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 applicant is proposing to develop two additional data centers on the Property. Because a data center is not a permitted use in the C-2 (General Commercial) Zoning District, Vantage has submitted this application to rezone the Property to the I-1 (Light Industrial) Zoning District, which permits data centers. If the rezone is approved, Vantage intends to submit a site plan application for the AZ14 data center and the attached second phase of the data center, which will be AZ15. The Property includes the land area necessary to construct both phases. If the data centers are developed on the Property, the architectural character of AZ14&15, a two-story, 461,603 square foot building, will be consistent with that of AZ11,12&13. To foster continuity, color selections and architectural features associated with AZ11,12&13 will be incorporated into AZ14&15, including a glazing curtain wall system, perforated metal screen walls, and a varying paint palette for the concrete tilt-up walls. A stipulation/ condition imposing this requirement has been incorporated into Ordinance 2023-1581. The Property will be developed to incorporate a 50-foot wide landscape buffer along the frontage of Bullard Avenue consistent with the Bullard Avenue Corridor Design Treatment Strategies dated November 2018. In addition, this landscape buffer will extend around the Bullard/Van Buren corner and along the entire Van Buren frontage to 145th Avenue. In recognition of the importance of both Bullard and Van Buren to the city, the Property will be developed with not only the required screening around the generator yards along the south building elevation (visible from Bullard) and the north elevation (fronting on Van Buren), but the Property will also be developed with a metal screen wall adjacent to both elevations that will conceal the generator exhaust stacks that will extend from the generators, up the elevations, to the top of the 55-foot-high parapet walls. There will also be additional perforated metal screening around the cooling units and other mechanical equipment on the roof. Although the intent is for the property to be developed with two additional data centers, the stipulations/conditions of the rezoning included in Ordinance 2023-1581 that require compliance with the foregoing would apply even if other permitted I-1 uses were developed on the property. If developed with data centers as anticipated, direct access will be provided to AZ14&15 from Bullard Avenue. There will also be interior connections with the loop road that will be completed around AZ11,12&13, which will provide another access to Bullard, as well as to 145th Avenue, creating a data center campus. There will be no direct access from Van Buren Street to AZ14&15. Evaluation Criteria: 1. Consistency with the General Plan. The 2025 Goodyear General Plan designates the Property and surrounding area as Business & Commerce, which provides areas for the growth and development of Goodyear’s economic base. Uses that are appropriate in the category include business parks, offices, warehouses, and other light industrial uses. The requested rezone to I-1 (Light Industrial) to allow the development of a data center is consistent with the General Plan. 2. Suitability of the subject property’s physical and natural features for the uses permitted under the proposed zoning district. The Property is a vacant, flat site, as was the adjacent I-1 (Light Industrial) site on which the AZ11,12&13 data centers are nearing completion. The Property’s physical and natural features are suitable for the development of an additional data center or other light industrial uses. 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 – Vacant property (zoned Preliminary PAD with underlying Retail & Business Park designations). At the northwest corner of Bullard & Van Buren is the recently completed Cabana on Bullard multi-family development, and approximately 1400 feet from the corner is the Skyway church complex. South – The existing Vantage Data Center & APS Substation (zoned I-1). East – The Goodyear Municipal Complex (zoned I-1) which houses the Goodyear Justice Facility, Franklin Pierce College, and the City Building & Engineering Inspections Divisions. West – Vacant property (zoned PAD with underlying C-2), and approximately 900 feet west of Bullard is the site of The Douglas, a multi-family project currently being developed adjacent to the Bullard Wash. Because data centers generate very little noise and traffic, and because of the extensive streetscape that will be developed along both Bullard & Van Buren, and the significant screening that will be done on-site, it is not anticipated that AZ14&15 will negatively impact any of the surrounding uses. 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 proposed I-1 (Light Industrial) Zoning District permits uses that would be compatible with the adjacent light industrial uses and future commercial and business park uses. Luke Air Force Base: The subject property is not located within the vicinity of a military airport; however, as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to keep Luke aware of development in the city, the future site plan submittal will be forwarded to them. Phoenix-Goodyear Airport: 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. Many of the uses permitted in the proposed I-1 (Light Industrial) Zoning District require access to major arterials and freeways, as well as easy access to adjacent electrical power. Not all the I-1-zoned properties in the city have good access to major transportation corridors and electrical power. Vantage chose the Bullard tech corridor for its existing and planned data center because of the close proximity of APS substations. 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 |
Second Nearest Goodyear Fire Station |
Shortest path |
Mins |
Miles |
Mins |
Miles |
#181 |
1.42 |
.72 |
#184 |
6.38 |
1.44 |
Police Response: The Property is located within an existing Police patrol beat, and the proposed I-1 (Light Industrial) Zoning District does not alter the current level of service within the beat. Streets/Transportation: Both Bullard, with three northbound lanes, and Van Buren, with three eastbound lanes, are fully developed adjacent to the Property. And because Bullard Avenue is an arterial street, Vantage is required to construct deceleration lanes at all driveways serving the existing data center, as well as the planned data center. Vantage will also be required to provide a 25% contribution to the signalization of the Van Buren Street and 145th Avenue intersection, which provides access to the Goodyear Municipal Complex. Water/Wastewater: The Property is located within the City of Goodyear water and wastewater service area, and services are available. If AZ14&15 develops on the Property, it will utilize a closed-loop air cooling system that requires zero water use, in contrast to many of the other cooling technologies used to cool data centers. Solid Waste/Recycling: Solid waste and recycling services for the Property, as well as for the AZ11,12&13 data centers, 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. 8. General public’s concerns. Public Participation: Citizen Review Process: Because there are no residents living within 500 feet of 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 July 12th to the owners of all properties within 500 feet of the subject property notifying the owners of the rezone 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 the first postcard. Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting: Notice of the August 16th public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission and the August 28th public hearing before the City Council included a legal notice/display ad published in the Southwest Valley Republic on July 28th; a postcard mailed on July 25th to the owners of property within 500 feet of the Property; and two notice of public hearings signs posted on the Property on July 27th. To date, neither staff nor the applicant have received any inquiries regarding the request. At the Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing on this item, following a presentation by staff, Commissioner Sambito stated her appreciation of the continuation of the Vantage product and of the significant screening that was proposed. Chairman Kish asked if staff had encountered any issues with the multiple data centers that have developed in the city. The Commission was told that although the typical data center building is very large, the design continues to improve with each one that is developed. The Commission was also told that the various data center developers are all turning to the use of air-cooled chillers rather than water-cooled chillers which is a benefit to the city. Benjamin Graff, representing Vantage, thanked city staff and said they were great to work with. Chairman Kish asked if Vantage planned to develop more data centers, and the Commission was told definitely, partially because the city had been proactive by creating a brochure that showed potential sites for data center development. No member of the public spoke at the meeting regarding the rezone application, and the Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval. 9. Whether the amendment promotes orderly growth and development. If the rezone is approved, light industrial uses, which include the anticipated data centers, will be developed adjacent to existing data centers and an APS substation, consistent with the existing General Plan designation 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 proposed rezoning provides for significant screening of mechanical equipment and an enhanced streetscape along both Bullard Avenue and Van Buren Street that will provide beneficial impacts to the citizens of the City and the general public. Staff Findings: Pursuant to the above evaluation of this rezone request, staff finds that approval of the request, as set forth in Ordinance No. 2023-1581, promotes continued orderly growth and development in conformance with the city’s General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Design Guidelines, and Engineering Standards. |