Staff Report

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DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION 
 REQUEST REVIEW 
March 16, 2021 
 
APPLICANT INFORMATION 
Case: 
PZ21-02-06 
Owner/Applicant: 
Adam McKnight, Microsoft Corporation 
Agent: 
Avery Africa. Jacobs Engineering   
Request (s): 
Site Plan Approval 
 
 
PROPERTY INFORMATION 
Parcel(s): 
501-46-854 
Address: 
12901 W. Olive Avenue, El Mirage, Arizona 85335 
Property History: 
EI Employment/Industry 
Land Area: 
6,534,000 sf. ft. (150.0 ac.)  
Building Area: 
Vacant 
 
 
ZONING / LAND USES 
Existing Zoning/Land Use: 
EI Employment Industry/ Industrial 
Proposed Zoning/Land Use: 
EI Employment Industry/ Industrial 
ARS 28-8481 Zone: 
70-80 LDN 
Flood Zone: 
N/A 
  
 
SURROUNDING PROPERTY 
North: 
EI Employment Industry/Agricultural 
East: 
EI Employment Industry/Agricultural/Industrial 
South: 
EI Employment Industry/Agricultural 
West: 
Rural-43/Industrial (Maricopa County) 
 
 
COMMUNITY SERVICES 
Water: 
City of El Mirage 
Sewer: 
EPCOR (Private Company)  
Electric: 
APS 
Police: 
1.5 Miles 
Fire: 
3.75 Miles 
 
 
ACCESS  
Road: 
Olive Avenue/Dysart Road 
Class: 
Major Arterial  
Improvements: 
Good 
Condition: 
Good 
SCHOOLS 
District: 
Dysart Unified School District 
Elementary: 
Dysart Elementary School 
High School: 
Dysart High School

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STAFF REPORT 
Compliance with General 
Plan: 
The 2020 General Plan designates this area as part of 
Commerce / Industry Park Planning Area, where the 
proposed Site Plan for a Warehouse (Data Center) is 
compatible with the General Plan.   
 
City Zoning/Land Use  
A Warehouse (Data Center) Land Use is permitted by right in 
an Employment/Industry (E/I) zoning district but requires a 
review and recommendation from the Planning Commission 
and a final action from Council for the site plan to be 
approved, and for the project to continue with the 
construction permitting process.  
 
ARS 28-8481 Land Use 
Compatibility 
The site is located inside the Luke Air Force Base (LAFB) Noise 
Contour Zone, and the Military Airport Territory Area and is 
subject  to review from LAFB for land use compatibility with ARS 
28-8481.  
 
Considerations: 
The applicant is requesting the approval of a site plan for the 
addition of a second 250,000 square foot data center 
building at the southeast corner of Olive Avenue and Dysart 
Road. In 2019 the first 250,000 square foot data center 
building was approved and is currently under construction 
with a Certificate of Occupancy issued for some sections of 
the building.  
 
When completed, the second data center building will support 
the storage and operation of computer servers within a series of 
data halls with a small administrative office area for personnel. 
The facility will be secured 24-hours per day, 365-days per year. 
 
Twenty-one, diesel-fueled emergency generators will be 
installed for the proposed project. The proposed generators will 
be permitted with the Maricopa County Air Quality Department 
(MCAQD) and will be operated in accordance with applicable, 
MCAQD, State of Arizona, and federal requirements. The 
generators are for emergency backup power only. Each 
generator will include an approximately 10,000-gallon capacity 
diesel storage tank, and the administration area generator will 
include an approximately 3,000-gallon capacity diesel storage 
tank. 
 
Parking Waiver, the applicant is requesting a parking waiver to 
reduce the number of parking spaces from the required 
approximately 250 spaces to 54 spaces. Per Zoning Code 
§154.105 (E)(2), one space is required for every 1,000 square feet 
of floor area devoted to storage of goods, plus one space for 
each employee on maximum shift, and one space for each 
company truck not stored inside of building. The 54 spaces would

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accommodate the employees and visitors since the site is closed 
to the general public and customers. City Staff has no objection 
to the parking waiver request.  
 
City Staff Review 
Staff has reviewed the proposed site plan application and 
has no further comments.    
 
Stipulations: 
The applicant shall address all the Technical Advisory 
Committee (TAC) comments/redlines with the construction 
and civil plan submittal.  
 
Planning Commission 
 
Staff will be seeking a recommendation from the Planning 
Commission at the March 9, 2021, Public Meeting.     
 
Council  
Staff is seeking a final action.      
 
Attachment 
Application Packet and Technical Advisory Committee 
Review Comments.   
 
The Following documents are available for review at the El 
Mirage Community Development Planning & Zoning Division: 
1. Deed – Tile Report 
2. Civil Plans 
3. Sewer Discharge Total Calculations 
4. Aerial Site Plan Exhibit