Attachment D - VPC Summary-Rec - GPA-MV-1-21-5.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 
GPA-MV-1-21-5 
Date of VPC Meeting 
January 12, 2022 
Request From 
Amend the General Plan Land Use Map Designation 
from Mixed Use (Commercial/Industrial) to Residential 
3.5 to 5, Residential 5 to 10, and Residential 10 to 15 
dwelling units per acre 
Proposed Use 
To allow residential densities less than 20 dwelling 
units per acre 
Location 
An area generally bounded by 91st Avenue to 99th 
Avenue, Thomas Road to Campbell Avenue 
VPC Recommendation 
Denial 
VPC Vote 
5-4
VPC DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDED STIPULATIONS:
Items 6 (GPA-MV-1-21-5) and 7 (Z-19-G-00-5) are companion cases and were heard 
together.  
Sarah Stockham, staff, provided an overview of the requests, noting the location and 
the history of the site. Ms. Stockham displayed a map of the current and proposed 
General Plan Land Use Map designations, and staff’s findings. Ms. Stockham displayed 
an aerial map, a conceptual site plan and elevations, and reviewed the surrounding land 
uses, the proposal, staff’s recommendation, and stipulations. 
Stephen Anderson, representing the applicant with Gammage & Burnham, reviewed 
the proposed developments within the Algodón Center PUD area sharing that by 2023 
the proposal will add around 4,000 jobs and 2,400 housing units, they had an extensive 
mailing list and hosted two neighborhood meetings, and the proposed PUD major 
amendment has gone through a thorough review with city staff. Mr. Anderson reviewed 
the proposed mix of housing types with estimated pricing, detailed the five-acre central 
amenity area in the development and shared that they have been asked to construct 
bicycle lanes along Indian School Road, they will be constructing a sewer lift station, 
and that converting agricultural land to housing uses less water. Mr. Anderson added 
that the Pendergast School District is excited for the proposal they will construct 93rd 
Avenue (which runs along the south side of the school), the proposal is below the 
density limits for their comparative zoning districts, they are providing three times the 
amount of open space than what would be required in the Zoning Ordinance, and their 
PUD standards require detached sidewalks, enhanced shading standard and design 
Attachment D

City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
review, in addition to providing 50% shade for the bus stops and bus infrastructure they 
are required to provide in stipulation Nos. 3 through 5. Mr. Anderson concluded that this 
proposal would add around 2,500 housing units in a wide variety of housing types, and 
the proposal preserves approximately 200 acres for commercial development which will 
add to the job opportunities in the area.  
 
Questions from the Committee: 
Saundra Cole asked if the jobs will be high-paying or low-paying. Mr. Anderson replied 
that he thinks they will be high paying jobs, there is a critical labor shortage and there 
are a lot of budding businesses in the area and there is data showing wage pressure 
which is causing higher wages and the entry-level minimum wage is also increasing.  
 
Sandra Oviedo asked what type of corporate buildings would be constructed in the 
PUD area. Mr. Anderson replied that he does not know, LGE is under contract for 90 
days to purchase land in the PUD area to construct commercial buildings and showed 
LGE’s website and examples of their past projects. Ms. Oviedo shared that is nice to 
see the corporate building examples and shared a desire to see more white-collar jobs 
in the area rather than big-box retail.  
 
Mike Weber shared that it is nice to see some areas devoted to businesses going into 
the PUD area and that it is not all housing, and that along the freeway the PUD allows 
for higher height limits. Mr. Anderson replied that yes, the PUD has always allowed high 
height limits and they are not proposing to change that, and that the applicant did 
provide a noise study which calls for over-height walls along the freeway when adjacent 
to residential homes.  
 
Jeff O’Toole thanked John F. Long for all the investment in Maryvale, shared that he 
liked the mix of housing types which brings in a diversity of residents, recognized that 
there is a housing crisis but there is also an employment crisis, which leads to longer 
commutes and increased traffic, and that while the proposal shows very nice housing 
with great open space, this is the last area to make an employment center in the West 
Valley, and it is hard to argue that housing is the highest and best use for this area 
along the freeway. Mr. O’Toole added that it is a failure of the Community and 
Economic Development Department to make the employment center a reality, the 
renderings of the commercial buildings are nice but not guaranteed, in 2018 John F. 
Long promised that they would not come back to amend the PUD again to allow any 
more housing and that this proposal is too much housing, they already have around 
2,800 units approved in the area.  
 
Joe Barba asked the applicant to provide some statistics on jobs created and the 
economic impact of this proposal. Mr. Anderson replied that he can send that to staff.  
 
Sandra Oviedo agreed with committee member O’Toole’s comments, shared that the 
area should be a self-sufficient community where people can live, work and play in the 
same area, asked the applicant to elaborate on the bike lanes and if they would 
consider a park-and-ride at this site. Mr. Anderson replied that the light rail is not 
proposed to extend near this area, they will be installing painted bike lanes along the 
arterial streets, they area stipulated to install bus bays and bus stops which will be 
shaded to 50%, there is a lot of multimodal access on the site, the Public Transit 
Department did not ask for a park-and-ride at this location, and they will be adding an 
additional vehicular lane along Indian School Road in addition to the painted bike lanes,

City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
which are not curb or parking separated. Ms. Oviedo asked how crossing will happen 
along the major streets and what pedestrian amenities will be provided. Mr. Anderson 
replied that they are required to install five traffic signals, which is where the crossings 
will occur.  
 
Jeff O’Toole asked if the proposed housing development will be gated and how far 
north does the third lane along 99th Avenue extend to. Mr. Anderson replied that yes, 
the community will be gated, the private streets and amenity areas will be maintained by 
the HOA, the school buses will have access through the gates, and that the travel lane 
will extend to Campbell Avenue which is the northern border of the subject site, and that 
there is a SRP well at 99th Avenue and Campbell Avenue and a SRP ditch, the City of 
Avondale is in charge of the west side of the street and the improvements will be shifted 
east. Mr. O’Toole added that going down to two lanes along 99th Avenue in conjunction 
with not having a dedicated right-turn lane onto Camelback Road creates significant 
traffic congestion concerns.  Mr. Anderson replied that they are only required to improve 
the street along the subject site which ends at Campbell Avenue, but the other concerns 
can be shared with the Street Transportation Department.  
 
Zeke Valenzuela asked how long it would be until the subject site reached 60%-70% 
completion. Mr. Anderson replied that full build out would be around a decade, the 
commercial buildings would develop faster and that 60%-70% completion might be 
within five years.  
 
Sandra Oviedo shared that it would be nice to see a self-sufficient community where 
people play, shop and live in the area, and that the crossings can be dangerous at the 
surrounding intersections.  
 
Chair Gene Derie shared that the Algodón Center PUD PCD has been around for 20 
years, was meant to be a major employment and economic center, there are roughly 
2,600 housing units entitled or being built in the surrounding area, half of which are on 
the west side of 99th Avenue between Indian School Road and Thomas Road and 
asked what the plan was for the parcel at the northwest corner of 99th Avenue and 
Indian School Road. Tim Wright, with John F. Long Properties replied that the site in 
Avondale was sold to Fulton homes. Chair Gene Derie continued that there are several 
housing developments proposed in the area, citing 99th Avenue and Camelback Road 
by the charter school (267 units), 99th Avenue and Indian School Road (228 units), 
111th Avenue and Camelback Road (194 units), east of Loop 101 near 95th Avenue 
and Indian School Road (501 units) and around 1,300 units in Avondale near 104th 
Avenue and Indian School Road. Chair Gene Derie added that he liked what is 
proposed on the east side of the freeway, but not what is proposed west of the freeway, 
concluding that the PUD was supposed to be the economic engine of Maryvale.  
 
Sandra Oviedo asked the applicant to clarify what the vocational campus is as depicted 
in the PUD area. Mr. Anderson replied that the West MEC campus is around 30-acres, 
it stands for the Western Maricopa Education Center, it provides vocation education in 
many fields such as healthcare, welding, aviation maintenance. Ms. Oviedo responded 
that the campus is a great addition, there is a need for more places like that in addition 
to access to healthy food.  
 
Joe Barba asked if the Chair’s concerns with the proposal was that it was too much 
housing. Chair Gene Derie replied affirmatively, sharing that there are many housing

City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
units planned for the area. Joe Barba replied that there are many people moving to 
Phoenix, and this is an opportunity to bring them to Maryvale, the population is going to 
increase significantly by 2030, they shouldn’t paint too much housing as a bad thing, 
and that there is a huge need for housing.  
 
Sandra Oviedo shared that there should be both housing and commercial uses in the 
community where people can work, live and play in the same area.  
 
Joe Barba shared that he is not disagreeing with committee member Oviedo, and that 
the people who are moving to the area are going into areas like Buckeye and then must 
commute to their jobs, which will contribute to congestion.  
 
Ken DuBose shared that he has lived in the area for 35 years, they are surrounded by 
a residential area, traffic is inevitable with growth, it is disappointing to see the City of 
Phoenix which has an affordable housing plan to not do some affordable housing at this 
site, this is the last largest land mass in Maryvale and the committee should be careful 
with this request, and that he wants to see more affordable housing and senior housing 
in the Village. Mr. Dubose added that the income needed for a one-bedroom in this 
proposal is $56,000, a schoolteacher does not make that amount, which confirms the 
need for affordable housing. Mr. DuBose asked the applicant to explain how they came 
up with the income needed for the housing units in the proposal. Mr. Anderson replied 
that the income calculations came from mortgage financing for the homes, and they 
have talked to the Housing Department about the project site potentially being within an 
employee-assisted program where employers help get their employees housing, and 
that the Housing Department does not have funds for that sort of program, but they 
know that the developer is interested in being involved if that program was ever created. 
 
Jeff O’Toole shared that he agreed with committee member Barba’s comments and 
there is a desire to draw talent to the area, but if nothing but housing is built on land 
available for commercial uses, they will miss the opportunity to have more places for 
people to work in the Village and to have more retail spaces. Mr. O’Toole concluded 
that he might be more amenable to the proposal if the housing to commercial land use 
ratio was closer to 50/50. Mr. Anderson replied that the proposal is 58% residential and 
42% commercial, and asked Mr. David Sellers with LGE Design Group to share about 
their plans for the commercial areas of the PUD. David Sellers, with LGE Design 
Group, shared that the two parcels within the PUD are incredible pieces of land, having 
housing nearby their planned commercial properties is a benefit to the employers, the 
buildings will be very nice and will draw in high-paying jobs, and that while they haven’t 
closed on the property yet they have the capital for the projects, they are a vertically-
integrated, they like the freeway visibility and that commercial tenants will see housing 
nearby as an asset.  
 
Sandra Oviedo asked if there are any long-term projects for when the community ages. 
Mr. Anderson replied they do not have any age-restricted projects proposed on the site, 
and that the area could accommodate the Next Gen style of development that Lennar 
offers.  
 
Chair Gene Derie commented that John F. Long’s dream for the Algodón Center PUD 
PCD was to have an employment center in Maryvale because they had already built 
enough housing, churches and schools in the Village.

City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
 
Public Comment: 
None.  
 
Item No. 6 GPA-MV-1-21-5 
Motion: 
Joe Barba motioned to recommended approval of GPA-MV-1-21-5 per the staff 
recommendation. Zeke Valenzuela seconded the motion.  
 
Discussion:  
Sandra Oviedo commented that she would like to see safe protected bike lanes within 
the subject site.  
 
Vote: 
4-5, Motion to approve fails, with Committee Members Barba, Cole, Oviedo, and 
Valenzuela in favor and committee members Battle, DuBose, O’Toole, Weber, and 
Derie opposed.  
 
Motion:  
Jeff O’Toole motioned to recommended denial of GPA-MV-1-21-5. Mike Weber 
seconded the motion. 
 
Vote: 
5-4, Motion to deny passes, with Committee Members Battle, DuBose, O’Toole, Weber, 
and Derie in favor and committee members Barba, Cole, Oviedo, and Valenzuela 
opposed. 
 
 
STAFF COMMENTS REGARDING VPC RECOMMENDATION: 
None.