Current Policy: A rezoning request requires public review and vote by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. The proposed rezoning must be in conformance with the General Plan and should not adversely impact the surrounding area. Details of the Request: The applicant is requesting a zoning change from the current Planned Area Development (PAD) with an underlying land use designation of neighborhood commercial to a PAD zoning district with an underlying zoning district of R1-A with a PAD Overlay to facilitate the development of a single-family attached, townhouse community. The use of a PAD Overlay is requested as the current development standards for the R1-A zoning district do not contemplate a property providing alley loaded townhouse product which all face onto open space and surround a centralized community amenity center. Modifications requested through the PAD Overlay include the following:
The development standards for the Single Family Attached (R1-A) Zoning District shall apply to this Site except as modified below (deviations are marked in bold): 1. Front setback shall be measured to patios, livable space, and side entry garages. If homes face toward a collector street, front porches may face out towards the street so long as a minimum distance of 10 feet is provided between the sidewalk and the porch and no vehicular access is allowed from/to the collector street to individual lots. Walls within the front setback shall be no greater than 4 feet in height and parallel walls shall be located no closer than 10 feet face to face. Patios shall be a minimum of 6 feet deep and a minimum of 66 square feet. 2. Attached side setbacks shall be 0 feet, whereas building separation shall be a minimum of 5 feet. If a porch/patio is located on the side of an attached townhome (facing the street), such patios/porches may encroach the side setback up to 4 feet with a maximum wall height of 40 inches. Cornices and eaves, may project into any required yard not more than two (2) additional feet, provided, however, that the sum of such projections on any wall does not exceed one-third (1/3) the length of said wall. 3. Where a minimum 10-foot-wide landscape tract is provided, the typical side setbacks, rather than Street Side setback applies. If a porch/patio is located on the side of an attached townhome (facing the street), such patios/porches may encroach the street side setback up to 4 feet with a maximum wall height of 40 inches. Cornices and eaves, may project into any required yard not more than two (2) additional feet, provided, however, that the sum of such projections on any wall does not exceed one-third (1/3) the length of said wall. Reduction in Front Setback and Lot Area, Width, and Depth Justifications: The request is to reduce certain development standards to allow the development of an attached townhome community with alley-loaded garages and front patios/porches that face common courtyards and pedestrian areas. The townhome development incorporates open space, provides amenities for community members, and provides necessary housing in an infill area of the City. As a means to mitigate the proposed development standard reductions described above—which will result in reductions in private yard space—additional amenities and streetscape elements will be added to the PAD Overlay beyond the typical requirements for R1-A developments. The reduction in front setback and lot area width and depth is justified by providing the elements below: Amenity Elements – 3 required, 4 provided 1. Community Amenity
· The Site will have a clubhouse and fitness center for use of all residents and which may include a dedicated leasing space.
2. Pool & Spa
· The Site will have a pool and spa for residents to use at their leisure.
3. Community Gathering Space
· Separate from the core amenity space, the community will have a recreational space for residents that will include picnic space, at least one BBQ grill, bike racks, and a covered tot lot.
4. Integrated Commercial
· The developer agrees to provide a gate and access path on their parcel, at a minimum, and will work to obtain permission from property owner(s) to continue improvements and connect to adjacent commercial.
Connectivity Elements – 2 required, 2 provided 1. Infill development
· The Site is in an area that will provide easy and quick access to nearby amenities such as schools, trails, and parks and that also have been identified as growth areas as defined by the General Plan.
2. Smaller Blocks
· Smaller blocks create a more walkable community. They should be designed in a way to reduce street lengths and foster neighborhood interactions. Maximum block lengths shall be no more than 660 feet. The maximum number of continuous blocks with side yards facing the street is limited to three. The blocks should be broken up with some homes facing the side street and/or should be staggered.
Streetscape Elements – 3 required, 3 provided 1. Alley Loaded Garages. Homes. All residential units on the Property shall be developed with residential units that have alley loaded garages. 2. Open Space Facing Homes. The Property shall be developed to include residential units that do not have a traditional front yard but face onto shared open space or courtyard or face onto a public street (or private street built to public street standards) and are alley loaded. 3. Enhanced Street Facing Elements. Residential units which side to an internal street shall contain front doors with covered porches facing the street side The reduction in minimum lot area, front setbacks, and lot depths are appropriate for this infill boutique community that will offer live, work, and play opportunities within the area and provide a housing type that is in high demand but has low supply in the city. The PAD Overlay also requires additional design enhancements for all buildings onsite, allows for some deviations to the R1-A housing product color schemes and building elevations offered, provides for additional connections to the adjacent streets, as well as limited walls for certain product types, additional guest parking, to ensure there is street engagement and views into the community. Evaluation Criteria: Per the city of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance, the city’s review and recommendation on a zoning amendment is to be guided by the following criteria: 1. Consistency with the General Plan. The Goodyear 2025 General Plan designates the property with the Neighborhood land use category. Goals, Objectives, and Standards within the General Plan that support rezoning of the property for the Ascent at Canyon Trails townhouse community are as follows: Physical Growth & Development
- Goal GD-1. A compatible mix of land uses and diverse destinations that foster a high quality of life with livable and safe neighborhoods with a strong economy that fosters a healthy and sustainable environment.
- Objective CC-5-1. Establish a land use hierarchy and community form that maintains a broad variety of land uses and responds to the community’s vision and needs.
- Objective CC-5-1, Policy b. for and encourage a wide variety of housing products to suit the needs of existing and future residents.
- Goal GD-2. Effectively managed and well-distributed growth that meets or exceeds the quality of existing development and addresses the needs of existing and future residents and businesses.
- Goal GD-7. A community that provides for the health and safety of residents and visitors and protects them from the hazards of the natural and man-made environments.
- Standard 27. Residential uses with densities over 12 dwelling units per acre may be considered along arterial roads, interstate corridors, or transit corridors. These developments should have access onto an arterial roadway or be able to access an arterial roadway.
Community & Cultural Development
- Objective CC-2-1. Provide diverse and quality housing products.
- Objective CC-2-1, Policy a. Encourage a mix of quality and compatible housing types consistent with market trends and demand that adequately meets the needs of current and prospective residents and workers.
2. Suitability of the subject property’s physical and natural features for the uses permitted under the proposed zoning district. The underutilized, vacant, infill Site is adequately sized 8.62 acres (7.84+/- net acres) and relatively flat, which makes it suitable for a townhome development. Adjacent streets (Roosevelt Street and 158th Avenue) and the Interstate-10 (Papago Freeway) are appropriate transportation corridors to serve residents and guests. 3. Compatibility of all potential uses allowed in the proposed zoning district with surrounding uses and zoning. Current and future uses and development of the properties surrounding the subject property include:
North – Canyon Trails single-family development;
South – Canyon Trails single-family development;
East – Parkway Village commercial center;
West – Inert materials landfill/borrow pit.
The proposed R1-A zoning is appropriate on the subject property. As noted previously, the original Canyon Trails zoning contemplated townhouses being built at this very location. 4. Proposed zoning district’s consistency with other land uses within the immediate area and whether uses allowed under the proposed zoning district would be better suited to the subject property than the uses allowed under the current zoning. Luke Air Force Base: The property does not fall within the Luke Air Force Base Accident Potential Zone or the DNL. However, the subject property is located within the vicinity of a military airport. Given the location of the property and the proposed zoning, base operations will not be adversely impacted by this development. Stipulations have been added to the ordinance to address any impacts related to noise and notification to future residents. Phoenix-Goodyear Airport: The subject property is located to the northwest of the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport. The property does not fall within the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport DNL but is located within the traffic pattern airspace for the airport. 5. Demand for the types of uses permitted in the proposed zoning district in relation to the amount of land currently zoned and available to accommodate the demand. The applicant has indicated that the demand in Goodyear is very high for quality residential and townhomes, especially such as that proposed with close access to the freeway network as well as the adjacent employment uses. 6. Demands for public services that will be generated by the uses permitted in the proposed zoning district. School Districts: The subject property is located within the Avondale Elementary School District and the Agua Fria Union High School District. Both school districts have been notified of the rezoning request. Fire Response: Emergency response times and distances are provided below: Police Response: The proposed development is located within an existing police patrol beat and the current level of service within the beat can accommodate the development of the property. Streets/Transportation: The property will be accessed via private streets/driveways within the development that will gain access to Roosevelt Street and 158th Avenue. The Engineering Department has created stipulations to address traffic requirements applicable to this development. Water/Wastewater: The subject property will be served by the city of Goodyear for water and wastewater. 7. Potential adverse fiscal impacts that will result from providing services to areas not in proximity to where existing public services are provided. The Property abuts existing public services. It is located along major arterial roadways with adequate capacity. As indicated in the Water and Sewer Reports submitted with the rezoning, there is adequate water and sewer infrastructure to serve the development. The city has been in close coordination with Maricopa County related to ensuring adequate capacity is available. 8. General public concerns. Public Participation and Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting: An in-person Neighborhood Meeting was conducted for this proposal and Notice of the Neighborhood Meeting was provided to property owners within 500 feet of the property on October 27, 2022; signs advertising the Neighborhood Meeting were placed on the site on October 31, 2022. The neighborhood meeting took place on November 16, 2022 and no opposition was received. Since the neighborhood meeting and the time of the writing of this staff report, no formal opposition has been received regarding this rezoning. A public notice that this rezoning request would be considered and reviewed at a public hearing to be held before the Planning and Zoning Commission on January 11, 2023 appeared in the Arizona Republic Southwest Valley Edition December 23, 2022; postcards were mailed to adjoining owners on December 14, 2022; and signs were posted on the site on December 20, 2022. The Planning and Zoning Commission considered this item at their regular meeting of January 11, 2023. Upon conclusion of the staff presentation, Commissioners unanimously voted (6-0) to forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council. There was no public opposition to the item voiced at the hearing. 9. Whether the amendment promotes orderly growth and development. The subject property is within a quarter mile of existing development and located within the proximity of City services and infrastructure. 10. Any other factors related to the impact of the amendment on the general health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City and the general public. Staff Findings: As set forth herein, the proposed rezoning is both consistent with the General Plan and will not adversely impact the surrounding area. |