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Planning & Zoning Commission
Goodyear City Hall - Council Chambers
1900 N. Civic Square
Goodyear, AZ 85395

Wednesday, NOVEMBER 6, 2024

6:00 p.m.

Meeting Agenda

CALL TO ORDER

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

ROLL CALL

APPROVE MINUTES

Approve the draft minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting on October 16, 2024.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Non-Agenda items: This is the time for citizens who would like to address the Planning & Zoning Commission on any non-agenda item within the jurisdiction of the Goodyear Planning & Zoning Commission. Please complete a speaker card and give it to the Secretary. Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes. Before you begin to speak, identify yourself by clearly stating for the record your name and whether you are a Goodyear resident. The Commission will listen to comments and may take any one of the following actions:
• Respond to criticism
• Request that staff investigate and report on the matter
• Request that the matter be scheduled for on a future agenda.

Agenda items: The Chairman will call for public comments as each agenda item is up for discussion. Please complete a speaker card for the Secretary, listing the agenda item on which you would like to speak. Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes. Before you begin to speak, identify yourself by clearly stating for the record your name and whether you are a Goodyear resident.

DISCLOSURE OF EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS

This is an opportunity for Commission members to disclose any ex-parte communications they may have had prior to this meeting on any item scheduled for discussion on this agenda.

BUSINESS

DESIGN GUIDELINES MANUAL UPDATE

Recommend approval of the City's Design Guidelines Manual to City Council. (Christian Williams, Planning Manager and Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Senior Planner)

AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SIGN PACKAGE FOR GSQ

Approve the first amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan, subject to stipulations. (Jimmy Carreon, Assistant Planner)

APPROVE THE 2025 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION CALENDAR

STAFF COMMUNICATIONS

NEXT MEETING

ADJOURNMENT

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the Planning and Zoning Commission and to the general public that the Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a meeting open to the public. Public body members of the city of Goodyear will attend either in person or by telephone conference call and/or video communication.

THE CITY OF GOODYEAR ENDEAVORS TO MAKE ALL PUBLIC MEETINGS ACCESSIBLE TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. With 48-hour advance notice, special assistance can be provided for sight and/or hearing-impaired persons at this meeting. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request for persons with disabilities or non-English speaking residents. Please call the City Clerk (623) 882-7830 or Arizona Relay (TDD) 7-1-1 to request an accommodation to participate in this public meeting.

For Non-English assistance please contact the City Clerk at (623) 882-7830.

Si necesita asistencia o traducción en español, favor de llamar al menos 48 horas antes de la reunión al (623) 882-7830.

POSTING VERIFICATION
This agenda was posted on 11/1/2024 at 2:25 p.m. by AM.

AGENDA ITEM #: 1.
DATE: 11/06/2024

Planning & Zoning Commission

RECOMMENDATION:

Approve the draft minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting on October 16, 2024.

Attachments

10.16.24 Draft P&Z Minutes

AGENDA ITEM #: 2.
DATE: 11/06/2024
CAR #: 2040
CASE #: N/A

Planning & Zoning Commission ACTION REPORT

SUBJECT:

DESIGN GUIDELINES MANUAL UPDATE

STAFF PRESENTER(S):

Christian M. Williams, Planning Manager and Guadalupe Ortiz-Cortez, Senior Planner

OTHER PRESENTER(S):

Matthew Klyszeiko, Michael Baker International (Design Guidelines Consultant)

SUMMARY:

The Planning and Zoning Commission will receive a comprehensive update on the City of Goodyear's Design Guidelines Manual.

RECOMMENDATION:

Recommend approval of the City's Design Guidelines Manual to City Council. (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 have been approved 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 specific 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.

STAFF ANALYSIS

Staff and Michael Baker International, the city's consultant, began working on the Design Guidelines Manual update in May 2023. The process began with City Council interviews, followed by creating a memorandum on the existing conditions and providing for best practices. The process of updating the Design Guidelines Manual included two rounds of community outreach and each round encompassed a community workshop and an online survey. A draft of the Design Guidelines Manual was available for public comment on the city's website. Additional outreach efforts included three virtual developer forums with each forum focused on a specific topic that covered the manual's design philosophy and proposed updates. Notices of the Design Guidelines Manual update and invitations to join the virtual developer forums were sent to the city's development forum list serv. The current draft of the Design Guidelines Manual took into consideration resident, developer, and City Council feedback.

The proposed Design Guidelines Manual was presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission on October 16, 2024, and feedback was not provided at the meeting. The proposed Design Guidelines Manual was presented to City Council on October 21, 2024. After the staff presentation, the City Council requested stronger language 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, consistent guidelines for landscape throughout the document including stronger language on shade and heat mitigation as well consideration for future city areas that can benefit from enhanced landscape. Additionally, City Council requested language on building embellishments, including the incorporation of stone in multi-family developments. The City Council also expressed the significance for the Design Guidelines Manual to maintain flexibility to address changing times.

To address City Council's feedback, staff, and the consultant amended the Design Objectives 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, landscaping, and public art. 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, include design guidelines that require massing and the types of materials used for exterior elevations, such as the provision of stone and other accent materials that are durable and relate a sense of quality and permanence. 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.

Staff believes the design guidelines revisions made address Council's feedback and furthers the City's goal to attract high quality design to the City of Goodyear.

Attachments

City of Goodyear Design Guidelines Manual

Ordinance No. 2024-1622 Draft

AGENDA ITEM #: 3.
DATE: 11/06/2024
CAR #:
CASE #: P24-00291

Planning & Zoning Commission ACTION REPORT

SUBJECT:

AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SIGN PACKAGE FOR GSQ

STAFF PRESENTER(S):

Jimmy Carreon, Assistant Planner

SUMMARY:

This is a request to amend the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan. The amendment will include provisions for adjustments to sign types, height allowances, and area allowances for various uses within the property.

RECOMMENDATION:

Approve the first amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan, subject to stipulations. (Jimmy Carreon, Assistant Planner)

STIPULATIONS:

All signs shall be in conformance with the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan Amendment #1 (dated October 10, 2024); and
Where permitted within this CSP, a monument, directional or directory sign may utilize only one electronic message display per side; and
Off-site signage is prohibited; and
No signage shall be placed within city rights-of-way.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no direct budget impact associated with the approval of the amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan.

BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS:

The property subject to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Package Plan is a part of the Goodyear Civic Square Planned Area Development (PAD). The Goodyear Civic Square PAD was approved on July 8, 2019, with the City Council's adoption of Ordinance 2019-1440.

The intent of the Goodyear Civic Square PAD is to create an urban, pedestrian-oriented development that will be a center for civic administration, services and events. The area is also intended for the development of higher intensity office and commercial development. Another key component of the Goodyear Civic Square PAD is the allowance of higher density residential development, which will support the commercial development anticipated in the area and help activate the civic spaces.

A comprehensive sign package for GSQ was approved by the City Council on July 19, 2021.

STAFF ANALYSIS

Current Policy:
All Planned Area Developments (PADs) are required to prepare and submit a comprehensive sign package (CSP) for review and approval prior to the issuance of individual sign permits. A CSP provides a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the design of signage that exhibits superior quality and effective messaging. In recognition of the benefits of cohesive and comprehensive sign design, modifications to the signage requirements as established in the city of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance may be appropriate within a CSP.

A minor amendment to an approved CSP in compliance with the requirements provided in Article 7 (Sign Regulations), of the Goodyear Zoning Ordinance may be approved by the Zoning Administrator after review and approval by the Development Review Committee. A major amendment to an approved CSP that proposes an increase in the number of signs, an increase to the size or height of any sign beyond what was approved under the original CSP or modifications to the requirements provided in Article 7 shall be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission and approved by the City Council. This request is a major amendment, and therefore requires Commission and Council review and approval.

Details of the Request:
The request is for the approval of an amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan. A brief description of the proposed sign amendments is provided below:

1. Revised Monument Sign Types at Main Drive Entries Off Perimeter Roadways
There are primary and secondary multi-tenant monument signs for GSQ. The original GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan called for eighteen-foot (18') primary identify tenant monument sign (Sign Type: A-3) to be placed at the main drive entries off perimeter roadways. Whereas a twelve-foot (12') secondary identify tenant monument sign (Sign Type: A-4) would be placed at the main drives internal to the project site. The proposed amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan will allow for either Sign Type A-3 or A-4 to be placed at the main drive entries off perimeter roadways, not just Sign Type A-3.

2. Canopy Signage Allowance
The proposed amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan requests canopy signs have a maximum area of fifty percent (50%) of the wall signage allowance versus the twenty-five percent (25%) maximum allowance initially approved, and that canopy sign letters be restricted to two feet (2') in height, except for logos and the first letter of each word, which can be up to four feet (4') in height.

3. Office Building Wall Signage Increase
The proposed amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan requests that office building signage be allowed to occupy eighty percent (80%) of the sign band height and width, on both first level and all upper-level signage versus the twelve-inch (12") maximum height for upper-level signage and ten-inch (10") maximum height for first-level signage.

4. Commercial, Retail, and Mixed-Use Wall Signage Increase
For commercial, retail and mixed-uses, the proposed amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan proposes 1.5 square feet of copy area per linear foot of building frontage on all elevations regardless of whether the elevation is parallel to Public or Private Streets or an internal circulation drive of a Lot. This varies with the currently approved allowance of 1.5 square feet of sign copy area per linear foot of building frontage for building elevations parallel to Public or Private Streets and 0.5 square feet of sign copy area per linear foot of building frontage for building elevations facing internal circulation drives of a Lot.

5. Drive-Through Directional Signage
The proposed amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan requires drive-through directional signage to adhere to the same standards within Article 7 (Sign Regulations) of the Goodyear Zoning Ordinance.

Evaluation Criteria:
Per the city of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance, the city's review and recommendation on a comprehensive sign package is to be guided by the following criteria:

1. Size and Height: The comprehensive sign package shall demonstrate that all proposed signage is no larger than necessary for sufficient visibility and legibility. Factors to be considered in determining allowed size and height may include, but are not limited to, topography, traffic volumes, traffic speeds, visibility ranges, copy size and impact on adjacent property.

The proposed monument sign type allowance along perimeter streets does not increase the size and height standards previously approved. The proposed canopy signage allowance will be twenty-five percent (25%) greater than the originally approved canopy signage allowance. The proposed office building wall signage allowance would allow for slightly larger wall signage, depending on tenant sign design. The proposed commercial, retail, and mixed-use building wall signage allowance will increase the previously approved wall signage allowance for internal circulation drives of a Lot from 0.5 square feet of sign copy area per one (1) linear foot of building frontage to 1.5 square feet of sign copy area per one (1) linear foot of building frontage. The application indicates that signage is located to enhance the visibility and branding opportunities for the property owner. As such, the requested size enhancements are supportable.

2. Location and Orientation: Signs should be located and oriented to allow sufficient visibility and legibility for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Factors that may be considered in reviewing the appropriateness of the sign location and orientation may include, but are not limited to, location relative to the surrounding streets and land uses, traffic volumes and access points, visibility angles and topographic features.

There are no sign location/orientation changes being proposed. The sign setbacks, separations, and locations in the originally approved GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan are intended to provide for maximum visibility while also promoting pedestrian and vehicular safety. Therefore, staff finds the proposed modifications are appropriate and supportable.

3. Design, Colors and Materials: Signs proposed under the comprehensive sign package shall be harmonious with and enhance the architecture and theme of the specific development in which the signs are located. Compatibility with the specific development shall include the use of complementary colors, materials and architectural style.

The amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan does not alter the design, colors, and materials of the approved CSP.

4. Surrounding Land Uses: Signs shall not adversely impact adjacent land uses, especially adjacent residential land uses. The comprehensive sign package shall demonstrate the measures that will be taken to ensure the proposed signage will not adversely impact adjacent land uses in terms of lighting, size, location and orientation.

Goodyear Civic Square is a mixed-use area that includes commercial, entertainment, recreational and residential development of varying densities. The proposed signage amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan will not adversely impact these surrounding uses given their size, location and orientation should match the intensity of these surrounding developments and their associated signage. As such, staff finds the intended signage will not adversely affect any adjacent land uses and is therefore appropriate and supportable.

Staff Findings:
The request for an amendment to the GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan meets the evaluation criteria for a CSP as set forth in Article 7, Sign Regulations, of the Zoning Ordinance.

Attachments

Aerial Photo

GSQ Comprehensive Sign Plan

AGENDA ITEM #: 4.
DATE: 11/06/2024

Planning & Zoning Commission

RECOMMENDATION:

APPROVE THE 2025 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION CALENDAR

Attachments

Draft 2025 P&Z Commission Calendar