Attachment C - VPC Summary - Z-46-21-4.pdf
Extracted text (via pymupdf)
8012 characters
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-46-21-4 Date of VPC Meeting October 4, 2021 Request From C-O and P-1 Request To WU Code T4:3 MT Proposed Use Single-family detached residences Location Approximately 240 feet west of the southwest corner of 7th Street and Palm Lane VPC Recommendation Approval with per staff recommendation with direction regarding future technical appeals to the Subdivision Ordinance VPC Vote 11-0 VPC DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDED STIPULATIONS: No speaker cards were received on this item. STAFF PRESENTATION Klimek, staff, provided an overview of the case as detailed in the published staff report including background, the proposal for the development of the site for multifamily, and the policy analysis completed by staff. The applicant’s proposal is for 12 three-story, single-family detached homes, that are being designed for as a subdivision with lot sales; he added that the proposed detached configuration will require several technical appeals with specific focus on allowing public infrastructure to each lot within the private accessways. The proposal compatible with the character of the area, advances the vision and recommendations of the Midtown TOD Policy Plan, and will create additional housing options in line with the goals contained in the Housing Phoenix Plan. Staff is recommending approval subject to 7 stipulations focusing on preserving the California Fan Palms in the Palm Lane right-of-way and paving the alley to 7th Street from the subject site to the east. Additional stipulations are standards pertain to ADA Accessibility, Aviation, and Archaeology. APPLICANT PRESENTATION Jason Morris, of Withey Morris introduced himself as the representative for Rosewood Homes and its owner David Kitnick. Rosewood Homes is a nationally respected and Attachment C Encanto Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary October 4, 2021 Page 2 of 4 City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 award-winning homebuilder with many projects throughout all corners of the region and are now focusing on infill development sites. The subject site is used for overflow parking for the occasional events held at the Goldwater Institute located immediately south. The project will redevelop this underutilized surface parking lot as a 12-lot residential ownership community that will frame the street with three-story homes that are visually interesting with patios. The homes will include four-sided architecture, include few windows oriented onto the residential homes to the west for privacy, and positions all parking and drive-aisles away from the street and the adjacent residences. He concluded by thanking the committee for their time. QUESTIONS FROM COMMITTEE Rodriguez asked why the private accessways are depicted at 24’ and not 20’ in width and asked if the applicant would be open to a reduced standard that would allow for more landscaping and reduce the impact of the urban heat island effect. • Kitnick, of Rosewood Homes, responded that they would be open to a reduced standard. • Morris responded that 24’ was specifically requested by the Street Transportation Department and that the reduction would likely require a technical appeal. He added that this unique project will already require a series of technical appeals and that, if the zoning is approved, they would be open to requesting an additional technical appeal to further reduce the amount of paving on the site. He added that it is common for appeal boards to follow the direction of the Village Planning Committees when making their decisions. Cothron asked what LEED rating the homes will be built to, if they will be solar-ready, and if there is visitor parking on-site. • Kitnick responded that Rosewood Homes are built to Energy Star Guidelines and typically achieve a HERS Rating of 60 or lower, explaining that a HERS Rating of 100 indicates Building Code Compliance so their homes are roughly 40 percent more efficient than code. He explained that Rosewood Homes had built a community with solar arrays but that, because the homes were so efficient already that the solar production didn’t make sense financially for the owners. He concluded by explaining that there will be 24 garage spaces (2 per unit) and 7 guest spaces onsite. Cothron thanked the applicant for bringing a good infill project to Midtown Phoenix. Vice Chair Bryck asked for clarification on the gate dividing the site from the alley at the south side of the site, specifically it’s intent whether an owner will be able to open the gate for ingress or egress. Additionally, he asked if this parking lot is required for the office building to the lot and whether its redevelopment would create a deficit on that parcel. • Kitnick responded that it hasn’t been determined if the gate will be accessible to residents but that it is intended to serve as access to emergency vehicles in addition to refuse collection. Encanto Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary October 4, 2021 Page 3 of 4 City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 • Morris responded that this subject site was always overflow parking for events and is surplus to the minimum required for the Goldwater Institute. Rodriguez commented on the desire to reduce the amount of pavement on the site and expressing her support for a technical appeal to reduce the width of private accessways. She noted that some street standards, such as a 24’ width, are not based in common sense or objective analysis of what is actually needed. She then asked if the applicant would be open to using cool pavement on the private accessways. • Morris responded that some things are technically “appealable” and others, such as health and safety requirements are not, but added that he wouldn’t anticipate issues with the Fire Department because the full site is accessible within “hose- pull” distance from hydrants. Regarding cool pavement, he responded that the applicant is fully committed to creating a pedestrian oriented environment but that they would want to see the material in-person and review studies on whether it would produce problems with reflectivity that could make the site less comfortable for pedestrians. George stated that she is pleased to see the utilization of a vacant parcel and looks forward to its development as 12 homes. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. APPLICANT RESPONSE None. FLOOR/PUBLIC DISCUSSION CLOSED: MOTION, DISCUSSION, AND VOTE. MOTION Rodriguez motioned to approve the request per the staff recommendation with direction to emphasize the importance of reducing the amount of asphalt wherever possible when it is not needed for vehicular circulation. Benjamin seconded. DISCUSSION None. VOTE 11-0-0; motion passed with Benjamin, Cothron, George, Mahrle, Matthews, Procaccini, Rodriguez, Searles, Wagner, Vice Chair Bryck, and Chair Kleinman in support; none in dissent; and none in abstention. Encanto Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary October 4, 2021 Page 4 of 4 City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 STAFF COMMENTS The proposal will require technical appeals to the Subdivision Ordinance including on the design of private accessways. The guidance contained in the recommendation is to express support for the technical appeals for the purpose of having less pavement onsite. The purpose of this direction is to reduce the urban heat island effect, to allow for more landscaping, and to make the project more pedestrian oriented.