Narrative

ATTN: City of Glendale – Development Services Department
5850 West Glendale Avenue
Glendale, Arizona 85301
RE: Sun Rise Luxury Apartments – Proposed Residential Community at 5544 
North 59th Avenue – Rezoning Narrative 
January 21st, 2022 
PROJECT SITE OVERVIEW AND REQUEST:
We are proposing development of a vacant property located on the west 
side of 59th Avenue and bounded by Missouri Avenue to the south and 
Montebello Avenue to the north.  The property is approximately 10 acres gross 
and 7.7 acres net.  The subject property is currently zoned C-2 General 
Commercial, and we are requesting rezoning to R-4 Multiple Residence to 
allow for the proposed use and density.   
The proposed project includes a120-unit, two story, luxury apartment 
residential community with accompanying leasing office, clubhouse, 
courtyards, and amenity areas.  The proposed density is 12 dwelling units per 
acre which is on the light side of the allowed 20 d.u./acre density under R-4.  
We believe that the proposed development is compatible in use, density, and 
character with the neighborhood and surrounding area.  This request is 
consistent with the City of Glendale 2040 General Plan, which clearly shows 
this property as medium to high density residential.  In addition, the 
surrounding properties to the north, northeast, west, southwest are similarly 
zoned R-4.  Therefore, allowing this property to convert into R-4 will merely 
extend the already established residential zoning district on the west side of 
59th Avenue.  The R-4 zoning within this property reduces the intensity of land 
use from the C-2 zoning allowed uses, and serves as an appropriate transition 
from the commercial and industrial properties to the east and south. 
Received January 21, 2022

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City of Glendale 2040 General Plan – partial area around subject site 
PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE: 
The project consists of the development of this vacant property into a 120-unit 
garden-style apartment residential community.  The units will be contained 
within nine (9) two-story buildings.  Two residential building sizes have been 
designed to provide variety in the building arrangement and massing.  
Buildings I, III, IV, VI, VII, and IX have footprints consisting of 8 units per floor for 
a total of 16 units each.  Buildings II, V, and VIII are smaller footprints providing 
4 units per floor for a total of 8 units per building.  The buildings have been 
arranged into smaller groupings of three residential buildings each, except for 
the central grouping, which includes the leasing/clubhouse building and the 
larger amenity areas.  This arrangement promotes smaller neighborhood 
clusters focusing on a common central courtyard. Arranging the buildings into

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smaller groupings allows the building massing to be reduced and facilitates 
improved distribution of parking areas.  The common courtyards created by 
the building groupings will be enhanced with useable open space areas such 
as: gardens, lawn areas, benches, playground equipment, picnic ramadas, 
BBQ grills, and other outdoor resident amenities. These outdoor areas will be 
further programmed, designed, and refined during subsequent phases of 
design.  A centrally located, one-story leasing office building will include 
space for a social clubhouse and fitness room for residents.  The clubhouse will 
have a large, covered patio for outdoor seating along the west side facing 
the proposed pool and amenity area.  This covered patio will also provide 
shade to the large areas of glass and sliding doors facing the amenity.  
Common mailboxes will be centrally located adjacent to the clubhouse, and 
convenient resident access from the internal pedestrian walkways will be 
provided.  
The apartment community will offer two types of units including 30 one-
bedroom, and 90 two-bedroom floor plan configurations.  Each unit will 
contain living and dining areas, kitchen, bathrooms, closets, washer and 
dryer, and other support spaces.  Each unit will have access to a ground-floor 
patio or balcony for second floor units.  The patios and balconies will be sized 
to provide a minimum of 100 sq. ft. of outdoor private open space.  An 
exterior storage closet will be provided to house the water heater and 
provide additional storage for each unit. 
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES AND ARTICULATION: 
The proposed residential community has been designed with quality of living 
in mind by providing a series of smaller buildings arranged around useable 
courtyards and landscaped areas that will visually enhance the living 
environment and provide opportunities for outdoor activities for the residents.  
Each of the residential buildings is further divided by entry passages, or 
breezeways, that allow air to flow from one side to another.  These 
breezeways also allow for visual and walking connections between the 
resident parking, residential units, and the interior courtyards.  Each 
breezeway will serve not more than 4 units per floor.  Therefore, creating a 
sense of smaller neighborhoods within each building.  Furthermore, the overall 
building arrangement has been divided up into three building clusters of 40 
units each. This smaller building grouping will create a sense of community 
within each cluster.  This arrangement also reduces the scale and monotony 
of larger connected buildings, and facilitates the break-up and even 
distribution of parking areas and vehicular circulation throughout the site. 
The residential buildings have been designed to respond to their location and 
surroundings.  The longer buildings have all been arranged with a north-south

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solar orientation, which is also perpendicular to 59th avenue to avoid long, 
linear building edges along the public ways.  The smaller buildings have 
limited east-west exposure, and they have all been located toward the 
middle of the site to keep the patios, balconies, and unit views away from the 
mobile park to the west and away from traffic noise at 59th Avenue to the 
east.   
The proposed architectural character will invoke a sophisticated, 
contemporary style with earthy tones of warm and neutral grays 
accentuated with light colored canopies, modern shadow-box elements, 
and entry features.  The accent desert color “Sonora Shade” will liven up the 
mostly warm-grey color scheme, and will brighten the development into a 
more friendly and joyful community.  This color selection was also influenced 
by the client-selected name of “SUN RISE”, which intends to uplift and bring a 
new hope for the start of each day.  The overhangs at patios, balconies, and 
resident entries have been designed to provide additional relief, contrast, 
and provide shade and shadow.  The entry breezeways which will lead into 
the units have been designed to visually divide the residential buildings into 
smaller components and help articulate the building massing.  Feature corner 
balcony units have been located toward the east side of the development to 
provide visually attractive architectural features along 59th Avenue.  The units 
located toward the west have been designed with balconies that focus views 
toward the inside of the development, and limit views toward the west 
boundary and the mobile park neighbors. 
The flat-roof structures will provide parapets that will fully screen all roof-top 
mechanical equipment, or other appurtenances.  The parapets and building 
massing will vary in height to avoid long uniform and monotonous building 
facades with vertical massing elements of varying colors, and coping cap 
features.  The proposed floor to floor height is 10’-6”, which will allow generous 
9’ ceilings inside the units.  The straight run for the stairs is the preferred 
configuration for move-ins, instead of switch back stairs and the challenges of 
maneuvering large items such as couches, beds, dressers, etc.  The proposed 
floor-to-floor height is less than 12’-0”; therefore, a single stair run is allowed by 
code. 
The buildings have been arranged into smaller courtyard configurations with 
inter-connecting 5’ concrete walkways.  The use of open space and 
proposed landscape concept is to provide low-water use plants around the 
perimeter of the property and the parking areas, and provide enhanced 
landscaped areas within the central courtyards, main amenity area, and the 
project entry.  The landscape areas will be irrigated with automatic systems 
and maintained by the developer, and/or management company.

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There is an existing 20’ alley along the western property line that separates the 
parcel from a mobile home park that is also zoned R-4.  The City of Glendale 
staff is recommending that we include the 20’ alley within our development 
to avoid an empty dirt area between our property and the existing mobile 
park to the west.  The current site plan follows this direction and includes the 
alley as a landscape buffer between the two properties.  Decomposed 
granite, ground cover, and some small shrubs will be maintained in that area.  
Tree planting in this area will not be possible, because of an existing sewer line 
and easement within the alley.   
CIRCULATION AND PARKING: 
The main entrance to the development is located toward the middle of the 
site along 59th Avenue.  Enhanced paving, landscape, lighting, and signage 
will be provided at the main entry for an extraordinary appearance and 
inviting first impression into the development.  Public vehicular access, guest 
parking, and turnaround is allowed near and around the leasing/clubhouse 
building.  The proposed enhanced paving area allows for a 105’ diameter 
turnaround per City of Glendale Fire Department standards.  A combination 
of stamped, colored concrete and pavers will be utilized to delineate and 
enhance the entry feature paving surface.   
Vehicular ingress and egress to the residential areas will be provided via two 
gated access points into the north and south areas of the community.  Both 
north and south sides provide adequate vehicular circulation with evenly 
distributed parking areas that are broken up into smaller parking fingers to 
minimize the impact of large asphalt areas.  Two exit-only driveways are 
proposed at the south and north sides of the project onto Missouri and 
Montebello.  These automatic gate-controlled exits will add convenience to 
residents in the far north and south areas of the community and will provide 
easy egress to emergency and service vehicles.  Landscape islands are 
generously distributed within the parking areas.  Covered parking spaces and 
carport structures have been located away from 59th Avenue to minimize 
visual impact.  One covered parking space per unit will be provided for a 
total of 120.  The carports provided will be pre-manufactured metal structures 
painted with the neutral base color to match and blend with the proposed 
buildings.  In addition, 32 single-car garages will be provided within four 
separate garage buildings of 8 garages each.  The two garage buildings 
along 59th Avenue will serve as additional parking screening from public view.  
These buildings will be a maximum of 12’ high and will also serve as step-
downs to visually reduce the massing of the two-story residential buildings.  
The character, materials, and colors will match the proposed buildings and 
will blend-in with the screen walls and view fencing concept.

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Access to the residential areas will be secured and gated with a combination 
of 6’ high solid screen wall, view fence, and combination of half-wall/half 
fence.  The location of each fence type will depend on visual impact, 
privacy, security, and some aesthetic considerations.  Vehicular gates at the 
main entrance will be controlled via two keypads near the center of the 
turnabout.  Design and refinement of the circulation near the gates, 
controllers, and operators will be fine-tuned during subsequent phases of 
design and technically reviewed during the design review process.  
Pedestrian gates will be controlled with resident electronic fobs. 
Typical 5’ wide concrete walkways will be provided throughout the 
community to interlace the various buildings and amenities, including various 
connections to the public sidewalks along the perimeter of the site.  These 
walkways will encourage pedestrian circulation and interaction between the 
residents.  The site has an existing 6’ wide separated sidewalk with enhanced 
landscape along the 59th Avenue right-of-way frontage.  Additional street 
improvements will be made along Missouri and Montebello.  A 5’ wide 
concrete sidewalk separated from the curb with a minimum of 5’ landscape 
will be provided along Missouri Avenue.  A 5’ concrete sidewalk will be 
provided along Montebello Avenue.  All proposed off-site improvements will 
be follow the City of Glendale standards. 
UTILITES AND PUBLIC SERVICES: 
The proposed project will utilize City of Glendale Water and Sewer Services.  It 
has been determined during previous conversations with the city engineering 
department staff that there is enough water and sewer capacity for this 
project along 59th Avenue, Missouri Avenue, and Montebello Avenue.  In 
addition, there is an existing sewer line within the 20’ existing alley along the 
western boundary of the property.  Emergency Services including Public 
Safety and Fire will also be provided by City of Glendale municipal services.  
Electrical power will be provided by Salt River Project. 
Based on projected demographics for the project, the 120-unit apartments 
are anticipated to house about 28 school-aged children.  The school districts 
in the vicinity are Glendale Elementary School district and Glendale High 
School Union #205.  We have contacted both school districts to confirm that 
there is adequate capacity for this project.  No response has been received 
as of this date.

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PRELIMINARY GRADING AND DRAINAGE INFORMATION: 
The proposed development will maintain existing flow patterns in the area 
and will not adversely impact drainage conditions on adjacent properties.  
Stormwater retention will be provided on-site for the 100-year 2-hour event in 
accordance with City of Glendale requirements.  Onsite runoff will be 
collected and routed to surface retention basins and underground retention 
tanks.  Conveyance of onsite flow will be accomplished using curb & gutter 
and underground storm drain pipes to proposed retention facilities. Drywells 
will be installed as necessary to empty basins and tanks within 36-hour of the 
rainfall event.   
The project is located within FEMA Flood Zone “X”.  The site does not have any 
Army Corp. of Engineers jurisdictional areas requiring a 404 Permit.   
Lowest floor elevations and/or flood proofing elevation(s) are sufficiently high 
to provide protection from flooding caused by a 100-year storm. 
REZONING JUSTIFICATION: 
The proposed project use and density is compatible with adjacent residential 
properties on the west side of 59th Avenue and to the north of this site.  The 
City of Glendale 2040 General Plan reinforces this request by delineating this 
property as a medium to high density residential use.  Allowing the rezoning of 
this property from C-2 General Commercial to R-4 Multiple Residence will 
reduce the intensity of use of the property including any future negative 
impacts to the existing residential neighborhoods from additional noise, odors, 
traffic, security, and other issues that are more prevalent in commercial uses.  
The inclusion of this high-quality residential development, as part of the 
already established residential communities within this area, will ensure that 
the residential characteristics of the area are maintained and enhanced.  
Also, the proposed community will serve as a proper transition from the higher 
intensity uses on the east side of 59th Avenue and south of Missouri Avenue 
which include commercial and industrial uses.   
The current site zoning of C-2 General Commercial allows for a multitude of 
commercial uses: restaurants, retail and grocery stores, professional offices, 
automotive services, laundry and dry-cleaning services, mortuaries, veterinary 
clinics, childcare centers, medical or dental clinics, churches, financial 
institutions, and bars, among others.  Depending on the mix of tenants and 
uses, the potential for added noise, odors, traffic, and safety concerns is 
increased.  The parking characteristics of commercial properties and the 
transient nature of its uses will generate increased daily trips to and from the 
site throughout the day.  Specially, restaurants and bars, which would

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generate high volumes of traffic during morning, mid-day, and evening hours.  
This would include truck deliveries of supplies, added removal of trash, and 
cleaning of grease traps for restaurant uses.  Odors from kitchen hoods, trash 
bins, and grease traps are also intensified with commercial uses.  Safety is also 
of concern depending on the nature and quality of the store, restaurant, bar, 
and its patrons. 
Retail stores, offices, and medical offices and clinics would also generate 
additional traffic during the daytime and early evening hours.  Offices and 
Medical offices require a higher ratio of parking spaces per square feet of 
building area than multi-family residential uses.  Per the city of Glendale 
requirements, the minimum Retail parking ratio is 1 space per 250 sq. ft.  Office 
is 1 space per 300 sq. ft.  Medical Office is 1 space per 150 sq. ft.  Free-
standing Restaurant and Bar uses are 1 space per 100 sq. ft.  In contrast, the 
proposed multi-family development reduces these parking requirements by 
half, or more in some cases, to about 1 space per 570 sq. ft.  (estimated 
based on total residential area proposed and parking provided, for 
comparison).  According to the traffic statement prepared for the proposed 
residential community, the maximum number of daily trips expected will not 
affect the existing capacity of the adjacent roads, and will not impact 
nearby traffic control.  Based on our calculations, commercial uses will at 
least double, or even triple, the amount of traffic coming and going into this 
site.  Commercial uses would likely bring in customers from other areas and 
increase transient, temporary traffic to and from this site.  Additional noise and 
odors from increased traffic and commercial vehicles may occur. 
Unless the property gets subdivided and sold into smaller pieces, large 
Commercial developments are typically planned and built as a shell, then 
leased to prospective tenants.  Generally, the developer does not get to 
determine the retail tenants that will occupy the building.  That is determined 
through a marketing campaign by a retail broker to find the businesses 
interested in the location and demographics.  Therefore, the market 
determines the commercial tenants, uses, sizes, and their quality.  Based on 
the existing residential developments, and demographics in this area, it is very 
likely that any potential commercial use within this property will not attract 
high-quality businesses to this location.  The property is not large enough to 
attract the larger “power centers” with larger anchor stores.  The narrow site 
depth would not permit that type of development which would provide a 
higher chance of success as a commercial property.  Also, those types of 
larger, established tenants prefer locations near main intersections of two 
arterial streets.  Therefore, if this site were to remain as a commercial property, 
it will likely attract smaller strip center, type uses like smaller restaurants with 
drive-through lanes, neighborhood bar/lounge, small convenience stores, 
service retail like dry-cleaning, laundromats, automotive shops, veterinary

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clinics, pawn shops, etc.  Furthermore, smaller new businesses always have 
low rate of success and turnover is likely. 
In addition, with the recent pandemic and current economic trends, people 
are moving away from retail and office spaces.  They are getting a lot of their 
goods and services online and delivered at home.  Commercial and Office 
developments have been shrinking and adjusting to a new normal.  It is 
anticipated that this trend will continue as the delivery of goods and remote 
services continue to improve and get more sophisticated virtually.  The 
population growth in the Phoenix metropolitan area continues to expand, 
and the need for additional housing continues to grow.  These factors 
reinforce the request of allowing the conversion of the proposed site into R-4 
Multiple Residence which will greatly improve the possibility of brining a high-
quality and successful project that will help rejuvenate the area along 59th
Avenue.   
CLOSING STATEMENT: 
The immediate area to this site, along 59th Avenue is aging and in disrepair, 
full of old, small, rundown shops, and old houses converted into second-hand 
commercial uses.  The only bright spots in the immediate area are the 
apartment communities located on both sides of 59th Avenue, and Bonsall 
Park, just north of the proposed site.  The proposed project will help 
rejuvenate, update, and uplift a good portion of 59th Avenue frontage with a 
very desirable residential community.  This residential community will upgrade 
and attract new residents to this area to be closer to Downtown Glendale, 
Grand Canyon University, Glendale Community College, entertainment 
venues, and other employment and education centers in the vicinity. 
We are proposing a high-quality residential project that is consistent with the 
needs and character of the area.  The proposed building layout is responsive 
to its surroundings and incorporates generous landscaped areas that will be 
visible and inviting from the perimeter of the site and will enhance the 
neighborhood.  The two-story buildings will maintain a residential scale and 
massing that is appropriate and comparable with other multi-family 
residential projects nearby.  The clean, contemporary architectural styling will 
serve as an effective transition from the commercial properties to the east 
and will provide a softer edge to the residential properties to the west.  Any 
traffic impact will be minimized in contrast to commercial uses.  This project 
will help enhance and revitalize this neighborhood, and hopefully will help 
attract other similar quality projects in the near future.  The vision of the 2040 
Glendale General plan reinforces this request, and we believe that approving 
this request will result in the best possible fit for this site and the Glendale 
community.