Planning Commission Report

PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
CASE:
GPA22-05 & ZON22-20 PARKWAY 303 EAST LOCATED
AT THE NORTHWEST & NORTHEAST CORNERS OF
OLIVE AVENUE & SARIVAL AVENUE
CASE #:
GPA22-05 & ZON22-20 
MEETING DATE:
12/08/2022
FROM:
Edward Vigil, Senior Planners, Planning,
EVigil@glendaleaz.com, 623-930-3071
SUBJECT
GPA22-05 & ZON22-20 Parkway 303:
A request by Benjamin Tate, on behalf of Withey Morris, PLC., for a Major General Plan
Amendment from RMU, MDR 3.5, and MDR 5 to LI (Light Industrial); and a rezone from
RR-45 (Rural Residential) to PAD (Planned Area Development).  The site is located
northwest and northeast of Olive Avenue and Sarival Avenue; and is located in the
Yucca District.  Staff Contact: Edward Vigil, Senior Planner (623)930-3071.
REQUEST
1. Major General Plan Amendment from RMU (Regional Mixed Use), MDR3.5 (Medium
Density Residential 2.5-3.5 du/ac), and MDR5 (Medium Density Residential 3.5-5
du/ac) to LI (Light Industrial) for approximately 276 acres.
 
2. Rezone from RR-45 (Rural Residential with a minimum lot size of 45,000 square
feet) to PAD (Planned Area Development).
APPLICANT/OWNER
Benjamin Tate with Withey Morris, PLC. On behalf of Suburban Land Reserve.
REQUIRED ACTION
The Planning Commission must conduct a public hearing and determine if both
requests are in the best long-term interest of the neighborhood and consistent with the
General Plan.
SUMMARY
The applicant is proposing to amend the General Plan designations RMU, MDR3.5,
and MDR5 for approximately 276 acres to LI (Light Industrial) and to rezone the entire
property from RR-45 to PAD, to develop the site with 4.38 million square feet of
distribution and warehousing, e-commerce, logistics, and employment land uses. 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

General Plan Designation:
RMU (Regional Mixed Use), MDR3.5 (Medium Density Residential with 2.5 – 3.5
dwelling units per acre), and MDR5 (Medium Density Residential with 3.5 – 5 dwelling
units per acre).
 
Zoning:
Currently, the site is within Maricopa County and zoned RU-43 (Rural Residential with
a minimum lot size of 43,000 square feet). This site is in the process of being annexed
and will be assigned the RR-45 zoning district and have a minimum lot size of 45,000
square feet. The applicant plans to rezone the property to PAD (Planned Area
Development) to allow for a mixed-use industrial development.
 
Property Location and Size:
The property is located at the northwest and northeast corners of Olive Avenue and
Sarival Avenue and is approximately 276 acres in size.
 
Project History: 
The site has been used for agricultural purposes within Maricopa County.  The property
is in the process of being annexed (AN243).   
 
Adjacent land uses & Zoning:
North: PAD, Maricopa County RU-43, Maricopa County R1-35
East: Maricopa County RU-43
South: The AT&SF Railway, Olive Avenue, Maricopa County C-2 and PAD
West: Loop 303
Project Details:
 
The overall site is approximately 276 acres in size, generally bounded by Loop 303 to
the west, City of Glendale PAD (Planned Area Development), Maricopa County RU-43
(Rural Residential Single Family), and Maricopa County R1-35 (Single Family
Residential) to the north, Maricopa County RU-43 (Rural Residential Single Family) to
the east, and the AT&SF railway and Olive Avenue to the south.
 
The proposed LI (Light Industrial) General Plan land use designation is intended to
provide areas for the development and perpetuation of light industrial activity involving
light manufacturing, assembling, warehousing, and wholesale activities with the
associated office space & supporting uses.  The area designated for light industrial has
adequate transportation and infrastructure access with emphasis on minimal conflict
with existing adjacent land uses. 
 
The PAD proposal (rezoning) would enable approximately 276 acres for Industrial land
uses that include distribution and warehousing, e-commerce, logistics, employment and
other industrial land uses.  The proposed project is approximately 4.38 million square
feet of warehouse and distribution facilities divided among four (4) large buildings, each
approximately with 1.1 million square feet of gross floor area and 55 feet in height. 
Two (2) buildings will be located on each side of Sarival Avenue with passenger
vehicle parking areas on the east and west sides of the buildings along with truck stalls
and docks on the north and south sides of the buildings.  The development will have
approximately 37% of lot coverage, provide a total of 2,868 vehicle parking spaces,
and 957 truck and trailer stalls.

The development will be accessed by a total of ten (10) driveways on Sarival Avenue;
five (5) on the west side and five (5) on the east side. The various driveways are
designed to separate car and truck traffic where possible. Olive Avenue would not
provide access to either site since the AT&SF railway runs parallel with Olive Avenue. 
The driveways will feed into a looped private drive that circulates around the perimeter
of the entire development and each individual building. The site layout and circulation
design are intended to optimize the flow of passenger vehicle and truck traffic moving
people, goods, and materials safely and efficiently to and from Loop 303 and Northern
Parkway. Due to the proximity to the AT&SF railway, the southernmost driveways on
both sides of Sarival Avenue will be restricted to right-in/right-out turning movements.
The northernmost driveways are currently proposed as full access driveways.
 
The site is outside the Luke Air Force Base noise contours.
 
Summary of proposed land uses:
The proposed PAD would support BP (Business Park) and M-1 (Light Industrial) land
uses. Residential land uses would not be allowed.
 
Proposed Development Standards:
  
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Regulation
Business Park (BP)
Light Industrial (LI)
Proposed PAD
 
 
 
 
Max Height
30 ft.
30 ft.
60 ft.*
Front Setback
25 or 50 ft.
25 ft.
25 ft.
Side Setback
15 or 60 ft.
15 or 60 ft.
60 ft.
Street Side
Setback
25 or 50 ft.
25 ft.
25 ft.
Rear Setback
15 or 60 ft.
15 or 60 ft.
60 ft.
Minimum
Building setback
adjacent to
Residential
zoning districts
60 ft.
60 ft.
200 ft.
Minimum
landscape
setback
adjacent to
Residential
zoning districts**
15 ft.
15 ft.
30 ft.
Street Side
Landscape
setback
20 ft.
20 ft.
20 ft.
Minimum
Landscape
coverage
5%
5%
10%
Min. Net Lot Area6,000 sq.ft.
6,000 sq.ft.
6,000 sq.ft.
Max FAR
0.3
0.3
0.5***

Max Lot
Coverage
NA
NA
NA
Parking for
warehouse &
Distribution &
Office
1/2000
1/300 office
1/2000
1/300 office
1/2000****
Parking Stall
dimensions
10 x 20
10 x 20
9 x 20
 
*Rooftop building appurtenances can exceed roof height up to a 100’ maximum
height provided they are more than 20’ from the building’s roof edge. Roof
mounted equipment shall be fully screened from the adjacent public street
views. Material silos or other similar building specific support elements may
exceed roof height up to 100’ maximum. An FAA Form 7460-1 Determination of
No Hazard will be completed as necessary depending upon the height of any
proposed structure.
 
**Excludes rural residential districts (RR-45 and equivalent districts)
 
***Mezzanine SF area excluded from FAR
 
****For the purposes of meeting the minimum parking requirement based upon
this ratio, the developer may include both standard parking spaces and transport
trailer stalls.
 
PAD Deviation Justification:
Height: The standard 30-foot maximum building height in the M-1 zoning district is
insufficient to meet the market expectations and standards for large-scale modern
warehouse, logistics, and light industrial development. The industry standard for a
development of this type is a 40-foot interior ceiling clear height, which typically
translates to an exterior building height between 50 and 55 feet depending upon
parapet heights and rooftop mechanical equipment. Additionally, flexibility to allow up
to 100 feet for rooftop appurtenances, materials silos, and other building support
elements is necessary to attract and accommodate the broadest range of potential
tenants and users.
 
NOTIFICATION:
 
Applicant’s Citizen Participation Process:
 
Major General Plan Amendment: On August 12, 2022, the applicant mailed
notification letters to adjacent property owners, interested parties, the Planning
Commission, and the City Council. Staff sent notification letters to the required public
agencies including abutting jurisdictions.  These letters were mailed to Maricopa
County Planning and Development, City of Surprise, Maricopa Association of
Governments, Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Department of Water Resources,
and Luke Air Force Base as required by state statutes regarding Major General Plan
Amendments. No agencies to date have responded.
 
For the first Major General Plan Amendment Planning Commission Public Hearing, the

applicant held a virtual neighborhood meeting on September 15, 2022.  Twenty-two
(22) individuals attended the virtual neighborhood meeting. 
On November 17, 2022, the first Planning Commission Public Hearing was held. 
There were twenty-four (24) individuals who attended the meeting and seventeen (17)
opposed the application.  The primary issues expressed by the participants were land
use compatibility, lighting, building height and proximity, truck traffic, and crime. It
appeared that all the participants who were active in the meeting were residents of the
Twelve Oaks Estates single-family neighborhood located in the county island south of
Peoria Avenue and East of Sarival Avenue. The applicant’s Citizen Participation Plan
Final Report is attached.
 
Rezoning: On October 14, 2022, the applicant mailed notification letters to adjacent
property owners and interested parties. During the review of the rezoning application, a
neighborhood meeting (virtual) was held on October 24, 2022, as part of the Citizen
Participation Plan process. Several residents within the Twelve Oaks Residential
Community to the north of the site participated in the virtual neighborhood meeting with
concerns about the amount of industrial developments within the area, building heights,
lighting, truck traffic along Sarival and Olive Avenues, and the safety of children.
 
The Planning Department has received thirty (30) letters in opposition from residents
within the Twelve Oaks residential community for the Annexation, Major General Plan
Amendment, and the Rezoning applications.  These residents have concerns about the
amount of industrial developments within the area, building heights, lighting, truck
traffic along Sarival Avenue, and the safety of children living within the Twelve Oaks
Residential Community.   
 
Planning Commission 2nd Public Hearing on the MGPA and the Rezoning
application:
A Notice of Public Hearing was published in The Arizona Republic on November 16,
2022. Notification postcards of the public hearing were mailed to adjacent property
owners and interested parties on November 18, 2022. The property was posted on
October 28, 2022. 
STAFF FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
MAJOR GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT
Findings:
1. The amendment is consistent with the policies and objectives of the Glendale
General Plan.
2. The proposed amendment furthers the public health, safety and general welfare of
the citizens of Glendale.
3. 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.
Analysis:

1. The proposed General Plan designation of Light Industrial fits with the Loop 303
corridor existing and planned developments. The Loop 303 corridor has been identified
as a major transportation corridor for warehouse, distribution, e-commerce,
manufacturing, and employment users and is compatible with existing industrial
developments in the area, the existing rail line, and Luke Air Force Base.
2. The proposed development will be thoroughly reviewed to mitigate any adverse
impacts and to ensure the design is mitigated to further the public health, safety, and
general welfare of the citizens of Glendale.
3. Also, staff has identified several Goals and Policies within the Envision Glendale
2040 General Plan that the application will meet.
Land Use Designation:
 
1.6 Planning Assumptions: 
Land Use Patterns must coincide with transportation improvements.
Land uses that generate large traffic volumes would be expected to locate where lane
capacities, signalization and site access designs are ample.
 
1.7 Planning Principles: 
Recruit and facilitate location of high-paying jobs in the City of Glendale.
 
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.
 
Policy LU-1.4 The City shall actively monitor land absorption by land use type.
 
Goal LU-2 There are transition and buffer areas between unrelated land uses. 
Policy LU-2.3 The City should use spatial transitions, design buffers or similar
techniques between incompatible land uses.
 
Goal GA-2 Glendale’s identified Growth Areas are supported with appropriate
infrastructure. 
Policy GA-2.6 When determined to be cost beneficial, the City shall work with land
owners in Growth Areas to annex into the City. 
 
Goal GA-5 Each Growth Area has a unique identity.
Policy GA-5.1 The City shall encourage economic diversity in each Growth Area.
STAFF FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS FOR REZONING
 
Required Finding of Planning Commission:
Section 5.914 of the Zoning Ordinance requires that 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.  Section 5.901 of the Zoning
Ordinance states that the purpose of the PAD (Planned Area Development) district is
to:

Encourage creative and effective use of land and circulation systems to
accommodate changes in land development technologies.
A.
 
The proposal is making use of a location in near proximity to the Loop 303, which is
very a significant conveyor of trucking/distribution traffic.The potential for this site to
benefit from such a location is likely to increase over time. The rezoning to PAD is
complimentary to existing and future light industrial projects being developed.
  
Encourage residential development to provide a mixture of housing types
and designs.
B.
 
Due to the proximity of Luke Air Force Base, the Loop 303 corridor, and the existing rail
line that runs parallel with Olive Avenue, the PAD proposal does not provide for any
residential use of the property.  Employment which may be generated by the industrial
use may provide demand for the development of various housing types within the
nearby area.
  
Encourage innovative development or redevelopment concepts for all land
use types to provide a greater variety and intensity of uses.
C.
 
The designation does not prescribe a specific mixture of land uses, rather a wide range
of business park and light industrial uses. Developments are expected to make the
highest and best use of exposure to the Loop 303 highway corridor.
  
Provide a process which relates the urban design and scale of project to
the unique characteristics of the site.
D.
 
The site proposal will help to support the commercial/employment core developing
along the Loop 303 and nearby railroad lines.
  
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.
E.
 
Primary access to the site is confined to Sarival Avenue because of the existing rail line
along Olive Avenue and due to the lack of ingress/egress to the Loop 303 along Olive
Avenue.Streetside landscaping and drainage improvements will also be required.The
site plan concept suggests significant landscaping and setback adjacent to the
residential area to the north.
  
Encourage development that is consistent with the policies and the
guidelines established in any specific plan and the General Plan.
F.

The proposal would encourage a mixture of business park and light industrial uses,
increase employment opportunities, and fits within the Loop 303 corridor and the
existing rail line running along Olive Avenue. The industrial use of the property would
be a logical extension along the Loop 303 area. 
RECOMMENDATION
Should the Planning Commission choose to move forward with a recommendation for
approval of GPA22-05, it should be as written.  Should the Planning Commission move
forward with a recommendation of approval of ZON22-20, staff suggests the following
stipulations:
1. All development shall be in conformance with the project narrative dated June 3,
2022, and Planned Area Development narrative dated October 6, 2022.
 
2. All lighting for this development shall be dark sky compliant, fully shielded, directed
downward and less than 0.1-foot candle at the property line in any direction.
 
3. Any buildings or structures or mechanical equipment with a height greater than 55
feet shall be required to submit FAA form 7460 for review and approval from the FAA.
 
4. The property owner and/or developer shall comply with the right of way dedications
and/or street improvements required by MCDOT for Olive Avenue.
 
5. The property owner and/or developer shall improve Sarival Avenue with a minimum
of 110 feet of right of way and shall be constructed using Glendale Standard Detail
G-302 and G-322. A minimum of 130 feet of right-of-way will be required within 250 feet
of the intersection of Sarival Avenue and Olive Avenue. Additional right-of-way may be
required at deceleration lanes to encompass the roadway and appurtenances such as
sidewalks, streetlights, fire hydrants, etc.
 
6. The property owner and/or developer shall provide right turn deceleration lanes at all
access points that serve heavy vehicles on Sarival Avenue in north and southbound
directions.
7. The property owner and/or developer shall enter into a Development Agreement with
the City of Glendale, City of Surprise, and Maricopa County to construct signals at the
intersection of Sarival & Olive Avenues and Sarival & Peoria Avenues before receiving
a Certificate of Occupancy for any proposed building. 
PROPOSED MOTION
Move to recommend approval of GPA22-05 as written, and ZON22-20, subject to the
stipulations contained in the staff report.
Attachments
Major GP Project Narrative 
PAD Narrative 
Traffic Impact Statement

Citizen Participation Plan Final Report MGPA 
Citizen Participation Plan Final Report Rezoning 
Prop 207 Waiver 
General Plan Map 
Zoning Map 
Aerial Map 
Letters of Opposition 
PowerPoint Presentation