Attachment B - VPC Summary - PHO-1-20--Z-242-81-6.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 
PHO-1-20—Z-242-81-6 
Date of VPC Meeting 
August 4, 2020 
Planning Hearing Officer 
Hearing Date 
August 19, 2020 
Request  
Deletion of Stipulation 10 limiting ingress and egress to 
32nd Street and requiring non-vehicular access 
easements on the north and west property lines 
Location 
Southwest corner of 32nd Street and Campbell Avenue 
VPC Recommendation 
Approval 
VPC Vote 
18-0 
VPC DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDED STIPULATIONS:
This item was heard concurrently with PHO-2-20—Z-220-83-6. 
Ms. Sofia Mastikhina, staff, provided a brief overview of the request, explaining that 
two separate zoning cases span the entirety of the site in question. The larger, 
northernmost portion of the site falls within rezoning case number Z-220-83-6, while the 
remainder of the site, along Turney Avenue, is part of rezoning case number Z-242-81-
6. She explained the zoning designations on the site and on surrounding properties and
presented the requested stipulation modifications. She then presented the stipulated 
site plan, then the new proposed site plan and elevations. 
Ms. Wendy Riddell, representing the property investor, provided an overview of the 
subject property. She explained that in the 1990’s, this site was developed into offices 
and have been used primarily as medical offices since then, and now are in need of 
reinvestment and redevelopment. The southernmost site, along Turney Avenue, was 
rezoned into Commercial Office in 1981, and developed into single-story office 
buildings, although the zoning district allowed a building height of fifty-six feet. 
Sometime in the late 1980’s, the site burned down and was subsequently redeveloped 
into a parking lot with eleven-foot-tall canopies. The northernmost parcel was rezoned 
to Commercial Office in 1983, and the only modification being requested now is to allow 
access onto Campbell Avenue, as the original zoning case limits access to 32nd Street 
only. She explained that, at the time, Campbell Avenue was much more residential in 
nature, whereas it has transitioned to more commercial uses in recent years. She then 
presented the proposed site plan, which includes modern office buildings along 32nd 
Street, parking to the rear of the site, and a podium parking structure at a maximum 
height of twenty-eight feet on the parcel along Turney Avenue, with no access onto 
Attachment B

PHO-1-20—Z-242-81-6 
Page 2 of 3 
 
 
City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
Turney Avenue allowed. She presented photos of the existing structures on the site, 
which are architecturally outdated, and introduced renderings of the new proposed 
buildings, highlighting the upgrades of the modern structure such as enhanced building 
materials and overall aesthetics. She outlined the stipulation modification requests, 
which include removing the one-story height limitation from the southernmost parcel to 
allow the twenty-eight-foot-tall podium parking structure, and a modification to allow 
access onto Campbell Avenue from the northern parcel to improve the overall 
circulation of the site. She pointed out that the property across the street, on the 
southeast corner of 32nd Street and Campbell Avenue was recently rezoned to 
Residential Office and access onto Campbell Avenue was permitted. She finalized the 
presentation by briefly listing other notable developments that were done by her client, 
Levine Investments. These include Chelsea’s Kitchen, Uptown Plaza, Highland Plaza, 
and Buck & Rider. 
 
Chairman Jay Swart pointed out that all other three corners at the intersection of 32nd 
Street and Campbell Avenue have vehicular access onto Campbell Avenue. 
 
Ms. Hayleigh Crawford expressed her concern with allowing a left-hand turn onto 
Campbell Avenue from the north end of the subject site, as this is an already 
challenging stretch of road and it also contains bike lanes, so allowing another driveway 
will pose additional safety issues. She asked if the applicant would be willing to allow a 
right-turn-only onto Campbell Avenue, and noted that the case that the committee 
approved across the street was limited to right-turn-only also. Ms. Riddell explained 
that the ability to make a left turn onto Campbell is very important for this site, and 
explained that her team did a comparison of distance from the intersection between this 
site and the property across the street, which showed that this proposed driveway is 
over double the distance from the intersection as the R-O property’s driveway. She 
added that this proposed driveway is also ten feet further from the intersection than the 
Chop Shop on the northeast corner of the intersection. With the other limitations on this 
site, she explained that having full driveway access onto Campbell Avenue is an 
important feature for this project. Ms. Crawford asked for clarification regarding the 
requested two-story height limitation, and if the site currently only allows one story. Ms. 
Riddell explained that there is currently a limitation of one story building height, 
however, in the way that the stipulation is written, there is nothing precluding that one 
story to extend all the way to the maximum height allowed by the underlying zoning 
district, which is fifty-six feet. As such, the request to have a maximum building height of 
two stories and twenty-eight feet for the office buildings and fourteen feet for the parking 
podium is still under what is allowed by right on the site. Ms. Crawford asked staff if the 
applicant’s proposed maximum building height is voluntary or if it is pursuant to an 
existing code or regulation. Ms. Mastikhina replied that it is a voluntary height 
limitation, as the C-O (Commercial Office District) allows a maximum height of fifty-six 
feet. 
 
Mr. Barry Paceley asked if the access on Campbell Avenue is for both entry and exit. 
Ms. Riddell replied yes, it is a full access driveway. 
 
Ms. Ashley Nye expressed her support for the proposed driveway on Campbell 
Avenue, as she has attempted a left turn onto 32nd Street many times and found it to 
be very problematic and unsafe given the traffic volume of that street. Given the use of

PHO-1-20—Z-242-81-6 
Page 3 of 3 
 
 
City of Phoenix • Planning & Development Department 
200 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor • Phoenix, Arizona  85003-1611 • (602) 262-6882 
this property, allowing access to Campbell Avenue will be beneficial. She further praised 
the design of the parking podium on the southern end of the property, stating that the 
attempts to minimize the appearance of a parking garage and enhancing the street-
facing façade are well executed and will be much more appealing than the existing 
surface parking lot. 
 
Mr. Vic Grace asked if there is a visual representation of what the egress will look like 
for someone turning left out of the parking lot onto Campbell Avenue. Ms. Riddell 
stated that such an exhibit was not included in the submittal documents but that she can 
provide one to Committee Member Grace. She explained that details regarding sight 
visibility and landscaping restrictions at driveway locations will be reviewed by the City 
during the site plan review and approval process and that the applicant fully intends to 
comply with all safety requirements. 
 
Ms. Crawford asked if the applicant would be willing to add a stipulation that the 
parking podium be limited to a height of fourteen feet. Ms. Riddell replied that they are 
willing, however, this will already be accomplished with a stipulation regarding general 
conformance to the site plan, which already delineates the proposed maximum building 
height for the office buildings and parking podium. 
 
MOTION FOR PHO-1-20—Z-242-81-6 
 
Mr. Paceley made a motion to approve as filed. Mr. O’Malley seconded the motion to 
approve as filed. 
 
VOTE FOR PHO-1-20—Z-242-81-6 
 
18-0, Motion passes with Committee Members Swart, Fischbach, Abbott, Augusta, 
Beckerleg Thraen, Crawford, Eichelkraut, Garcia, Grace, McKee, Miller, Nye, O’Malley, 
Paceley, Rush, Scher, Sharaby and Tribken in favor. 
 
Staff Comments Regarding VPC Recommendation & Stipulations: 
 
None