Current Policy: A request to rezone property requires public review by the Planning and Zoning Commission and public review and approval by the City Council. The proposed rezone must be consistent with the General Plan and should not adversely impact the surrounding area. Details of the Request:
The cooling system for each of the five buildings will feature air-cooled chillers located on the roof. The chillers remove warm air from the server halls inside the buildings and exchange it with cooler outdoor air. This type of chiller was selected by Stream because unlike other larger commercial cooling systems, this system does not require water evaporation to operate, resulting in a substantial decrease in water usage than what would be required for water-cooled chiller units.
Because the high temperatures in the Valley will already stress the operation of the air-cooled chiller units, the chillers need to be elevated away from the grade-level equipment yard where the operation of the generators can further increase the air temperature to levels that would shut down the operation of the chillers. The placement of the chillers on the roof allows the exchanged warm air from the server halls to be dissipated and not recirculated into the units themselves. In addition, the chillers must be located with enough separation between units to avoid overlapping heat generation. Article 3-4-3(B)(13) of the Goodyear Zoning Ordinance requires the screening of all roof mounted mechanical equipment from street view. Because of the need for rooftop placement of the chillers and the need for separation between the chiller units, potentially 90% or more of the roof will need to be screened to meet the screening requirements in Article 3-4-3(B)(13) of the Goodyear Zoning Ordinance. However, Article 8 (General Provisions) of the Zoning Ordinance restricts both the maximum length of a building elevation and the maximum rooftop area that can be screened to 50%. Currently, Article 8-3(B) allows non-residential building height to be increased by up to ten (10) feet for unoccupied architectural elements such as towers, chimneys, and mechanical equipment screening provided that the architectural element does not exceed 50% of the linear length of any building elevation or 50% of the total roof area. In order to provide as much screening as possible for however many rooftop chillers are required for the data center operations within each of the 50-foot tall buildings, Stream has submitted this PAD Overlay rezone application to remove the 50% maximum from both the linear length of any elevation and the total rooftop area criteria, so that an architecturally enhanced 10-foot high parapet wall utilizing a colored metal panel that is used elsewhere on the buildings, can be placed wherever screening is necessary, as provided below:
Amended Article 8-3(B)
B. The maximum building height permitted for non-residential uses may be increased 10 feet above the building height limit for unoccupied building architectural elements, such as parapet walls, chimneys, towers, domes and decorative masonry or metal framework, that are necessary to achieve the objectives and requirements of the City Design Guidelines to provide architectural interest and diversity in building elevations or variations in roof form and horizontal lines; provided that the total amount of such architectural elements that exceed the building height limit do not exceed 50% of the linear length of any building elevation or exceed 50% of the total roof area of the building.
Evaluation Criteria: 1. Consistency with the General Plan.
The 2025 Goodyear General Plan designates the Property and surrounding area as Industrial. The Industrial category provides areas for more intensive business and employment uses which have a greater impact on surrounding land uses. Uses that are appropriate include office, industrial, and business parks. The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not alter the consistency of the data center use with the General Plan.
2. Suitability of the subject property’s physical and natural features for the uses permitted under the proposed zoning district.
This Property is a vacant, flat site adjacent to similar uses. The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum restrictions does not alter the suitability of the Property for the data center use.
3. Compatibility of all potential uses allowed in the proposed zoning district with surrounding uses and zoning.
Uses and zoning surrounding the Property include:
North – Existing Stream Data Center building (zoned I-1)
South – APS Substation (zoned I-1) East – Active agriculture, scattered large-lot residential, and an AC business (Avondale’s A-1 General Industrial zoning) West – Microsoft Data Center (zoned PAD with underlying I-2)
The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not alter the compatibility of the data center use given the uses and zoning of the surrounding properties. In addition, the Overlay is intended to increase compatibility by ensuring that all rooftop equipment is screened by an architecturally enhanced parapet wall utilizing a colored metal panel that is used elsewhere on the buildings.
4. Proposed zoning district’s consistency with other land uses within the immediate area and whether uses allowed under proposed zoning district would be better suited to the subject property than the uses allowed under current zoning.
The Property is adjacent to comparable data center uses on the north and west, and an electrical substation to the south. East of the Property, along the east half of Litchfield Road, the land is within the jurisdiction of the city of Avondale. An existing single-family residential subdivision is located on the northeast corner of Litchfield Road and Lower Buckeye Road, but it is located northeast of the Property, and the existing Stream Data Center at the southwest corner of Litchfield Road and Lower Buckeye Road is between the residential subdivision and the Property. The remaining land across the street from the Property is zoned industrial, but it is currently being used for agricultural, single family residences, and an AC business.
The existing zoning on the Property already allows for the development of data centers. The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not alter the consistency of the data center use with surrounding uses. In addition, the Overlay is intended to increase compatibility by ensuring that all rooftop equipment is screened by an architecturally enhanced parapet wall utilizing a colored metal panel that is used elsewhere on the buildings.
Luke Air Force Base:
The subject property is not located within the vicinity of a military airport. Notice was provided to Luke AFB, and they have not provided any objection to the request.
Phoenix-Goodyear Airport:
The subject property is not located within the Phoenix-Goodyear Traffic Pattern Airspace. Notice was provided to Phoenix-Goodyear Airport, and they have not provided any objection to the request.
5. Demand for the types of uses permitted in the proposed zoning district in relation to amount of land currently zoned and available to accommodate the demand.
The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not alter the permitted uses in the I-1 (Light Industrial) zoning of the Property.
6. Demands for public services that will be generated by the uses permitted in the proposed zoning district.
Below is a summary of impact to public services.
Fire Response:
Emergency response times and distances are provided below:
Nearest Goodyear Fire Station |
Shortest path |
Longest path |
2nd Nearest Goodyear Fire Station |
Shortest path |
Longest path |
Mins |
Miles |
Mins |
Miles |
Mins |
Miles |
Mins |
Miles |
#181 |
5.91 |
2.96 |
7.26 |
3.63 |
#184 |
10.03 |
5.01 |
11.37 |
5.68 |
Police Response:
The Property is located within an existing Police patrol beat, and the requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not alter the current level of service within the beat.
Streets/Transportation:
The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not alter the Litchfield Road driveways, turn lanes, and bus bays approved with the recent site plan approval
Water/Wastewater:
The Property is located within the City of Goodyear water and wastewater service area, and the implementation of the closed loop air cooling system that requires the removal of the 50% maximum screening restrictions will reduce water demand when compared to other technologies used to cool data centers.
Solid Waste/Recycling:
The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not change the approved industrial use on the Property. Therefore, solid waste and recycling services for the Property will be contracted through a commercial provider.
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 is in proximity to where existing public services are provided. The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not require any additional services be provided to the currently approved industrial use on the Property
8. General Public's concerns.
Public Participation:
Because the I-1 (Light Industrial) zoning of the Property has been in place since 2006 and the requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions does not change the zoning or the uses permitted on the Property, a formal neighborhood meeting was not held. Instead, in accordance with the Goodyear Zoning Ordinance, an alternative citizen review process was used. A postcard was mailed on May 23rd to the owners of all property within 500 feet of the subject property notifying the owners of the PAD Overlay request; directing them to the city website for additional information; providing both staff and applicant contact information; and letting them know they would receive a second postcard when public hearings on the request were scheduled. Staff did not receive any public inquiries as a result of this notice.
Notice of the June 28th public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission and the July 10th public hearing before the City Council included a legal notice/display ad published in the Southwest Valley Republic on June 9th; a postcard mailed on June 12th to the owners of property within 500 feet of the Property; and a notice of public hearings sign posted on the Property on June 13th. To date, neither staff nor the applicant have received any inquiries regarding the request.
9. Whether the amendment promotes orderly growth and development.
The site plan approved Stream Data Center Campus will locate additional data center buildings between an existing data center and an APS substation, consistent with the existing General Plan designation and zoning for the Property. The consistency promotes the orderly growth and development of the area.
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.
The requested PAD Overlay to remove the 50% maximum screening restrictions to allow additional screening of the rooftop chiller units will provide a beneficial impact to the citizens of the City and the general public.
Staff Findings: Pursuant to the above evaluation of this PAD Overlay request, staff finds that approval of the request, as set forth in Draft Ordinance No. 2023-1574 attached hereto, promotes continued orderly growth and development in conformance with the city’s General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Design Guidelines, and Engineering Standards.
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