Attachment E - VPC Summary-Rec - Z-TA-7-19-8.pdf

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-TA-7-19-8
Date of VPC Meeting 
July 12, 2021 
Request 
Amend Section 1202 (Regulating Maps) of the Phoenix 
Zoning Ordinance to replace the Downtown Code 
maps to amend density provisions and buffer alleys in 
an area generally bounded by 3rd Street to 5th Street, 
and Willetta Street to McDowell Road and amend 
Section 1220 (Townsend Park) to allow for a height 
bonus at approximately 160 feet south of the southeast 
corner of 3rd Street and McDowell Road. 
VPC Recommendation 
Approval 
VPC Vote 
10-1
VPC DISCUSSION:
Committee members Chris Colyer and Wayne Rainey left during this item, bringing 
quorum to 11. 
Sarah Stockham, staff, provided an overview of the three components of the text 
amendment request, reviewed the surrounding land uses and the proposed project. 
Zach Burns asked why this request is a text amendment and not a variance. Ms. 
Stockham replied that the Downtown Code provides height and density limits in the 
form of the map and any request to amend the maps and/or the character area text is a 
text amendment.  
Chair Rachel Frazier Johnson asked if staff or the applicant decides if their request 
constitutes a text amendment. Ms. Stockham replied that any request to change the 
text of the character area or update the maps is a text amendment.  
Ryan Boyd asked if a future text amendment to the Downtown Code will impact this 
site. Ms. Stockham replied that she is not familiar with the specifics of any future text 
amendment and given that this request is site specific, it is doubtful that a larger text 
amendment would impact this site.  
Attachment E

Central City Village Planning Committee 
Meeting Summary 
Z-TA-7-19-8 
Page 2 
 
 
 
City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
Brennan Ray, representing the applicant with Burch & Cracchiolo, introduced himself 
and the proposed 7-story, 85-foot tall project with 288 units with an overall density of 
109 dwelling units per acre. Mr. Ray added that the alley would remain intact but the 
applicant will be proposing to abandon it and replace it with a public access easement, 
and the height bonus proposed would require the project to incorporate more amenities 
and enhance the building, and reviewed trip generation for the site.  
 
Ryan Boyd asked if the applicant was planning on planting palm trees as shown in the 
rendering, why the applicant is not pursing a revocable permit for the alley instead of 
abandoning it, and why they are pursing this request which appears to be spot zoning 
rather than a larger overhaul for the character area.  
 
Brennan Ray replied that the palm trees are part of the rendering, the site will be 
planted with trees appropriate for the area, the alley is different right-of-way than 2nd 
Street with the pedestrian bridge so they were directed to go the alley abandonment 
route, they are proposing to abandon the alley for their site only and record public 
access and utility easements, and changes to the Downtown Code maps are done 
through the text amendment process and density provisions perhaps should have been 
the same for the entire Townsend Park Character Area.  
 
Eva Olivas asked how the request is site specific but will also impact the character 
area and asked for clarification on the Design Standards Committee’s 
recommendation. Brennan Ray replied that the updates to the density and buffer alley 
maps are site specific and the request for a height bonus allows for sites within the 
character area to increase the allowable height by using bonus points. Sarah 
Stockham, staff, added that the Design Standards Committee recommended approval 
of the request with a modification that the allowable density be 89 dwelling units per 
acre to provide more of a transition and since the character area allows a 100 percent 
increase in density using bonus points the applicant could still achieve their allowable 
density with points.  
 
Brennan Ray added that they hosted their neighborhood meeting and one neighbor 
attended and was supportive, and they have spoken with Mitchell Willard with the 
Urban Phoenix Project regarding the abandonment.  
 
Motion: 
Darlene Martinez motioned to recommend approval of Z-TA-7-19-8. Patrick Panetta 
seconded the motion.  
 
Discussion: 
Ryan Boyd shared that he was torn on the request but will be voting yes, and 
continued that he has a concern with the alley abandonment and the issue of spot-
zoning, and that he is tired of requests to update the maps which seems to favor those 
who get to ask for them.  
 
Eva Olivas agreed with Mr. Boyd’s comments.

Central City Village Planning Committee 
Meeting Summary 
Z-TA-7-19-8 
Page 3 
 
 
 
City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
 
Vice Chair Nate Sonoskey shared that while the alley abandonment is contentious, it 
is difficult to get financing with the alley in place or with a revocable permit, and the 
abandonment is more practical.  
 
Vote: 
10-1, motion to recommend approval passed with Committee Members Boyd, 
Gonzalez, Johnson, Lockhart, Martinez, Olivas, Panetta, Starks, Sonoskey and R. 
Johnson in favor and Committee Member Burns opposed. 
 
 
STAFF COMMENTS REGARDING VPC RECOMMENDATION: 
None.