Attachment B - VPC Rec Form - PHO-2-21--Z-105-07-1.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 PHO-2-21—Z-105-07-1 Date of VPC Meeting August 10, 2021 Planning Hearing Officer Hearing Date August 18, 2021 Request 1) Modification of Stipulation 1 regarding PHO approval of site plans and elevations. 2) Modification of Stipulation 3 regarding street improvements. Location Approximately 300 feet south of the southeast corner of 43rd Avenue and Old West Trail VPC Recommendation Approval VPC Vote 4-2-1 VPC DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDED STIPULATIONS: Committee member Will Holton arrived to the meeting during this item, bringing the quorum to 7 members. 1 member of the public indicated that they wished to speak. Julianna Pierre provided information regarding the location of the site and the surrounding zoning. She stated that the site is a portion of the property from Rezoning Case No. Z-105-07 and was rezoned to C-2 (Intermediate Commercial) to act as a buffer between Interstate-17 (I-17) and the single-family residential to the west. She noted that there were no specific plans in 2007 and a stipulation was included requiring conceptual site plans and elevations to be approved through the Planning Hearing Officer (PHO) process. She stated that the proposed development is comprised of 179 two-story townhome units with access points to both 43rd Avenue and the I-17 frontage road. She also noted that the site is bisected by an existing east-west private drive. Julianna Pierre stated that in addition to submitting plans for approval, the applicant is requesting to modify Stipulation 3, regarding street improvements, to correct a grammatical error. Attachment B City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 Brian Greathouse, representative with Burch & Cracchiolo P.A., stated that the site is zoned C-2 and the plans and elevations being brought forth are to be reviewed by the PHO for conceptual purposes only. He added that a neighborhood meeting was held on August 4, 2021. He stated that four community members attended the meeting and asked general questions about the development. Brian Greathouse stated the development will be comprised of two-story townhomes with centralized amenities, such as a dog park, pool, and ramada. He added that a landscape buffer will be provided between the I-17 frontage road and the developments. Committee member Ozzie Virgil asked if the east-west road going through the site was private or public. Brian Greathouse stated that the developer was working to make the road a private accessway, which would be a private road with public dimensions. He added that the utilities currently going through the road are private, and in order to make the road public the pipework would have to be modified. Committee member Ozzie Virgil expressed concerns about there being no access to public users. He stated that this would close another connection to the I-17 frontage road. Brian Greathouse clarified that the road would not be gated and accessible to the public. Committee member Will Holton stated that if the existing east-west street going through the site is not gated, that the developer should expect to see public traffic cutting through the site. Committee member Loyd Nygaard asked for clarification regarding the frontage road being one way heading north adjacent to the development. Brian Greathouse stated that was correct and there would be no change to the configuration of the road. Committee member Loyd Nygaard expressed concern regarding the additional traffic that the development would create and how it would further exacerbate the lack of police and fire infrastructure in the area. Chuck Chisolm, Planning Project Manager with K. Hovnanian Homes, stated that two dual left signalizations will be built at the intersection of 43rd Avenue and Anthem Way, which will help with traffic issues. He added that there are plans for a new Phoenix fire station to be built in the area. He also noted that a commercial use on the site would generate more traffic than residential. Committee member Scott Lawrence asked if access to the existing Goodwill would change. Brian Greathouse stated that the Goodwill would still be accessible via the existing east-west road that bisects the site. Vice Chair Steven Scharboneau asked for clarification regarding the 20 acres that were rezoned in the original case, Z-105-07. Julianna Pierre explained that the 20 acres included the site of the proposed development and the Goodwill. Vice Chair Steven Scharboneau asked for additional information about the commercial zoning acting as a buffer. Julianna Pierre explained that the intent of the original rezoning was to allow commercial uses that would act as a buffer between I-17 and the single- family homes to the west. However, the possibility of residential uses was considered in Stipulation 1.e which discusses site design in the event residential uses are proposed. Vice Chair Steven Scharboneau stated that Stipulation 1.e also discusses adequate mitigation from I-17 and asked how the development will provide that mitigation. Chuck Chisolm stated that in addition to landscaping providing a buffer, the development will also have an 8-foot perimeter wall. City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 Vice Chair Steven Scharboneau expressed concerns with the development being architecturally consistent with other homes in the area, specifically noting massing and height. Brian Greathouse stated that the specific architectural choices were selected because the site sits between the I-17, Goodwill, and other homes. Vice Chair Steven Scharboneau asked about the parking to unit ratio. Chuck Chisolm stated that each unit has a garage and driveway and there is additional parking near the central amenities. Committee member Ozzie Virgil stated that the area should have commercial uses to act as a buffer for adjacent homes, as the original rezoning intended. Kristi Northcutt, Anthem Community Council’s Senior Director of Community Relations, asked if the development will have its own homeowner’s association (HOA). Chuck Chisolm stated that the development would have an HOA. Kristi Northcutt requested that the development be marketed without referencing Anthem amenities, since those amenities are private and specifically for Anthem residents. She added that she is not opposed to the development, but had concerns with resident safety and traffic. Vice Chair Steven Scharboneau stated that there are traffic issues in the area that have not been addressed, but concerns regarding the I-17 frontage road should be resolved by the Arizona Department of Transportation. He also expressed concerns with the lack of fire and medical infrastructure in the area. Committee member Chris Gonzalez stated that there is already going to be increased traffic issued with the new school being built in the area. He added that this development will only add to traffic congestion around 43rd Avenue and Anthem Way. Chair Massimo Sommacampagna stated that traffic issues are a larger issue in the North Valley and a larger discussion is necessary to reach a resolution. He added that C-2 zoning allows multifamily residential uses and traffic would have been even higher if commercial retail was proposed for the location. Committee member Ozzie Virgil stated that developers should take lower densities into consideration to decrease stress on street infrastructure. Committee member Loyd Nygaard asked for clarification about next steps. Julianna Pierre explained that the Village Planning Committee (VPC) would provide a recommendation and the item would move forward to the PHO hearing. She added that the PHO considers what was discussed by the VPC and takes that into consideration with the findings and recommendation. She stated that item would not move forward if the VPC felt the item needed to be continued. MOTION: Vice Chair Steven Scharboneau made a motion to approve PHO-2-21—Z- 105-07-1. He requested that the PHO, Planning Commission, and City Council take note of the years long concerns with public safety and traffic issues in the area. The motion was seconded by Chair Massimo Sommacampagna. City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 VOTE: 4-2-1 with Committee members Sommacampagna, Scharboneau, Lawrence, and Gonzalez in favor, Committee members Holton and Virgil in opposition, and Committee member Nygaard abstaining. STAFF COMMENTS REGARDING VPC RECOMMENDATION & STIPULATIONS: None.