Attachment D - VPC Summary-Cont - Z-45-22-8.pdf

City of Phoenix — Formal (2022-10-12)

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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-45-22-8 
 
 
Date of VPC Meeting 
 
July 11, 2022 
Request From 
 
S-1 
Request To 
C-2 HGT/WVR DNS/WVR 
Proposed Use 
Mixed-use development 
Location 
Southeast corner of 59th Avenue and Dobbins Road 
VPC Recommendation 
 
Continuance to August 8th VPC meeting 
VPC Vote 
8-0 
 
VPC DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDED STIPULATIONS: 
 
STAFF BACKGROUND PRESENTATION 
Julianna Pierre provided information regarding the request, location of the site, 
adjacent zoning and uses, and general plan designation. She reviewed the proposal 
which consists of Lot 1, the commercial town center and retail plaza; Lot 2, the two- and 
three-story multifamily apartments; and Lot 3, the one-story multifamily development 
with courtyard clusters. She reviewed the conceptual site plan and elevations. She 
discussed the community input, staff findings, recommendation, and stipulations. 
 
APPLICANT PRESENTATION 
Ben Tate, representative with Withey Morris, PLC, provided information regarding the 
site location, general plan designation, and adjacent zoning. He discussed the site 
history and noted that the defunct Laveen Town Center Planned Community District 
(PCD) is no longer supported. He added that the applicant is requesting to zone out of 
the PCD due to the stipulations requiring master planning, which are difficult to satisfy 
for one parcel. He added that the density and height for the new proposal matches that 
of the PCD and the proposal is an adaptation of what was proposed in 2004. He 
reviewed the proposal, specifically describing the key information for Lots 1, 2, and 3. 
He displayed the conceptual site plan, elevations, various renderings, and color options. 
 
QUESTIONS FROM COMMITTEE 
Committee member Carlos Ortega expressed concern with the lack of commercial. 
He recommended that the entire frontage of 59th Avenue be commercial uses. He 
added that the applicant had modified their original plan, but the retail space of Lot 1 
was not increased, only the parking area. He added that the commercial will not be 
accessible to other Laveen residents and will only function as an amenity for those who 
ATTACHMENT D

City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
live in Lots 2 and 3. He also expressed concern with the lack of open space in the 
residential lots.  
 
Committee member Rebecca Perrera added that there is a need for more commercial 
and what is proposed will not be accessible to other residents within the Laveen Village. 
 
Committee member Stephanie Hurd stated that the proposal looks great, but needs 
additional commercial space. She stated that commercial zoning in the Village is always 
used for multifamily development or a self-service storage facility and there is a need for 
more usable commercial. She stated that the Committee should continue to item to 
allow the applicant more time to modify the proposal to Laveen’s advantage.  
 
Committee member Jennifer Rouse stated that she was disappointed with the 
proposal and there should be additional commercial integrated into the development.  
 
Committee member Carlos Ortega stated that the three residential buildings in Lot 2 
along Dobbins Road should be commercial. He reiterated that the residential lots need 
more open space and Laveen wants more open space that is required by the 
Ordinance. He recommended that the applicant continue to work with the Committee 
and community to modify the proposal. 
 
Vice Chair Linda Abegg stated that the 40 acres to the south is intended to be a public 
park with 20 acres leased to the school district for a school. She stated that the 
applicant should work with the City regarding the park space because there is a need 
for additional open space considering the number of units proposed.  
 
Committee member Rebecca Perrera also expressed concerns with the lack of open 
space incorporated into the proposal. 
 
Committee member JoAnne Jensen stated that she understood it would take more 
people than proposed in the development to support additional commercial. She 
recommended that the development provide additional spaces that could be converted 
into retail in the future.  
 
Committee member Stephanie Hurd stated that most commercial in the Village has 
become multifamily, but commercial users do want to return to Laveen. Ben Tate stated 
that the proposed amount of commercial is what can be supported in the future. 
 
PUBLIC COMMENTS 
Dan Penton stated that the proposal shows a lack of vision and unwillingness to listen 
to the Committee and community. He also expressed concern with the neighborhood 
meeting. He added that he held a poll on Facebook where 98% of respondents 
indicated they wanted more commercial and open space to be included in the 
development. He added the developer increased the town square, but did not increase 
the retail space, but only the parking area. He recommended that the developer keep 
the number of units the same, but increase the proposed height to allow for more open 
space and commercial. He expressed concerns that the commercial uses will only 
function as an amenity for Lots 2 and 3. He recommended that the applicant ask for a 
continuance to receive additional input from the community and modify the proposal.

City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
Justin Ferrandi stated that commercial development needs to be supported by 
rooftops. He stated that the Committee should allow additional rooftops to be built and 
commercial development will follow. 
 
APPLICANT RESPONSE 
Ben Tate stated that Lot 1 will have indoor and outdoor leasable area for retail. He 
added that the developer may be able to add additional commercial, but it has to be 
sustainable for the market. He stated that the number of residents living on site will not 
be enough to service the proposed commercial, and the intent is for the commercial 
area to be used by residents on and off site. He added that additional commercial may 
remain unleased, detracting from the mixed-use environment. 
 
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 
Vice Chair Linda Abegg stated that there had been discussions with the applicant and 
the town square portion of the development would have to be built before the second 
phase of residential is built. 
 
Committee member Stephanie Hurd stated that the Committee should consider a 
continuance to give the applicant time to modify the proposal to incorporate more 
commercial. She said the commercial users, such as Target, were considering coming 
to the Village when there was primarily one acre lots. 
 
Committee member Carlos Ortega stated that a continuance should be considered 
because the Committee wants to see something different and there needs to be more 
community input.  
 
Committee member Rebecca Perrera stated that the Committee should consider a 
continuance over a vote. 
 
MOTION 
Committee member Carlos Ortega made a motion to continue Z-45-22-8 to the 
August 8th VPC meeting to give the applicant time to consider modifications to the 
proposal that incorporate more commercial and open space. The motion was seconded 
by Committee member Jennifer Rouse. 
 
VOTE 
8-0, motion passed; Committee members Abegg, Barraza, Buggs, Hurd, Jensen, 
Ortega, Perrera, and Rouse in favor. 
 
STAFF COMMENTS REGARDING VPC RECOMMENDATION: 
None.