Attachment B - VPC Summary-Continued - Z-8-19-8.pdf

City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary 
Z-8-19-8 (ELS PUD) 
Date of VPC Meeting 
12/13/2019 
Request From 
S-1 BAOD 
Request To 
PUD BAOD 
Proposed Use 
Landscape contracting, landscape maintenance, and 
nursery 
Location 
Approximately 550 feet east of the southeast corner of 
32nd Street and Southern Avenue 
VPC Recommendation 
Continue to a future meeting 
VPC Vote 
13-0-0 Motion passes; with members, Aguilar, Tunning, 
Holmerud, Brooks, Busching, Trites, S. Smith, M. Smith, 
Shepard, Glueck, Christopherson, and Brownell in favor; 
no members dissenting. 
 VPC DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDED STIPULATIONS: 
3) One comment card was received from an individual, opposed to the case, and
wishing to speak
Mr. Nick Klimek, staff, provided a presentation on the proposed Planned Unit 
Development (PUD). The purpose of the PUD is to allow a long-standing landscape 
contacting facility to continue operating while also improving elements of the 
property. The site is identified on the Phoenix General Plan Land Use Map as 
Mixed-Use Agriculture (MUA) and the proposed use and development standards 
are consistent with the designation. Staff recommends approval subject to 
stipulations, including editorial changes as well as substantive changes such as a 
requirement to further buffer any ‘green waste’ storage from adjacent residences. 
Discussion regarding whether the narrative permits the storage and use of 
hazardous chemicals on the site and how these substances are managed to 
prevent major incidents.  
Mr. Jack Gilmore, Gilmore Planning and Landscape Architecture representing the 
applicant, stated that he is in agreement with all stipulations and content contained 
in the PUD but would like the committee to consider offering relief from perimeter 
screening requirements by replacing the standard C-2 perimeter landscape 
Attachment B

South Mountain Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary 
December 10, 2019 
Page 2 of 3 
 
 
City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
treatments with a combination treatment that he believes would be more 
appropriate: 
• a vegetative hedge along the entire west perimeter and the west half of the 
south perimeter; and 
• container box trees along the east half of the south perimeter and the south 
800 feet of the east perimeter; and 
• the remaining northern portion of the east perimeter would be a vegetative 
hedge. 
 
Mr. Gilmore then explained how the project achieves the three community benefits 
contained in the Phoenix General Plan;  
• prosperity by providing 300 – 400 jobs for residents of the area; 
• health by limiting dust production and producing green materials; and  
• environment by reducing pervious surface on site.  
 
Discussion regarding storage and management of chemicals on site, the 
fabrication of planters on site, water use on site. Concerns including risk of fire due 
to vegetative hedges, chemical incidents and spontaneous combustion from 
composting, and how using inventory trees as a perimeter buffer would be 
intermittent and therefore ineffective. 
 
Mr. Gilmore responded that: chemicals are stored pursuant to all applicable 
regulations and the storage facility is inspected annually; irrigated trees and 
hedgerows are not especially flammable; chemicals are stored a significant 
distance from green-waste storage; and that no composting exists on site but rather 
that green-waste storage which would mitigate the likelihood of chemical incidents. 
 
Chairman Brooks invited members of the public to address the committee. 
 
Mr. Paul Van Buren explained that he is a neighbor and, while supportive of 
agricultural and landscape operations in the area, he is disappointed by the poor 
maintenance of the site. Recently, the site had a fire incident that quickly escalated 
and would have grown had he not called the fire department. He shared a packet of 
information detailing his issues with the property over time. 
 
Mr. Brownell asked Mr. Van Buren what he would like from the development and if 
anything can alleviate his concerns. Mr. Van Buren responded that he wants the 
project to give back to the community, wants neighbors to be neighborly, and wants 
to coordinate with the applicant to establish an agreeable solution with regard to 
perimeter improvements and property maintenance. 
 
Mr. Gilmore responded that he would be happy to meet with Mr. Van Buren to 
discuss improvements. He then requested the committee postpone their 
deliberation until a meeting can occur.

South Mountain Village Planning Committee Meeting Summary 
December 10, 2019 
Page 3 of 3 
 
 
City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
Ms. Trites made a motion continue the item without fee until a future meeting per 
the request of the applicant. Ms. Smith seconded the motion.  
 
DISCUSSION: 
No discussion.  
 
VOTE:  
13-0-0 Motion passes; with members, Aguilar, Tunning, Holmerud, Brooks, 
Busching, Trites, S. Smith, M. Smith, Shepard, Glueck, Christopherson, and 
Brownell in favor; no members dissenting. 
 
VPC RECOMMENDED STIPULATIONS & STAFF COMMENTS 
 
None. 
 
STAFF COMMENTS REGARDING VPC RECOMMENDATION & STIPULATIONS: 
 
None.