Planning Commission Staff Report

PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
CASE:
RESIDENCES AT WESTGATE LOCATED EAST OF THE
NORTHEAST CORNER OF GLENDALE AVENUE AND
87TH AVENUE
CASE #:
GPA22-13 AND ZON22-27
MEETING DATE:
06/22/2023
FROM:
Christina Lavelle, Senior Planner, Planning,
CLavelle@glendaleaz.com, 623-930-2553
SUBJECT
GPA22-13 and ZON22-27 Entitlement request for approval of a General Plan
Amendment (GPA) and Planned Area Development (PAD) Rezoning Application in the
Yucca district. 
Presented by: Christina LaVelle, Senior Planner
REQUEST
Planning Commission recommendation to amend the General Plan Land Use
Designation and Rezone classification for Residences at Westgate (GPA22-13 and
ZON22-27).
APPLICANT/OWNER
Taylor C. Earl /Glendale Farms, 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,“Envision
Glendale 2040” (General Plan).
SUMMARY
The applicant is proposing a General Plan Amendment from MDR 3.5 (Medium Density
Residential: 2.5-3.5 du/ac) to HDR 20 (High Density Residential: 12-20 du/ac) and to
rezone the property from A-1 (Agriculture) to PAD. The intent is to allow the
development of a multifamily residential project consisting of thirty-seven townhomes.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
General Plan Designation:
The property is designated as MDR 3.5.
Zoning Classification:
The property is classified as A-1.

Property Location and Size:
The 2.47-acre property is located east of the northeast corner of Glendale Avenue and
87th Avenue and is in the Yucca District.
 
History: 
The property was annexed as part of Annexation Area No.116a which was adopted on
August 25, 1987. A single-family home is on-site and was constructed in 1960.  
 
Project Details:
The applicant is proposing a General Plan Amendment and Rezone of the property to
allow for the development of a thirty-seven unit townhome project on an infill site. The
existing home and accessory building will be demolished prior to any development
action.  The parcel is 2.47 acres and measures approximately six hundred (600) feet by
one hundred-sixty (160) feet. The maximum density proposed is 16 units per acre.
Permitted uses include single family dwellings, multiple-residence dwellings, boarding
houses, public schools, parks, and playgrounds. Uses subject to conditions include
public facilities, group homes, and wireless communication facilities. Conditional Use
Permits are required for childcare centers, churches, private schools, nursing homes,
and Class II Home Occupations. 
 
The townhome project will be a gated community with one access point on Glendale
Avenue. Rear yards and a balcony or patio are planned for each unit. The architectural
design of the proposed units will include a variety of materials including, but not limited
to, brick, granite, marble, tile cladding, stucco, metal panels, stone, and glass.
Pedestrian crossing shall be set apart from the concrete sidewalks and asphalt
driveways with either pavers, integral colored concrete, stained concrete or stamped
concrete or asphalt.  Perimeter walls will be decorative in nature and will be consistent
in character with the development and the neighborhood.
 
The dwelling units along the western portion of the development will maintain a
twenty-foot rear building setback to act as a buffer between the multifamily
development and the residential development.  Each dwelling unit will be afforded a
garage; the one-bedroom townhomes will have one car garage, and the
two-to-three-bedroom townhome with two car garages. Centralized between the units
are high class amenities that consist of a children’s play area, dog park, sports court,
barbeque area with seating, community pool with a Ramada, and centralized, open
space. 
 
Development Standards proposed for the PAD are consistent with R-3 (Multiple
Residence) standards with deviations in bold.
 
  
 
R-3 Development
Standards
Proposed PAD
Development Standards
Minimum Net Lot Area
6,000 square feet
6,000 square feet
Minimum Width
60 feet
60 feet
Minimum Depth
94 feet
94 feet
Minimum Perimeter
Setback-North and East
20 feet (2)
10 feet (4)

Minimum Perimeter
Setback-West
20 feet (2)
20 feet (4)
Minimum Perimeter
Setback-South
20 feet (2)
25 feet (4)
Maximum Density Gross Acre
16 du/ac
16 du/ac
Maximum Open Space %
30
30 (3)
Maximum Structure Height
30 (1)
30 (1)
Maximum % Lot Coverage
50%
50%
Parking Spaces Size
10’ X 20’
9’ X 18”
Maximum Number of Units
N/A
37
Two story maximum for principal buildings, refer to Section 7,300 for accessory
buildings. 
1.
Setbacks increase 1 foot to 1 foot ratio for buildings over 20’.
2.
Open Space is defined as: An area the is intended to provide light and air is
designated for either environmental, scenic, or recreational purposes. Open
space includes, but is not limited to private rear yards, lawns, decorative planting,
walkways, active and passive recreation areas, playgrounds, fountains,
swimming pools, perimeter landscaping, plaza, and rooftop amenities. 
3.
Bay windows, roof overhangs, and entertainment centers may project 2’ into the
side or rear yards for a horizontal distance not to exceed 10’, except where
contiguous to a driveway. 
4.
 
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION TO DATE:
 
Certificate of Adequate Schools: 
On December 6, 2022, the applicant sent a request for the verification and certificate of
adequate schools to Superintendent Dr. Jason Reynolds for Raymond S. Kellis High
School and Cotton Boll Elementary School. No response was received by either the
applicant or the city. 
 
Applicant’s Citizen Participation Process:
On March 24, 2023, the applicant mailed notification letters to adjacent property
owners and interested parties. On April 10, 2023, a neighborhood meeting was held
with only Planning staff and the applicant in attendance. The applicant nor Planning
Division received any responses regarding the request. The applicant’s Citizen
Participation Plan Final Report is attached.
 
Planning Commission Public Hearing:
A Notice of Public Hearing was published in The Arizona Republic on May 31, 2023.
Notification postcards of the public hearing were mailed to adjacent property owners
and interested parties on May 26, 2023.  The property was posted on June 5, 2023.
STAFF FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

Section 3.528 of the Zoning Ordinance required the following General Plan
Amendment Findings: 
The amendment is consistent with the policies and objectives of the rest of the
General Plan; and
1.
Staff Analysis: 
Goal LU-1: Development is guided by sound growth management.
Goal HE-3.1:Glendale has housing options that meet the range of socioeconomic
needs of the City’s current and future residents.
Policy HE-3.5:The city should support adjustments to the housing mix based on
demographic needs and economic changes within Glendale.
 
The proposed GPA supports the goals of the General Plan by increasing the mix of
available housing in west Glendale. Within a one-mile radius of the site, there is
existing mixed-use, office, commercial, single family, and multifamily residentially
zoned properties. In addition, there are six multifamily, residentially zoned properties
within a quarter mile of the subject site. The amendment will allow future development
on the site to add to the mix and variety of housing options in an area that continues to
evolve demographically and economically. 
The proposed amendment furthers the public health, safety, and general welfare
of the citizens of Glendale.
2.
Staff Analysis:
Goal GA-3: Growth is achieved through reasonable, responsible, urban development.
Policy CRR-2.5:The City should protect established areas/neighborhoods by promoting
context-appropriate infill development, redevelopment, and rehabilitation; sensitive
neighborhood and property assemblage; and innovative adaptive reuse of existing
community resources and historic properties.
 
The designation change furthers the public health, safety, and general welfare of the
citizens by proposing a context-appropriate, infill development that is sensitive to the
single-family residential units to the north and west property lines. Increased rear yard
setbacks along the western property line, a twenty-foot landscape buffer, and
decorative security wall with an automatic gate will provide a sense of arrival and
place. The PAD takes into consideration the context of the adjacent uses by
addressing appropriate building setbacks, height limitations, landscaping, and
screening adjacent to residential properties.  
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.
3.
Staff Analysis:
Policy HE6.2: The City shall encourage housing in proximity to designated employment.
Policy HE-5.3:The City should develop safe, attractive housing that adds variety to
neighborhoods, thereby serving as a catalyst for the improvement of the surrounding
neighborhoods.
 
The proposed amendment of HDR 20 will allow for a development that will increase

housing opportunities that will add to the housing mix, which is anticipated to support
employment and provide an attractive housing option. The PAD proposes an upscale
design with landscaping, ample public and private spaces, and gated. The site is within
one mile of the Loop 101 corridor and the Westgate Entertainment District. Proximity to
the freeway allows for ease of access to employment opportunities.
 
Required PAD Findings:
Section 5.914 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: 
Encourage creative and effective use of land and circulation systems to
accommodate changes in land development technologies. 
Staff Analysis: 
A.
The PAD provides a creative solution to circulate traffic through the site by orienting the
proposed buildings on the west and east of the property. This allows for a
twenty-six-foot-wide drive aisle for ingress and egress on Glendale Avenue. The drive
aisle ends in a hammer head at the northernmost property line to allow for traffic to
maneuver and circulate in the site. Through creative site design, the PAD optimizes the
available land on a site with dimension constraints. 
Encourage residential development to provide a mixture of housing types and
designs. 
Staff Analysis: 
B.
The proposed PAD increases the variety of housing types as encouraged by the
General Plan. The PAD is unique to the area with its innovative and urban design. The
proposed use encourages the use of a variety of building materials for an upscale
living experience in a multifamily setting. In addition, each unit will have private yards,
balconies, and garages. Amenities provide communal activities which include, but are
not limited to, a community pool with a barbeque area and covered seating, dog park,
sports court, and tot-lot. 
Encourage innovative development or redevelopment concepts for all land use
types to provide a greater variety and intensity of uses. 
Staff Analysis: 
C.
The PAD allows for a multifamily development that will allow for redevelopment.
Rezoning the property to develop a multifamily townhome project acts as a transition
between the large, single-family lot to the west and Church to the east.  
Provide a process which relates the urban design and scale of project to the
unique characteristics of the site. 
Staff Analysis: 
D.
The PAD addresses the project design and scale based in the unique characteristics of

the site and adjacent uses. The project site is narrow and rectangular with a street
frontage of one hundred and sixty-five feet, limiting the type and scale of development.
The single-family residential units to the north and west require that the orientation of
the buildings, setbacks, and landscaping mitigate noise and visual impacts. 
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. 
Staff Analysis: 
E.
The proposed development is supported by existing utilities which will be tapped
through Glendale Avenue. The applicant will contribute to the costs of tapping into City
sewer and water. Transportation Department has reviewed the project and has
determined that a ten foot right-of-way dedication along Glendale Avenue is required.
 The driveway will be a right-in, right-out configuration without the need for a median.
To mitigate visual and aesthetic impacts from the development, the applicant is
proposing twenty feet of private open space, landscaping, and an
eight-foot tapering down to a six-foot screen wall adjacent to single-family residential
uses.  
Encourage development that is consistent with the policies and the guidelines
established in any specific plan and the General Plan. 
Staff Analysis:  
F.
The proposed development complies with the goals and the policies of the General
Plan. The proposed General Plan Designation of HDR 20 is appropriate for this site
and meets the key factors of this designation for high density residential. This
designation allows for townhomes, condominiums, and apartments that provide
substantial common open space and recreational amenities to serve residents. The
PAD meets all of these objectives and satisfies the intent of the General Plan
designation of HDR 20.
RECOMMENDATION
Should the Planning Commission recommend approval of GPA22-13, it should be as
written in the staff report.
Should the Planning Commission recommend approval of ZON22-27, it should be
subject to the stipulations in the staff report.
PROPOSED MOTION
Move to recommend approval of GPA22-13, as written.
Move to recommend approval of ZON22-27, subject to the following stipulations: 
Development shall be in substantial conformance with the Residences at
Westgate PAD Narrative, final copy date stamped April 17, 2023.
1.
A ten-foot right of way dedication is required along Glendale Avenue to complete
a sixty-five-foot half street.
2.
Attachments
Residences at Westgate GPA and Rezoning Narrative

Citizen Participation Plan Final Report 
Prop 207 Waiver 
Transportation Memo 
Certificate of Adequate Schools 
General Plan Map 
Vicinity Zoning Map 
Aerial Photo 
PowerPoint Presentation