AGENDA ITEM #:23-300-00001 DATE: June 28, 2023 CAR #: CASE #: 23-300-00001 |
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Planning & Zoning Commission ACTION REPORT
SUBJECT: |
USE PERMIT FOR A HOSPITAL (ABRAZO LITCHFIELD MEDICAL BUILDING) |
STAFF PRESENTER(S): |
Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Planner |
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OTHER PRESENTER(S): |
Jake Dinnen, PMB |
SUMMARY: |
A request for a Use Permit to allow a hospital facility on an approximately 2.75-acre parcel zoned PAD (Planned Area Development) and designated for commercial uses, located at 1375 North Litchfield Road, within the Palm Valley Pavilions East commercial center. |
RECOMMENDATION: |
- Conduct a public hearing to consider a request for a Use Permit for a hospital facility on an approximately 2.75-acre parcel, zoned PAD (Planned Area Development) with C-2 (General Commercial) underlying zoning and located at 1375 North Litchfield Road.
- Recommend approval of the request for a Use Permit for the development of an approximate 46,300 square-foot hospital facility on an approximately 2.75-acre parcel, zoned PAD (Planned Area Development) with C-2 (General Commercial) underlying zoning and located at 1375 North Litchfield Road (the “Property”) subject to stipulations. (Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Planner)
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STIPULATIONS: |
1. All future development on the “Property” will be subject to site plan review and approval by city staff, at which time all elements of site development will be reviewed, including, but not limited to, architecture, landscaping, grading and drainage, lighting, infrastructure, parking, access and circulation; 2. The City of Goodyear reserves the right to initiate revocation of the Use Permit in the event that the Use is not operated in compliance with the stipulations stated herein or as represented in the Use Permit application; 3. Emergency/ambulance services shall not be provided on the Property; 4. The buildings developed on the Property shall be in substantial conformance with the attached “Abrazo Litchfield Medical Building” Site Plan and the “Abrazo Litchfield Medical Building” Conceptual Building Elevations attached hereto. Any changes to the improvements, as shown on the attached plans, may require an amendment to the use permit as determined by the Development Services Director or designee; 5. Signage is not being approved with the approval of this Special Use Permit. All signage on the Property shall comply with Article 7 (Sign Regulations) of the City of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance; 6. The Property shall conform to the standards designated for Lighting Zone 2 as established in Article 10, Outdoor Lighting Standards, of the City of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance; and 7. Prior to construction permits being issued for work on the Property, owner shall obtain the city’s approval of a final plat/replat subdividing the Property into the lots as shown on the Site Plan so that the development of the medical facility is developed within one lot and such approved final plat/replat shall be recorded in the official records of the Maricopa County recorder’s office. 8. Owner shall provide, at no cost to the city, lien free and free of all encumbrances not expressly agreed to by the city, all easements and right-of-way required to be provided by applicable development regulations, including, but not limited to access easements for emergency services. All conveyances shall be in a form approved by the city attorney or his designee and the final plat/replat shall reflect such access easement. The easement shall be recorded in the official records of the Maricopa County recorder’s office prior to the recordation of the final plat/replat and the recording information shall be included in the final plat/replat. 9. If access to the lot created by the final plat/replat referred to in condition/stipulation 8 above requires access through property owned by others, the final plat/replat shall reflect such access, and owner shall obtain an access easement allowing for ingress and egress by vehicles and pedestrians over the access way. The form of the easement shall be approved by the City Attorney or his designee. The easement shall be recorded in the official records of the Maricopa County recorder’s office prior to the recordation of the final plat/replat and the recording information shall be included in the final plat/replat. |
FISCAL IMPACT: |
Although a fiscal impact analysis has not been conducted on this specific project, all new development will have an ongoing fiscal impact on the city. The development is responsible for construction of infrastructure necessary to serve the site and will generate one-time revenue for the city through payment of permits, construction sales tax and development impact fees. Longer term fiscal impacts include increased demands for municipal services, the costs of which may or may not be offset by increased property values/tax levies, city sales tax, state shared revenues and the increased demand for commercial and retail development. Any areas that will be maintained by the city are constructed by the developer and then conveyed to the city two years after construction. |
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS: |
The Property was rezoned to a PAD (Planned Area Development) zoning on October 10, 1989, with City Council adoption of Ordinance No. 89-292. At the time of the rezoning, the Property was given a Mixed-Use Commercial (MUC) land use that follows the city’s C-2 (General Commercial) zoning district. The Property is located at 1375 N Litchfield Road, within the Palm Valley Pavilions East commercial center. The applicant is seeking a Use Permit for the development of a medical building that will provide overnight bed care on the Property, to be known as Abrazo Litchfield Medical Building. A Use Permit is required because facilities providing overnight bed care fall within the definition of a hospital under Article 2 of the Zoning Code, which is a permitted use under the C-2 General Commercial Zoning District with a Use Permit. To expedite development requiring a Use Permit or Special Use Permit, staff implemented a process pursuant to which the use permit and site plan submittals are reviewed concurrently. Prior to bringing a Use Permit or Special Use Permit before Council, the site plan, including the supporting documents, are conditionally approved pending Council’s approval of the Use Permit or Special Use Permit and satisfaction of any other conditions of approval. In this case, staff has approved, subject to Council’s approval of the requested Use Permit and to the recordation of a final plat/replat creating the lots reflected on the site plan, the site plan submittal for the development of the Property, including, but not limited to, the Site Plan and the Rendered Exterior Elevations for Abrazo Litchfield Medical Building, copies of which are attached hereto. This Use Permit request has not been previously presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council. |
STAFF ANALYSIS |
Current Policy Pursuant to Section 3-3-3-C of the Zoning Ordinance (Use Permit uses in C-2 General Commercial zoning districts), a hospital facility may be considered as a Use Permit use in the C-2 (General Commercial) zoning district. Pursuant to Section 1-3-2 of the Zoning Ordinance (Use Permits), a Use Permit requires review by the Planning and Zoning Commission and approval from the City Council through the public hearing process. Details of the Request The applicant is requesting a Use Permit for a medical building with overnight bed care on an approximately 2.75-acre parcel located at 1375 N Litchfield Road, within the Palm Valley Pavilions East commercial center. The proposed medical facility will be a 45,000 square foot, two-story building with medical offices and imaging in the first floor, and a 24-bed rehabilitation facility in the second floor. The Abrazo Litchfield Medical Building will be connected to the adjacent Abrazo West Valley Hospital Campus via an existing pedestrian footpath and an additional footpath to be constructed with the medical building. The Abrazo Litchfield facility will utilize resources from the Abrazo West hospital such as dietary, physician rounding, and interchangeable staff. The medical building does not propose emergency/ambulance services. The first floor that is to host imagining and medical offices, will be open from 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday and from 7am to 2pm on Saturdays. The second floor, rehabilitation floor will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with expected visitor hours from 7am to 7pm. There will be on-site staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The following evaluation is being provided in conformance with Section 1-3-4 of the Zoning Ordinance: 1.Will not be materially detrimental to persons residing or working in the vicinity adjacent to the property, to the neighborhood, or to the public welfare:As described in the project narrative, the medical office building is proposed on a vacant pad located within the existing Palm Valley Pavilions Center. The applicant proposes reconfiguring the pad site and parking spaces; however, parking is not impacted as the center has excess parking and the proposed hospital use and existing commercial uses in the center will all meet minimum parking requirements. The project narrative indicates that medical office building will provide rehabilitation services to patients that cannot be provided in a home setting, but do not need the high acute services provided at the Abrazo West Valley Hospital, east of the proposed site. The medical facility provides Goodyear residents with the opportunity to receive needed care within the city. 2. The proposed use is reasonably compatible with the uses permitted in the surrounding area: The Property is located within the Business and Commerce land use as designated by the city’s 2025 General Plan. The Business and Commerce category provides areas for growth and development of neighborhoods. This category is designed to provide “complete neighborhoods” that include community facilities and commercial uses at appropriate intensities and locations. The existing Business and Commerce General Plan land use designation allows C-2 (General Commercial) uses. As such, the use of the Property for a medical facility with bed care will be in conformance with the General Plan. There are no residential homes within the vicinity. In addition, the proposed use is similar to other commercial type uses permitted on the Property and existing in the Palm Valley Pavilions center. The Abrazo West Wound Clinic, a similar use, is also located in the Palm Valley Pavilions East Commercial Center. Other users in the center include Bel-Esprit Day School, Target, Michael’s, Red Lion Inn and Suites, and Raul and Theresa’s Mexican restaurant among others. Phoenix-Goodyear Airport and Luke Air Force Base The site is subject to noise from aircraft flying to and from the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport and Luke Air Force Base. Fire Department Emergency response times and distances are provided below:
Nearest Fire Station |
Shortest path |
Longest path |
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2nd nearest Fire Station |
Shortest path |
Longest path |
Mins |
Miles |
Mins |
Miles |
Mins |
Miles |
Mins |
Miles |
#183 |
3.05 |
1.53 |
3.05 |
1.53 |
#181 |
3.15 |
1.58 |
3.15 |
1.58 |
Public Participation In accordance with the city’s Citizen Review Ordinance, an alternative citizen review notice was sent to all property owners within 500 feet of the property. To date, staff has not received any inquiries on the project. Notice for the public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council included a notice mailed to property owners within 500 of the property, a sign posted on the property, and a legal notice published in the Arizona Republic, Southwest Edition, on June 9, 2023. To date, staff has not received any inquiries on the project. STAFF FINDINGS As outlined herein, staff finds the proposed request for Use Permit to not be materially detrimental to persons residing or working in the vicinity adjacent to the Property, to the neighborhood, or to the public welfare and that the proposed use is reasonably compatible with uses permitted in the surrounding area. |
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