 16.5 acres from Business to Neighborhood
Legal Description: The North 545’ of the Southeast Quarter (SE1/4) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 23.5 acres from Business to Industrial
Legal Description: The South 775’ of the Southeast Quarter (SE1/4) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 113 acres from Industrial to Neighborhood
Legal Description: The Southeast Quarter (SE1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.  Except the South 775’ Thereof.

Parcel 5
Assessor's Parcel Number: Portion of 227-14-005
Property Owner: DSA Investment Co. AZ LLC
Acreage:  20 Acres
Current Land Use Designation: Business
Current Zoning: Light Industrial (L-I)
Proposed Zoning: Medium Density Residential (R1-6) and Light Industrial (L-1)

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 8.3 acres from Business to Neighborhood
Legal Description: The North 545’ of the East Half (E1/2) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 11.7 acres from Business to Industrial
Legal Description: The South 775’ of the East Half (E1/2) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.

Parcel 6
Assessor's Parcel Number:  Portion of 227-14-008
Property Owner: Von Verde Development AZ LLC
Acreage:  60 Acres
Current Land Use Designation: Business
Current Zoning: Light Industrial (L-I)
Proposed Zoning: Medium Density Residential (R1-6) 

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 60 acres from Business to Neighborhood
Legal Description: The East Half (E1/2) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of the Northwest Quarter (NW1/4) and Southeast Quarter (SE1/4) of the Northwest Quarter (NW1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.

Parcel 7
Assessor's Parcel Number:  227-14-006
Property Owner: Moy Farming Company, LLC
Acreage:  40 Acres
Current Land Use Designation: Business
Proposed Land Use Designation: Neighborhood
Current Zoning: Light Industrial (L-I)
Proposed Zoning: Medium Density Residential (R1-6) 

Proposed Land Use Amendment: 40 acres from Business to Neighborhood
Legal Description: Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of the Southwest Quarter (SW1/4) of Section 14, Township 11 South, Range 24 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma, Arizona.      

The current General Plan land use designation for the 493 acres is a combination of Business and Industrial; 273 acres have a land use designation of Industrial and the other 220 acres have a designation of Business. The proposed amendment is to have 447.8 acres designated as Neighborhood, 35.2 acres designated as Industrial and 10 acres designated as Business. 

The Business designation is planned for areas suitable for higher intensity commercial, office, employment and appropriate industrial uses. The permitted zoning districts within this land use designation are Neighborhood Commercial (C-1), Community Commercial (C-2), Light Industrial (L-I) and Heavy Industrial (H-I). 

The intent of the Industrial designation is to allow for a variety of industrial uses, including manufacturing facilities assembly plants, warehouses, coolers, distribution centers, freight-based activities, transportation-related activities and other employment generating activities. The permitted zoning districts within this land use designation are Light Industrial (L-I), Heavy Industrial (H-I) and Community Commercial (C-2) zoning district. This property is currently zoned as Light Industrial (L-I). 

The intent of the Neighborhood designation is to allow residential, neighborhood type commercial, community services/facilities, parks, open space, schools and master planned communities. The residential uses may include single family detached units, single family attached units, townhouses, condominiums, and apartments. The permitted zoning districts within this designation are Low and Medium Density Residential (R1-12, R1-8, R1-6), Medium-High Density Residential (R-2), High Density Residential (R-3), Neighborhood Commercial (C-1), Mixed Use (MU), Residential Planned Unit Development (R-PUD), Manufacture Home (MH), Recreation Vehicle (RV), and Open Space Conservation (OSC) zoning districts. 

APPROVAL CRITERIA:
As per San Luis City Code §152.047(E), in determining whether the proposed General Plan Amendment shall be approved, the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council shall assure that the proposed amendment meets all of the following criteria:
CITIZEN REVIEW MEETING:
In accordance with State Statute (A.R.S. §9-462.03) and City Code (§152.040(C)), a Citizen Review meeting was held at City Hall on October 1, 2019 at 6PM.

The purpose of the Citizen Review Meeting is to provide adjacent landowners and other potentially affected citizens an opportunity to ask questions and express any issues or concerns that they may have with the proposed amendment prior to the public hearing. There were no people from the public present.

AGENCY REVIEW: 
As required by State Statute (A.R.S. §9-461.06(D)), this request was referred to all relevant government agencies for a 60-day review period. The 60-day review period ended on September 9, 2019.

During this period, comments were received from the following agencies:

• Arizona Department of Transportation
• Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
• Somerton School District

Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S. §9-461.06(E)) require that cities over twenty-five thousand in population must hold two public hearings for any Major General Plan Amendment. The two or more public hearings must be held in two different locations on two different dates.

This is the first public hearing for this case where the Commission will hear any comments from the public and will not take action on this item. If either the Commission or members of the public should request further information on this case, it will be provided at the second public hearing. 

The second public hearing will be held on October 15, 2019 at 7PM at City Council Chambers. At that time, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall make a recommendation to the City Council. 

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends CONTINUANCE of the Public Hearing for the Major General Plan Amendment Case No. 2019-0396, a request by Vega & Vega Engineering, PLC, for a Major General Plan Amendment on 493 acres of land located at the southwest corner of County 24th Street and Avenue D.