Attachment C - VPC Summary - Z-76-25-8.pdf
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City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary Z-76-25-8 *REVISED Date of VPC Meeting August 11, 2025 Request From C-3 CCSIOD, R-3 CCSIOD Request To C-3 HP CCSIOD, R-3 HP CCSIOD Proposal Historic Preservation Overlay for Emmanuel Church of God in Christ Location Southeast corner of 16th Avenue and Buckeye Road VPC Recommendation Approval, per the staff recommendation VPC Vote 9-0 VPC DISCUSSION: *Three members of the public registered in favor but did not wish to speak. STAFF PRESENTATION Maura Jackson, staff, introduced herself and the project, stated that members of the church were present, provided background on the church, and described the request. Ms. Jackson displayed images of the church and the subject site, explained the criteria for Historic Preservation (HP) eligibility, and described how the project meets the significance criteria. Ms. Jackson described the proposed HP overlay boundary, shared the staff recommendation for approval, and outlined the upcoming hearing schedule. QUESTIONS FROM COMMITTEE Committee Member Rachel Frazier Johnson asked if the significance slide could be displayed again. Committee Member Nate Sonoskey thanked staff for the presentation and inquired about the opportunities that would be available to the property if the case is approved. Ms. Jackson clarified that the designation would be on the Phoenix Historic Property Register, not the national register and explained that benefits include eligibility for grant funding and protections against demolition. Committee Member Sonoskey asked for an example of available funding. Ms. Jackson described the Art Demonstration Grant Program, which covers exterior rehabilitation work. ATTACHMENT C Central City Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary Z-76-25-8 August 11, 2025 Page 2 of 3 City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 Committee Member Frazier Johnson asked for additional details on the grant funding. Ms. Jackson described the grant. Kevin Weight, staff, explained that the program can pay for up to 100% of exterior improvements such as roofs, walls, and foundations. Committee Member Frazier Johnson asked what other grant programs were available. Mr. Weight stated that the three primary programs are the Demonstration Grant Program, the Exterior Rehabilitation Program for residential and commercial properties, and the Threatened Building Program, which provides funding for buildings at risk of demolition. Ms. Jackson explained that the property owners’ motivation was rooted more in civic pride than in financial incentives. Chair Cyndy Gaughan asked if there was a cap on the grant amounts. Mr. Weight stated that the exterior rehabilitation grant has a cap of $20,000 and explained that the demonstration and threatened building programs are bounded by the City’s annual budget. Mr. Weight stated that this year’s funding is larger than previous years and encouraged applicants to reach out. Committee Member Sonoskey asked if there is a City program for adaptive reuse. Ms. Jackson explained that adaptive reuse is handled by a different division in the department. Mr. Weight noted that the historic preservation grants are generally for commercial properties, explained the current use is not eligible for an adaptive reuse grant, and explained that if the use changed to a commercial use in the future it could be eligible for an adaptive reuse grant. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. APPLICANT RESPONSE None. FLOOR/PUBLIC DISCUSSION CLOSED: MOTION, DISCUSSION, AND VOTE MOTION Committee Member Rachel Frazier Johnson made a motion to recommend approval of Z-76-25-8, per the staff recommendation. Committee Member Nate Sonoskey seconded the motion. VOTE 9-0; Motion to recommend approval of Z-76-25-8, per the staff recommendation passed, with Committee Members Johnson, Frazier Johnson, Nervis, O’Grady, Sonoskey, Starks, Vargas, Martinez, and Gaughan in favor. Central City Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary Z-76-25-8 August 11, 2025 Page 3 of 3 City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 Committee Member Frazier Johnson explained that she had visited the church, stated that she found the church beautiful, explained that the church is located in a residential community, and expressed excitement about the case being on the Committee’s agenda. Committee Member Sonoskey expressed appreciation to staff for the presentation and explaining the programs, emphasized that more outreach like this should be done by the City, and explained that many projects miss funding opportunities because they are unaware of them until after improvements are completed. Chair Gaughan remarked that this case was a great example of City programs working as intended and echoed Committee Member Sonoskey’s comments regarding the value of increased transparency. STAFF COMMENTS REGARDING VPC RECOMMENDATION: None.