Attachment C - VPC Summary - Z-62-23-2.pdf

City of Phoenix — Formal (2024-02-07)

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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-62-23-2
Date of VPC Meeting 
December 14, 2023 
Request From 
R1-8 
Request To 
R-2
Proposal 
Multifamily residential townhomes
Location 
Northeast corner of 14th Street and Wahalla Lane
VPC Recommendation 
Approval, per staff recommendation 
VPC Vote 
9-0
One member of the public registered to speak on this request. 
VPC DISCUSSION:
STAFF PRESENTATION 
Matteo Moric, staff, provided an overview of the rezoning case. Mr. Moric showed a 
map of the site’s location and stated the surrounding area’s zoning was R1-8, and the 
site was next to residential neighborhoods and a school. Mr. Moric explained the 
proposed R-2 zoning was not consistent with the General Plan but was less than 10 
acres and still considered residential traditional lots, therefore, a general plan 
amendment would not be required. 
Mr. Moric indicated the applicant was proposing 30 townhome units with ample open 
space just south of Beardsley Road and the Outer Loop Freeway. Mr. Moric then 
stepped through staff requested stipulations. 
APPLICANT PRESENTATION 
Keith Nichter, applicant with Kimley-Horn, identified the location of the site as being 
west of 16th Street within the Outer Loop Freeway Specific Area Plan. Mr. Nichter said 
this was a great opportunity for infill development and pointed out the existing freeway 
walls and the Beardsley Frontage Road. Mr. Nichter emphasized there would be no 
access to the frontage road from the project, but access would be provided internally off 
Wahalla Lane.  
ATTACHMENT C

Deer Valley Village Planning Committee 
Meeting Summary 
Z-62-23-2 
December 14, 2023 
Page 2 
 
 
City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
 
Mr. Nichter explained Wahalla Lane was not a finished road, and as part of this project 
street improvements would be made which support was expressed by the neighbors. 
Mr. Nichter said the traditional lot land use designation recommends a few density 
categories which are acceptable, and R-2 is one of those categories. Mr. Nichter noted 
R-2 is a nice single-family transitional use and the proposed zoning allows higher 
density, but they are proposing 7.73 dwelling units per acre. Mr. Nichter said the site is 
an odd remnant parcel and from an access standpoint it has a weird street jog at the 
southwest corner, and stated a typical single-family product would put all lots fronting 
Wahalla Lane  
 
Mr. Nichter noted there was some R-2 zoned properties to the west, and a PUD to the 
east for an attached product with 30 units as well. Mr. Nichter felt it would be beneficial 
to have a smaller product and have large open space buffers which surround the 
property and allow multifamily style town homes. Mr. Nichter said essentially it is a 
difference of 10 units. Mr. Nichter said they must build new roadways internal to the 
product with large landscape setbacks and additional open space. Mr. Nichter added 
some of the units would front onto the open space and turn their garages internal to the 
site. Mr. Nichter mentioned this allows a diverse residential mix and provides a 
transition from the 101 Freeway and most importantly provides a nice visual transition. 
Mr. Nichter said they exceed all the development standards of R-2 and R1-8 zoning 
standards. 
 
Mr. Nichter said they provided additional parking from the minimum and added the 
increase in open space by one acre. Mr. Nichter noted they are providing each unit with 
a small private yard and a southwest contemporary architecture that would be respectful 
of the surrounding heights. He showed the floor plans with each unit having a two-car 
garage and the units having second story balconies. Mr. Nichter noted all citizen 
participation requirements were met and mentioned the neighbors talked about a lot of 
school kids in the area who walked to school and were looking forward to the 
improvements and connectivity. Mr. Nichter also indicated the neighbors informed him 
of drainage issues in which he said could be addressed in the next stages of the 
development process. He added a couple nearby residents reached out to him to see 
when they would start selling the units so they could downsize and not have to maintain 
their yards. 
 
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE AND APPLICANT RESPONSE 
 
Keith Greenberg asked what a Red Border Letter was per a requested stipulation. Mr. 
Moric responded that it was a notification to ADOT of projects near the freeway so 
ADOT could understand any impacts or potential impacts to the freeway. 
 
Trilese DiLeo asked where the parking was located. Mr. Nichter highlighted the 
parking locations and noted there would also be garage spaces.

Deer Valley Village Planning Committee 
Meeting Summary 
Z-62-23-2 
December 14, 2023 
Page 3 
 
 
City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
Ricardo Romero asked about the price and Mr. Nichter said it would be based on 
market conditions. 
 
Will Novak asked if the community was to be gated. Mr. Nichter said it was planned to 
be open, and Mr. Novak asked about the amenity space. Mr. Nichter said it was not 
going to be a pool, but some other amenity to be determined such as a fire pit or play 
area. Mr. Nichter added some of the areas would probably be turf but not the whole site. 
 
Ms. DiLeo questioned if there would be parking along Wahalla Lane. Mr. Nichter 
indicated that since it was the City of Phoenix local street, people could park on it. Mr. 
Nichter added that only one house in front of the subject site fronted Wahalla Lane. 
Mr. Freeman asked if there were any traffic studies for 16th Street since people would 
be getting on the freeway there. Mr. Nichter said with the low amount of proposed 
units, only 10 additional, the added traffic would not even be noticed. 
 
Chair Grossman said there are an elementary and high school nearby which was nice. 
 
PUBLIC COMMENT 
 
Sharon Willeel, neighbor, asked about ingress and egress to and from the property. 
Mr. Nichter said the traffic ingress and egress lines up with 14th Street and 14th Place 
along Wahalla Lane. 
 
FLOOR/PUBLIC DISCUSSION CLOSED: MOTION DISCUSSION, AND VOTE 
 
MOTION 
 
Al Field motioned to recommend approval of Z-62-23-2 per staff recommendation. 
Gregory Freeman seconded the motion. 
 
VOTE: 
 
9-0, motion to recommend approval of Z-62-23-2 per staff recommendation passes with 
Committee Members  DilLeo, Field, Freeman, Greenberg, Herber, Lopez-Biggs, Novak, 
Romero, and Grossman in favor. 
 
STAFF COMMENTS REGARDING VPC RECOMMENDATION: 
 
No comment.