Planning Commission Staff Report

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PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
CASE:
GPA21-11 & ZON21-27 Glendale on Centerline located east of the
southeast corner of 67th Avenue and Glendale Avenue.
CASE #:
GPA21-11 & ZON21-27
MEETING DATE:
03/24/2022
FROM:
Alejandro Lerma, Planner, Planning, alerma@glendaleaz.com,
SUBJECT
GPA21-11 & ZON21-27 Glendale on Centerline located east of the southeast corner of 67th
Avenue and Glendale Avenue - A request by Stephen W. Anderson on behalf of Gammage &
Burnham, PLC, representing Saia Family Limited Partnership, for a Minor General Plan Amendment
from HDR20 (High Density Residential 12.0 - 20.0 du/ac) to DMU (Downtown Mixed-Use
designation) and a Rezone for a 14.6-acre site from R-4 (Multiple Residence) zoning district to PAD
(Planned Area Development) zoning district. The site is located east of the southeast corner of 67th
Avenue and Glendale Avenue in the Ocotillo District.  Staff Contact: Alex Lerma, Planner, (623) 930-
2810.
 
REQUEST
1. Minor General Plan Amendment for HDR20 (High Density Residential 12.0 – 20.0 du/ac) to
DMU (Downtown Mixed-Use); and
2. Rezone approximately 14.6-acres from R-4 (Multiple Residence) zoning district to PAD
(Planned Area Development) zoning district.
APPLICANT/OWNER
Stephen W. Anderson on behalf of Gammage & Burnham, PLC, representing Saia Family Limited
Partnership
 
REQUIRED ACTION
The Planning Commission must conduct a public hearing and determine if this request is in the best
long-term interest of this neighborhood and consistent with the General Plan. 
SUMMARY
The applicant requests to develop the subject property into a mixed-use development that combines
affordable housing and limited commercial uses on approximately 14.6-acre site. The land use
action will allow for 368 residential unit (25.14 du/ac) distributed among eight (8) buildings with the
limited commercial uses designated on the first floor of a four-story building abutting Glendale
Avenue. The development access will be by way of Glendale Avenue and 67th Avenue. 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
General Plan Designation:
The property land use designation is HDR20 (High Density Residential 12.0 – 20.0 du/ac).

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Zoning:
The current zoning is R-4 (Multiple Residence).
Property Location and Size:
The subject property includes approximately 4.6 acres located east of the southeast corner of 67th
Avenue and Glendale Avenue.  The site is located in the Ocotillo District.
Adjacent Uses and Zoning:
North: Adolph’s auto repair, C-2
East: Glendale Manor Apartments, C-3 & R-4
South: Ocotillo Place West Apartments, R-4
West: Maricopa County Superior Court, San Martín Apartments, C-3 & R-4
History:
The site comprises four separate parcels. The site has historically been used for agricultural
purposes.
 
The property does not have any recent land use actions. 
Project Details:
The applicant seeks to develop the site into a 368 unit (25.14 du/ac) affordable housing project with
limited commercial uses on an approximately 14.6-acre site. The project will consist of nine
buildings.  Seven of the buildings will be three stories for residential units. The building facing
Glendale Avenue will consist of four stories with residential units on the top three floors and a first
floor dedicated to limited commercial uses. The ninth building will be a one-story building located
south of the site for amenities/clubhouse use.
The buildings are facing the street and located closer to the sidewalk. The parking area is located
behind the buildings to provide more of an urban design type of development. This type of design
will allow the site to take advantage of the multi-modal opportunities right outside the property
perimeters. The four buildings along the three street frontages face the street at a 10-foot setback,
with front door units on the first floor facing the street. No perimeter wall will be required along the
streets, giving the community an open, urban campus feel. Instead of the parking area facing the
street, which is more common in the area, the development will locate all the parking areas to the
site's interior. 
In order to achieve the desired urban style site layout, the applicant proposes the following
Development Standards to accommodate the proposed mix-development. The table below
compares the existing zoning development standards and those that the applicant is proposing.
 
Standard
Existing (R-4)
Development Standards
Proposed PAD
Development Standards
Density and Number of
Dwelling Units
20 du/ac
30 du/ac; 368 units
maximum for the overall site
Building Setbacks (street
frontage)
20 feet, increase 1 foot to 1
foot ratio for buildings over
20 feet
10 feet
Minimum Perimeter (non-
street frontage external to the
overall site)
20 feet, increase 1 foot to 1
foot ratio for buildings over
20 feet
20 feet
Accessory Building Setbacks
Per Section 7.301 of the
Per Section 7.301 of the

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Glendale Zoning Ordinance
Glendale Zoning Ordinance
Minimum Net Lot Area
6,000 SF
5 acres
Minimum Width
60 feet
300 feet
Minimum Depth
94 feet
200 feet
Private Open Space
100 SF per dwelling unit
70 SF per dwelling unit
Public Open Space
30% exclusive of parking
areas
23 % exclusive of parking
areas
Lot Coverage
50%
30%
Parking (Multi-family)
Studio or 1 Bedroom:
1 space
 
2 or more Bedrooms:
2 spaces
 
1 Designated guest space
for every 3 units
 
689 spaces
488 spaces for the overall
site. 482 spaces are
unreserved, and intended for
residents. 6 spaces will be
reserved for visitor parking
for the ground floor of
Building A.  If the project is
phased, there must be at
least 245 spaces provided
with any single phase.
Building Heights (Maximum
Structure Height)
30 feet, two story maximum
for principal buildings
Building A: 4 stories
(60 feet)
 
Building B thru D and
 F thru I:
 3 stories (40 feet)
 
Building E: 1 story
(25 feet)
 
Walls
6’ on property lines
No screen walls required
adjacent to public right-of-
way; 6’ screen walls along
shared property lines with
private properties adjacent to
the overall site.
Site amenities will be distributed throughout the site. There will be a traditional single story amenity
building located to the central south area of the site, featuring a community room, an outdoor splash
pad and playground area. A pedestrian path will be located encircling the entire site perimeter and
internally leading to each building and to the other site amenities. A dog park will be located east of
the site along with another open space area between building B and C. 
Two points of access are being proposed for the development. One point of access will be located
along Glendale Avenue, with a secondary point of access along 67th Avenue. A preliminary master
site plan is included within the PAD Booklet. 
CERTIFICATE OF ADEQUATE SCHOOL FACILITIES:
Centerline on Glendale is located within the Glendale Unified School District (including Glendale
Elementary School District and Glendale Union High School District). The applicant reached out to
the school districts to ensure adequate school facilities in their respective districts. The applicant
provided a response deadline of October 25, 2021. The district did not respond 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.

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CITIZEN PARTICIPATION TO DATE:
Applicant’s Citizen Participation Process:
On October 25, 2021, the applicant mailed notification letters to adjacent property owners and
interested parties. On November 3, 2021, the applicant held a virtual neighborhood meeting. Three
residents attended the meeting.There were no concerns or issues expressed during said meeting.
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 March 2, 2022. Notification
postcards of the public hearing were mailed to adjacent property owners and interested parties on
March 4, 2022.  The property was posted on March 4, 2022.
STAFF FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
Required General Plan Findings:
A. Amendments to the General Plan of the City of Glendale shall be approved only if: 
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.

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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;
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; and
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
 
General Plan 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-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.
Gorman (the applicant) has selected this site because of its proximity to various
bus lines. Thus, this project meets this Goal, and all of its underlying policies,
including Policy LU-3.6, which calls for a minimum density of 15 du/ac within a
quarter mile of intense transit service areas. Here, those bus routes are literally on
the doorstep of the site.
 
Land Use Element Goal LU4: Mixed-use projects provide urban clusters with housing, retail,
restaurants and integrated transit facilities in Glendale.
Policy LU-4.1: The City should support and facilitate the creation of mixed-use projects
that locate housing, employment, retail, entertainment, and services in condensed areas
to support walk ability and reduced vehicle trips.
Centerline on Glendale meets this Goal, and all of its underlying policies. The
current General plan designation does not allow Mixed Uses, but the DMU
designation does, thus allowing the Community’s proposed ground floor uses
facing Glendale Avenue. In addition, the Community specifically meets Policy LU-
4.4, which aspires to vertically mixed uses.

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Housing Element Goal HE-3: Glendale has housing options that meet the range of
socioeconomic needs of the City’s current and future residents.
Policy HE-5.2: The City shall encourage housing developments to incorporate the
highest possible cost- and quality-effective level of amenities, sustainable design,
durability, and architectural quality.
This Community will have high quality architectural design outside and amenities,
fixtures and finished inside.
 
Growth Area Element Goal GA-4: Growth Areas are connected by a mix of pedestrian, bicycle,
transit and vehicular connectivity.
Policy GA-4.1: The City should program and develop access from key high-volume
transportation facilities to high intensity nodes in Growth Areas.
The General Plan identifies the Glendale Centerline area as one of the City’s
Growth Areas, where, “Particular attention is directed toward preserving residential
affordability and value in areas principally along the panning area periphery.” That
is an apt description of this proposal. The PAD reduction in parking is an essential
element of meeting Goal GA-4’s emphasis on transit and walkability, as opposed to
an auto-dominant development.
 
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 that meets the intent and the purpose of a PAD.
The project's proposed land uses will complement existing land uses and provide
commercial and housing options along a major intersection.
This development will serve a need in the community for an otherwise site that has
remained vacant and undeveloped for several years.
The applicant has provided extensive design initiatives of the buildings and the overall
site to achieve a more urban style design of the site, something unique to the area. The
buildings are proposed to be pushed towards the sidewalk with the parking area located
behind the buildings.
No perimeter wall will be required along the project's street frontage, providing the project
with more of a welcoming environment. 
The on-site traffic is adequately planned to permit safe and efficient circulation.
The Transportation Department has reviewed the project's Traffic Impact Statement (TIS)
and approved the findings.
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 GPA21-11, it should be as
written.
Should the Commission recommend approval of ZON21-27, it should be subject to the following
stipulations:

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1. Development shall be in substantial conformance with the PAD Booklet titled “Centerline on
Glendale” date stamped February 4, 2022.
2. A turn lane on 67th Avenue northbound shall be required, such lane shall be designed to a
length of 150’ turn lane + 100’ Taper.
3. A 30’ x 30’ right-of-way triangle shall be dedicated at the corner of 67th Avenue and Ocotillo
Road.
4. The new sidewalk on 67th Avenue shall be 6-feet wide and detached from the curb. 
PROPOSED MOTION
Move to recommend approval of GPA21-11, as written.
Move to recommend approval of ZON21-27, subject to the stipulations contained in the staff
report. 
Attachments
PAD Narrative
CPP Final Report, Stamped, No Labels
Prop 207 Waiver
TIS Executive Summary
Certificate of Adequate Schools
GPA Case Map
Zoning Case Map
Aerial Map
Presentation