DRC_STAFF REPORT_JERSEY_COLLEGE_042826.DOCX

PL260059 – JERSEY COLLEGE 
Page 1
April 28, 2026
STAFF REPORT
JERSEY COLLEGE (PL260059)
PROJECT DATA: 
Project Address
4940 South Wendler Drive
Property Owner(s) Current / 
Future
ORSETT BASELINE, LLC
Applicant
Phoenix Design One
Zoning District 
(current/proposed)
GID (General Industrial District)
Gross / Net Site Area
11.6 acres / 11.1 acres 
Total Building Area
74,340 s.f. 
Suite Area
14,317 s.f.
Vehicle Parking
844 surface parking spaces (482 min. required)
Required Parking for Use
58 spaces (28 spaces for Classroom and 30 spaces for Office)
Bicycle Parking
60 spaces (19 min. required)
Hours of Operation
7:00 am – 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday
COMMENTS:
The site is on Lot 1 of the Baseline Corporate Center and is an existing professional office complex 
that is located north of Baseline Road and west of Wendler Drive and is in the GID zoning district and 
the General Industrial Overlay District. Within the site, there are two office buildings, Building A to the 
north and Building B to the south, each containing two stories. The office complex is surrounded by 
multi-family residential to the west and northwest, single-family residential to the north, hotel and office 
uses to the east, across Wender Drive, and the vacant Fry’s Electronics site to the south. 
The proposed use requires a Use Permit to allow a private school within the GID zoning district. 
Jersey College is a post-secondary institution that offers an Associate’s Degree of Science in Nursing. 
The proposed hours of operation for the private school are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m. There will be no evening or weekend activities. The applicant states that the anticipated 
maximum capacity is 60 students, with approximately 20 staff members at full occupancy, including 
both teachers and support staff. Due to the intensification of the use from office to school, parking was 
evaluated to determine if the site has sufficient on-site parking. With 844 existing parking spaces, 
required parking for the school is provided.
The surrounding uses within the office buildings include an online financial institution, a logistics 
company, an engineering firm, and a commercial solutions company. The school will occupy a portion 
of the second floor of Building B, the south building on the site. No exterior modifications or 
construction are proposed. The site is zoned GID, General Industrial, which requires a Use Permit for 
a private school.
Existing uses on the site include: Office uses.
The applicant is requesting the Development Review Commission take action on
ZUP260018
Use Permit to allow private nursing college
PUBLIC INPUT

Neighborhood meeting was not required

PL260059 – JERSEY COLLEGE 
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April 28, 2026
USE PERMIT
The proposed use requires a Use Permit, to operate a private school within the GID zoning district. 
Section 6-308 E Approval criteria for Use Permit (in italics): 
1.
Any significant increase in vehicular or pedestrian traffic. The change in use from office to private 
school will increase pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the site. However, this will only be before 
classes start and after they are finished. The limited number of students onsite at any given time 
will not cause a noticeable increase in vehicular traffic.
2.
Nuisance arising from the emission of odor, dust, gas, noise, vibration, smoke, heat or glare at a 
level exceeding that of ambient conditions. The classrooms, simulation medical exam rooms, and 
medical equipment are not expected to cause nuisance from the emission of odor, dust, gas, 
noise, vibration, smoke, heat or glare at a level exceeds that of ambient office conditions.
3.
Contribution to the deterioration of the neighborhood or to the downgrading of property values, the 
proposed use is not in conflict with the goals objectives or policies for rehabilitation, redevelopment 
or conservation as set forth in the city’s adopted plans or General Plan. The use is not expected to 
contribute to the deterioration of the neighborhood and/or to the downgrading of property values. 
4.
Compatibility with existing surrounding structures and uses. The proposed use is post-secondary 
school and considered B-Business occupancy, which is compatible with surrounding structures 
and uses.
5.
Adequate control of disruptive behavior both inside and outside the premises which may create a 
nuisance to the surrounding area or general public. The proposed plans limit Jersey College’s 
space to a portion of the second floor of the building, not the full floor, building, or property. All 
functions of the tenant would take place inside the building, on the second floor, within their leased 
space. The proposed use has no expected disruptive behavior that may cause a nuisance to the 
surrounding area or general public.
The manner of conduct and the building for the proposed use will not be detrimental to people residing 
or working in the vicinity, to adjacent property, to the neighborhood, or to the public welfare in general, 
and that the use will be in full conformity to any conditions, requirements or standards prescribed 
therefore by this code. 
Based on the information provided and the above analysis, staff recommends approval of the 
requested Use Permit. This request meets the required criteria and will conform to the conditions.
USE PERMIT CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: (Non-standard conditions are identified in bold) 
EACH NUMBERED ITEM IS A CONDITION OF APPROVAL.  THE DECISION-MAKING BODY MAY MODIFY, DELETE OR 
ADD TO THESE CONDITIONS.  
1.
The Use Permit is valid only after a Building Permit has been obtained, the required inspections 
have been completed and a Final Inspection has been passed. As part of the Building Permit 
process, on-site storm water retention may be required to be verified or accomplished on this Site. 
2.
The Use Permit is valid for the plans as submitted within this application. Any additions or 
modifications may be submitted for review during the building plan check process.
3.
All required permits and clearances shall be obtained from the Audit and Licensing Division of the 
City of Tempe prior to the Use Permit becoming effective.

PL260059 – JERSEY COLLEGE 
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April 28, 2026
4.
Hours of operation are as follows: Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
CODE/ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS: 
THE BULLETED ITEMS REFER TO EXISTING CODE OR ORDINANCES THAT PLANNING STAFF OBSERVES ARE 
PERTINENT TO THIS CASE.  THE BULLET ITEMS ARE INCLUDED TO ALERT THE DESIGN TEAM AND ASSIST IN 
OBTAINING A BUILDING PERMIT AND ARE NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.
This approval for the Use Permit review did not include a comprehensive evaluation of the site for 
code compliance; the scope of approval is for the Use Permit only. The property owner should be 
aware of all city codes and zoning ordinances applicable to the property including maintenance and 
conformance with the codes. Below is a partial list of references provided to advise the owner of 
pertinent code requirements; this is not an exhaustive list. 
TEMPE CITY CODE: Specific requirements of the Tempe City Code are not listed but apply to any 
application. 
ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT CODE: Specific requirements of the Zoning and Development Code 
(ZDC) are not listed as conditions of approval but apply to any application. To avoid unnecessary 
review time and reduce the potential for multiple plan check submittals, become familiar with the ZDC.
BUILDING & FIRE CODES: Any modifications to the buildings involving mechanical, electrical, 
plumbing or structural tenant improvements that would require a building permit must obtain required 
permits.
ENGINEERING CODES: Any site modifications affecting utilities, retention or engineering code 
requirements must obtain required permits.
USE PERMIT:

The Use Permit is valid for JERSEY COLLEGE and may be transferable to successors in interest 
through an administrative review with the Community Development Director, or designee.

The Use Permit approval shall be void if the use is not commenced or if an application for a 
building permit has not been submitted, whichever is applicable, within twelve (12) months after 
the Use Permit is granted or within the time stipulated by the decision-making body.

Section 6-902.B. The decision-making body, upon finding that the applicant has not taken 
corrective actions to resolve issues related to the permit/approval and that a continuation of the 
permit/approval is not in the interest of the public health, safety and general welfare, can revoke 
the permit/approval after providing written notice of its intentions to the holder of the permit.

If there are any complaints arising from the Use Permit that are verified by a consensus of the 
complaining party and
the City Attorney’s office, the Use Permit will be reviewed by City staff to determine the need for a 
public hearing to reevaluate the appropriateness of the Use Permit, which may result in revocation 
of the Use Permit.

Any intensification or expansion of use shall require a new Use Permit.

All required Federal, State, County, and Municipal permits, licenses, and clearances shall be 
obtained, or the Use Permit is void.
SIGNS: Separate plan review process is required for signs in accordance with requirements of ZDC 
Part 4 Chapter 9 (Signs).   Refer to www.tempe.gov/signs.
DUST CONTROL: Any operation capable of generating dust, include, but not limited to, land clearing, 
earth moving, excavating, construction, demolition and other similar operations, that disturbs 0.10 
acres (4,356 square feet) or more shall require a dust control permit from the Maricopa County Air

PL260059 – JERSEY COLLEGE 
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April 28, 2026
Quality Department (MCAQD).  Contact MCAQD at http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/. 
HISTORY & FACTS:
April 9, 1958
City Council approved Ordinance No. 351, a request to annex approximately 
1,243 acres, including the subject site.
June 3, 1998
Design Review Board approved the request by Baseline Corporate Center for 
site plan, building elevations, and landscape plan.
November 13, 2001
Planning Commission approved a Preliminary Subdivision Plat request for 
BASELINE CORPORATE CENTER, located at 4916 South Wendler Drive.
November 30, 2001
City Council approved a Final Subdivision Plat request for BASELINE 
CORPORATE CENTER, located at 4916 South Wendler Drive. (Approval 
Expired)
January 28, 2014
Development Review Commission approved a request for BASELINE 
CORPORATE CENTER consisting of subdividing the existing parcel into two 
lots with each lot containing a building and parking. The sites are located at 
4920 & 4940 S. Wendler Drive. (PL130448)
August 13, 2020
City Council approved an Amended Subdivision Plat for BASELINE 
CORPORATE CENTER, consisting of combining the two existing parcels into 
one parcel, located at 4920 S. Wendler Drive. (PL200092)
April 28, 2026
Development Review Commission is scheduled to hear a request for a Use 
Permit to allow a private school in the GID zoning district for JERSEY 
COLLEGE, located at 4940 S. Wendler Drive. (PL260059)
ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT CODE REFERENCE: 
Section 3-302, Permitted Uses in Office/Industrial Districts
Section 4-204, Development Standards for Office/Industrial Districts
Section 5-304, Uses Requiring a Use Permit in the General Industrial Overlay District
Section 6-308, Use Permit