Planning Staff Report

City of Glendale — Regular Meeting (2022-01-11)

View PDF Item 29 Meeting page

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SUBJECT 
 
Amberlin Arrowhead- GPA21-07, ZON21-19: A request by Brian Greathouse on behalf 
of Burch & Cracchiolo, PA, representing Empire Residential Communities Fund, III LLC, 
for a Minor General Plan Amendment from PC (Planned Commercial) to HDR-30 (High 
Density Residential 20-30 du/ac) designation and Rezone approximately 7.44 acres site 
from PAD (Planned Area Development) zoning district to PAD (Planned Area 
Development) zoning district to allow for an active adult (55+) senior multifamily 
development.  The site is located north of the northwest corner of 51st Avenue and Bell 
Road in the Cholla District.  Staff Contact: Alex Lerma, Planning Project Manager, (623) 
930-2810. 
 
REQUESTS 
 
1. Minor General Plan Amendment from PC (Planned Commercial) to HDR-30 (High 
Density Residential 20-30 du/ac); and  
 
2. Rezone approximately 7.44 acres site from PAD (Planned Area Development) 
zoning district to PAD (Planned Area Development) zoning district.  
 
APPLICANT/OWNER 
 
Brian Greathouse on behalf of Burch & Cracchiolo, PA, representing Empire Residential 
Communities Fund, III LLC. 
 
REQUIRED ACTION 
 
The Planning Commission must conduct a public hearing and determine if this request 
is in the best long-term interest of the neighborhood and consistent with the General 
Plan. 
 
SUMMARY 
 
The applicant seeks to amend the existing 51 Campana PAD to create a mixed-used 
development that combines residential and nonresidential land uses. The PAD 
PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT 
 
CASE: 
AMBERLIN ARROWHEAD  
CASE #: 
GPA21-07 & ZON21-19 
MEETING DATE: 
December 2, 2021 
FROM: 
Alex Lerma, Planner, Planning Project Manager, 
alerma@glendaleaz.com, 623-930-2810

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amendment will accommodate for a 204-unit multifamily active adult project to 
accommodate residents aged 55 years and older. The development will include 
approximately 128 one-bedroom units and 76 two-bedroom units in a 4-story building. 
Main access to the site is proposed along 51st Avenue with a secondary access along the 
private drive to the south of the property.  
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
 
General Plan Designation: 
The property land use designation is PC (Planned Commercial). 
 
Zoning:  
The current zoning classification is PAD (Planned Area Development).  
 
Property Location and Size: 
The property is located at the north of the northwest corner of 51st Avenue and Bell Road                      
and is approximately 7.44 acres in size. 
 
Adjacent Uses and Zoning:  
North: Touchstone Residential Subdivision, R1-8 PRD (City of Glendale Zoning)  
East: Commercial shopping center, PSC (City of Phoenix)  
South: Fast-food chain restaurants and Dignity Health, PAD (City of Glendale Zoning) 
West:  Self-storage facility, PAD (City of Glendale Zoning) 
 
Project History:  
On April 11, 2017, City Council approved ZON16-02 to rezone a 20.74-acre property from 
B-P (Business Park) to PAD (Planned Area Development) allowing for a mixed-use 
development known as 51 Campana PAD.  
 
On May 28, 2019, City Council approved ZON18-15 to amend the 51 Campana PAD 
development standards and add additional entitlements to the mix-use development.   
 
Project Details: 
The applicant seeks to amend the existing 51 Campana PAD to create a mixed-used 
development that combines residential and nonresidential land uses and meet the defined 
purpose of the Planned Area Development (PAD) zoning district under Section 5.900 of 
the Zoning Ordinance. Through the PAD narrative, the applicant has provided a 
Conceptual Site Plan, design elements, development guidelines and developments 
standards to make the residential use compatible with the existing uses within the PAD.  
 
The PAD amendment will accommodate for a 204-unit multifamily community designed 
to accommodate residents aged 55 years and older who are looking to maintain an active 
lifestyle by providing a wide variety of amenities and services on site. The development 
will include approximately 128 one-bedroom units and 76 two-bedroom units in a 4-story 
building. The multifamily community is designed for all areas of the site to have easy 
access to the surrounding roadways and pedestrian sidewalks. 
 
The applicant has taken extensive design initiatives of the buildings, layouts, building 
setbacks, and landscape to ensure compatibility with the single-family homes to the north 
of the site, and through such design, provide a more effective buffer between both 
residential uses. Design initiatives includes, utilizing a one-story clubhouse, designing the

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central/middle “wing” of the building to line up proximate to the open retention area to the 
north (as opposed to single family homes), placed the amenity areas on the north side of 
the building and pushed the west-east portion of the building approximately 170 feet away 
from the north property line, and placed one-story garages on the north portion of the Site 
to give the appearance of a single-family home like elevation. Further, the trash 
enclosures have been moved away from the single-family homes and a robust heavily 
landscaped buffer is provided in the northern setback area.  
 
Based on the current 51 Campana PAD being oriented to commercial uses and 
development, as part of the PAD amendment, the applicant is proposing the following 
Development Standards to accommodate the proposed multifamily use. Such standards 
will be exclusive to the project site.  
 
Site Development Standards  
PAD  
Max. Residential Density  
 
30 DU/AC 
Min. Open Space % 
 
25% 
Min. Landscape Setback 
20’ – 51st Avenue  
 
0’ – South Property Line of Site (Min. of 8’ 
landscape area to be provided on north 
side of interior private drive curb)  
 
10’ – West Property Line of Site 
 
10’ North Property Line of Site  
 
Min. Building Perimeter Setback  
20’ - 51st Avenue  
10’ - South Property Line  
10’ – West Property Line of Site 
60’ – North Property Line of Site 
 
Max. Building Height  
48 feet  
 
Max. Lot Coverage % 
55% 
 
Screening  
Garages may be provided in lieu of 
parking lot screen walls.  
 
Min. Landscape Area 
49.5% 
 
Min. Parking Stall dimension 
9’ X 18’ 
 
Min. Private Open Space per DU, 
balcony/patio SF 
65 SF per DU (average of 85 SF per DU) 
Accessory Building Perimeter Setback  
10’

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Land Use  
Parking Ratio 
Multifamily Residential  
Min. 1.35 space per unit; inclusive of guest 
parking spaces.  
 
No Maximum Parking Spaces 
 
Site amenities will include a pool area with lap lanes, water wall and a shallow area for 
exercise purposes, the pool area will be surrounded by a lunge areas. An outdoor dining 
area with outdoor kitchen and shade structures will be provided near the pool area. A 
pickle ball court will be located next to a natural turf event/yoga area. A dog yard with 
natural turf, a tree bosque on natural turf and outdoor lounge area with fire feature will be 
located west of the site.  
 
The project site’s main access will be by way of 51st Avenue with a secondary access to 
the south of the property along the existing private drive.   
 
CERTIFICATE OF ADEQUATE SCHOOL FACILITIES:  
 
Amberlin Arrowhead is located within the Deer Valley Unified School District. The 
applicant reached out to the school districts to ensure that there are adequate school 
facilities in their respective districts. The applicant provided a response deadline of August 
14, 2021. The district did not respond back before the deadline and it was deemed that 
there are adequate school facilities for the proposed zoning. A copy of the certificate is 
provided as attachments. 
 
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION TO DATE: 
 
Applicant’s Citizen Participation Process: 
On April 27, 2021, the applicant mailed notification letters to adjacent property owners 
and interested parties for the initial neighborhood meeting. On September 14, 2021, the 
applicant again sent out notification letters for a second neighborhood meeting.  The 
applicant held the first virtual neighborhood meeting on May 12, 2021. Two (2) residents 
attended said meeting, those in attendance did not have any issues with the development. 
The second virtual neighborhood meeting was held September 29, 2021. One (1) resident 
was in attendance who had no issues with the project. Planning did not receive any 
response regarding the request. The applicant’s Citizen Participation Final Report is 
attached. 
 
Planning Commission Public Hearing: 
A Notice of Public Hearing was published in The Arizona Republic on November 10, 2021. 
Notification postcards of the public hearing were mailed to adjacent property owners and 
interested parties on November 13, 2021. The property was posted on November 15, 
2021. 
 
STAFF FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS: 
 
Required General Plan Findings: 
A. Amendments to the General Plan of the City of Glendale shall be approved only if:

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1. The amendment is consistent with the policies and objectives of the rest of the 
General Plan; and 
2. The proposed amendment furthers the public health, safety and general welfare 
of the citizens of Glendale. 
B. If the amendment is to the Land Use Map, an additional finding must be made that 
the proposed change will be compatible with other land uses, existing or planned, in 
the vicinity. 
Required Zoning Findings: 
 
Section 5.913 of the Zoning Ordinance requires the following finding to be met prior to 
approval of a PAD (Planned Area Development) district: 
 
The Planning Commission shall find that the PAD application is consistent with the 
purpose of the district. The Commission evaluation shall include land use mixture, land 
use categories, land use intensities, and the proposed development standards. 
 
Purpose: 
 
Section 5.901 of the Zoning Ordinance states that the purpose of the PAD (Planned Area 
Development) district is to: 
 
A. Encourage creative and effective use of land and circulation systems to accommodate 
changes in land development technologies. 
 
B. Encourage residential development to provide a mixture of housing types and designs. 
 
C. Encourage innovative development or redevelopment concepts for all land use types 
to provide a greater variety and intensity of uses. 
 
D. Provide a process which relates the urban design and scale of project to the unique 
characteristics of the site. 
 
E. Require the nature and intensity of development to be supported by adequate utilities, 
transportation, drainage, and common open spaces to serve the development and to 
minimize impact on existing or future adjacent development. 
 
F. Encourage development that is consistent with the policies and the guidelines 
established in any specific plan and the General Plan. 
 
Staff Findings: 
• 
The amendment is consistent with the policies and objectives of the Glendale 
General Plan; 
• 
The proposed amendment furthers the public health, safety and general welfare of 
the citizens of Glendale; and 
• 
If the amendment is made to the official Zoning Map, the proposed change will 
include any conditions necessary to mitigate any adverse impacts on the 
businesses, persons, or properties adjacent to the requested amendment.

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• 
A finding is made that there are adequate school facilities, if the amendment is to 
the Official Zoning Map, and if Section 3.812 (Adequate School Facilities) is 
applicable. 
Staff Analysis:  
 
• The proposed amendment is consistent with several of the Goals and Policies 
depicted within the Envision Glendale 2040 such as the following:  
 
• Land Use Element Goal LU-1: Development is guided by sound growth 
management.  
•  Policy LU-1.1: The City shall ensure that sufficient infrastructure is in place for 
desired land uses.  
• There is adequate infrastructure surrounding the Site with 51st Ave located 
adjacent to the Site and Bell Road to the south of the Site. Further, the Site is 
located in an area with existing and planned commercial, retail, employment 
and medium-density residential uses and this Minor GPA is compatible and 
complementary to the area.  
 
• Land Use Element Goal LU-3; Land uses tie into existing and future transportation 
systems.  
• Policy LU-3.6: The City should encourage developers to establish densities of at 
least 15 dwelling units per acre for new residential development in areas within a 
quarter mile radius of high-capacity transit stations.  
• There are existing transportation systems available within the area to serve 
the proposed residential-uses that will be 15 dwelling units per acre. This 
Minor GPA further complements the area and places more high-density 
residential uses, promoting additional ridership and use of the City’s 
transportation systems. Valley Metro’s Route 170 is a high-capacity transit 
route that runs along Bell Road.  
 
• Housing Element Goal HE-6: Residential areas relate to workplaces.  
• Policy HE-6.2: The City shall encourage housing in close proximity to designated 
employment areas.  
• The Bell Road corridor includes a substantial amount of retail trade and 
employment opportunities. The Minor GPA and the proposed multifamily 
housing on the Site are located within close proximity of the Bell Road 
corridor providing a vast number of employment opportunities for residents 
within this area of Glendale.  
 
•  Economic Development Element Goal ED-1: Glendale has a diversified economy. 
•  Policy ED-1.6: The City should monitor the Bell Road corridor and Sports and 
Entertainment District to ensure the corridors remain fresh and relevant to the 
current economic potential; and, continually explore opportunities to upgrade the 
tenant mix or enhance with residential opportunities.  
• This Minor GPA responds to market demand for more mixed-use 
development in this area and further supports the Bell Road corridor with 
shoppers to support local businesses. Further, the proposed mixed-use 
development on the Site will upgrade the tenant mix in this area with fresh 
and relevant users in the marketplace.

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PAD Zoning Analysis:  
 
• The proposed project meets the intent of the PAD zoning district by creating a 
mix of land uses and intensity of use. The project provides a mix of high-density 
multi-family and commercial uses which meets the intent and the purpose of a 
PAD. 
 
• The project proposes a 204 dwelling units (27.4 du/ac) multi-family project on a 
7.44-acre lot. 
  
• The project will include approximately 128 one-bedroom units and 76 two-
bedroom units in a 4-story building.  
 
• The project will provide a minimum of 25% open space with various amenities 
located throughout the site including a dog park, a pool area, a yoga lawn, club 
house, and lounge areas.  
 
•  The applicant has provided extensive design initiatives of the buildings, site 
layout, building setbacks, and landscape to ensure compatibility with the single-
family homes to the north of the site, and through such design, provide a more 
effective buffer between both residential uses. 
 
• The on-site traffic is adequately planned to permit safe and efficient circulation.  
 
• The Transportation Department has reviewed the projects Traffic Impact 
Statement (TIS) and approves the findings. 
 
• There are adequate school facilities for the proposed project.  
 
• All applicable city departments have reviewed the application and recommended 
approval of the application. Stipulations have been added to ensure quality 
development.  
 
RECOMMENDATION 
 
Should the Planning Commission motion to recommend approval of GPA21-07, it 
should be as written.  
 
Should the Planning Commission recommend approval of ZON21-19, it should be subject 
to the following stipulations:  
 
1. Development shall be in substantial conformance to the PAD Booklet entitled 
“Amberlin Arrowhead,” date stamped October 8, 2021. 
 
2. The developer will be required to coordinate with the City of Phoenix on the 
Roadway R/W requirements, Roadway typical section requirements (lighting, 
sidewalk, bike lanes, bus bays, etc.) and Roadway access location and type along 
51st Avenue.  
 
 
PROPOSED MOTIONS

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Action on this request will require two motions: 
 
• Move to recommend approval of GPA21-07, as written.  
 
• Move to recommend approval of ZON21-19, subject to the two (2) stipulations 
contained in the staff report. 
 
 
ATTACHMENTS: 
1. Applicant’s Narrative, date stamped October 8, 2021. 
2. Citizen Participation Final Report (without mailing labels), 
approved October 11, 2021. 
3. Prop. 207 Waiver 
4. TIA Executive Summary 
5. Certificate of Adequate Schools 
6. Vicinity Zoning Map. 
7. Aerial Photograph, dated October 2020. 
8. Presentation