ITEM #: 9.
DATE: 11/18/2024
AI #:2040 |
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: |
DESIGN GUIDELINES MANUAL UPDATE
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| STAFF PRESENTER(S): |
Christian M. Williams, AICP, Planning Manager and Guadalupe Ortiz-Cortez, AICP, Senior Planner |
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| OTHER PRESENTER(S): |
| Matthew Klyszeiko, Michael Baker International (Design Guidelines Consultant) |
| SUMMARY |
The City Council will receive a comprehensive update on the City of Goodyear’s Design Guidelines Manual.
Pursuant to Zoning Ordinance 1-4-1, the Design Guidelines Manual provides developers, architects and project applicants with guidelines, criteria, and considerations for developing projects in a manner which furthers the City of Goodyear’s development as a high-quality and vibrant community. Additionally, the Design Guidelines Manual assists the designer in achieving a quality design, aids City staff during the review process for new development, including overall development layout and site-specific plans to ensure the result is a quality design which will enhance the proposed development and ensure compatibility with adjacent land uses. The Design Guidelines Manual helps achieve the goal to create an attractive, livable, and safe city. The current Design Guidelines Manual was approved by City Council on June 11, 2014, and revisions were approved on September 16, 2020. The proposed Design Guidelines Manual update creates a framework for design that carries out the community’s vision, as articulated in the General Plan, for high quality building design, while maintaining flexibility with its requirements, to allow for creativity and innovation in design and planning.The Planning and Zoning Commission considered this item at their regular meeting held on November 6, 2024. Commissioners voted unanimously (7-0) to forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council. |
| STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT |
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| RECOMMENDATION |
| ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 2024-1622 ADOPTING CITY OF GOODYEAR DESIGN GUIDELINES MANUAL DATED NOVEMBER 2024; REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 2014-1292, PROVIDING FOR A SAVINGS CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE. (Christian Williams, Planning Manager and Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Senior Planner) |
| FISCAL IMPACT |
| There is no direct budget impact associated with this update. Funding for tasks associated with the Design Guidelines Manual update has been included in the budget for this fiscal year. |
| BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS |
Pursuant to Zoning Ordinance 1-4-1, the Design Guidelines Manual provides developers, architects and project applicants with guidelines, criteria, and considerations for developing projects in a manner which furthers the City of Goodyear’s development as a high-quality and vibrant community. Additionally, the Design Guidelines Manual assists the designer in achieving a quality design, aids City staff during the review process for new development, including overall development layout and site-specific plans to ensure the result is a quality design which will enhance the proposed development and ensure compatibility with adjacent land uses. The Design Guidelines Manual helps achieve the goal to create an attractive, livable, and safe city.
The current Design Guidelines Manual was approved by City Council on June 11, 2014, and revisions were approved on September 16, 2020.
The proposed Design Guidelines Manual update creates a framework for design that carries out the community’s vision, as articulated in the General Plan, for high quality building design, while maintaining flexibility with its requirements, to allow for creativity and innovation in design and planning. The proposed Design Guidelines Manual was presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission on October 16, 2024. Development Services staff also provided a presentation to Council on the proposed Design Guidelines Manual updates at the November 4, 2024, Council Work Session.
The Planning and Zoning Commission considered this item at its regular meeting held on November 6, 2024. Commissioners voted unanimously (7-0) to forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council. |
| STAFF ANALYSIS |
Staff, in collaboration with Michael Baker International, the city’s consultant, began working on the update to the Design Guidelines Manual in May 2023. Ordinance No. 2024-1622 and the updated Design Guidelines Manual have been combined and are included as Attachment A. The process began with interviews conducted by the City Council, followed by the preparation of a memorandum outlining the existing conditions and best practices. The update process included two rounds of community outreach, each consisting of a community workshop and an online survey. A draft of the updated Design Guidelines Manual was made available for public comment on the city’s website.
Additional outreach efforts included three virtual developer forums, each focused on a specific topic related to the manual’s design philosophy and proposed updates. Notices about the update, along with invitations to participate in the forums, were sent to the city’s development forum listserv. The final draft of the Design Guidelines Manual reflects input from residents, developers, and City Council.
At the November 4, 2024 Work Session, councilmembers provided valuable feedback to staff, which included:
- request for stronger language to be incorporated on water conservation and water features;
- additional guidelines on public art for all development types;
- provisions for access and circulation and ingress/egress in shopping centers;
- consistency in landscape guidelines throughout the document;
- stronger language on shade and heat mitigation;
- consideration for future city areas that can benefit from enhanced landscape;
- additional language on building embellishments, including the incorporation of stone and similar accent materials in multi-family developments; and
- ensuring the Design Guidelines Manual maintain flexibility to address changing times.
To address Council’s feedback, staff made modifications to the proposed Design Guidelines Manual, which included:
- Design Objectives were amended to add that site and building design strategies utilize “water stewardship”, clarified when water features are appropriate, and used consistent language throughout the document when referring to water conservation and landscaping;
- Chapter 7, Area Specific guidelines, was amended to provide staff the ability to identify corridors in the city that will benefit from additional landscape enhancement;
- Chapter 3 Residential guidelines, including the subsection 3.4 Specific Multi-Family Use Type Guidelines, was amended to have design guidelines that require massing and the types of materials used for exterior elevations, such as the provision of stone or other accent materials that are durable and relate a sense of quality and permanence; and
- To provide flexibility for innovative development and product design, a process was created to provide developers the ability to propose alternative designs to design guidelines while meeting the intent of Design Guidelines Manual’s Design Objectives and Principles.
The Planning and Zoning Commission considered this item at its regular meeting on November 6, 2024. Upon conclusion of the staff presentation, the Commission asked about the housing affordability exception process. Staff explained the exception process provides the opportunity to propose alternative designs that uphold the manual’s philosophy and design principles and maintain high quality design. The Commission also asked about separate landscape standards. Staff indicated the Zoning Ordinance has an article dedicated to landscape standards. After the staff presentation, Commissioners unanimously voted (7-0) to forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council. There was no public input voiced at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
Staff believes the design guidelines revisions made address Council’s feedback and further the City’s goal to attract high quality design to the City of Goodyear.
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