Agenda
Transcript
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[0:00]
I would like to call the March 19, 2025 meeting of the City of Avondale Planning Commission to order.
[0:08]
May I have a roll call, please?
[0:14]
Commissioner Pineda.
[0:18]
Commissioner Guzman.
[0:21]
Present.
[0:22]
Commissioner Grim.
[0:23]
Here.
[0:25]
Vice Chair McBurney.
[0:27]
Present.
[0:27]
Chair White.
[0:28]
Present.
[0:29]
Commissioner Benson, Agunas Castillo and Commissioner Jewel all have an excused absence for tonight.
[0:36]
Thank you, Arianna. Has everyone reviewed the minutes of the February 19th meeting and are there any corrections?
[0:47]
At this time, the Chair would introduce a motion.
[0:53]
Commissioner McBurney moves to approve the minutes of February 19th's Planning Commission meeting.
[1:00]
And a second,
[1:04]
a second by Commissioner Pineda and roll call about please.
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Commissioner Pineda,
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please speak into your microphone.
[1:18]
All right, thank you.
[1:23]
Commissioner Guzman.
[1:25]
Yes.
[1:27]
Commissioner Grim.
[1:28]
Yes.
[1:29]
Commissioner or Vice Chair McBurnie.
[1:32]
Hi.
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And Chair White.
[1:33]
Hi.
[1:37]
Tina, we are ready for agenda item 4A. Could we have your report, please?
[1:48]
Thank you, Chair, Vice-Chair, and Commissioners. The item before you this evening is a Rezone Request
[1:55]
for SJ Acquisitions Industrial Development Application PL-24-0201.
[2:07]
The purpose of the public hearing is for the planning commission to review the proposed
[2:12]
rezone request and forward a recommendation to City Council.
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So before you is an aerial map of the property, the site is located west of the northwest
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corner of 4th Street and Lower Buckeye Road.
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It is currently vacant with abandoned outbuildings.
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The property was annexed into the city in 1960 and was zoned Manufactured Home Park.
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It was re-zoned in 2018 to General Industrial, limited to a mini-storage warehouse with ancillary RV storage,
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with the mini-warehouse requiring a conditional use permit approval.
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A conditional use permit was approved in 2018, however the approval expired in 2022.
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So these maps are provided to show the zoning classification and the general plan designation
[3:18]
for the property and the surrounding neighborhood.
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The current zoning of the property is general industrial, limited to the use of a mini-storage
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warehouse and ancillary RV storage. The general plan designation is industrial
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and the property is located in the historic Abendale-Enfield area.
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So these
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photos that are provided are just to provide some context for the site. The
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top photo shows the site as seen from Lower Buckeye Road. The site is vacant.
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There's some abandoned outbuildings and there are limited off-site improvements.
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The bottom photo shows the property as seen from Elm Lane.
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So the reason request is to modify the existing general industrial zoning that limits the
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uses to a mini storage warehouse with ancillary RV storage to general industrial zoning
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with revised conditions to allow for a light industrial development.
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This is a conceptual site plan that was provided by the applicant.
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I would like to highlight some of the development standards.
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When adjacent to a residential zoning district or use,
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the development will require 75-foot building setbacks,
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35-foot landscape use buffer setbacks,
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and 8-foot solid block walls.
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Here are some conceptual renderings of what a future building on site might look like.
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As described in the city's industrial design guidelines for employment districts,
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the industrial building will have the look and feel of an upscale office building
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with a mix of materials and building articulations.
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Site plan design review will be required to evaluate the site and the buildings.
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Staff has analyzed the rezone request.
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Resoning the property to General Industrial with revised conditions supports the goals of the General Plan
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by allowing a wider range of employment uses that will diversify employment opportunities for the site.
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The Rezone also supports the goals in the specific area plan by encouraging revitalization, investment, and redevelopment of an underutilized infill site.
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Incompatible uses have been prohibited within the project narrative.
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All public notifications have been met.
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The neighborhood meeting was held at the Agua Fria High School Library on February 11, 2025.
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There were two attendees aside from the applicant's team and city staff.
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Discussion was primarily related to the city's plans for future road improvements to Lower Buckeye Road.
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The city did receive one phone call in opposition to the request.
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The neighbor was concerned that any future development may block her view of the mountains.
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No comments were made on the Avendale Connect platform and no other comments have been received to date.
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Staff
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recommends approval of application PL 24-0201, SJ Acquisitions Industrial Development,
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subject to the stipulations found in the staff report.
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That concludes my presentation. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
[7:34]
Thank you, Tana. Do any of the commissioners have any questions for the staff?
[7:40]
I do.
[7:42]
Commissioner McBurney.
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I just want a simple definition of what light industrial is.
[7:57]
Excuse me for just a moment. I read it too.
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So light industrial is, for example,
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so for light industrial manufacturing, that would be where you would have an operation where they would deliver a prefabricated material.
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materials and
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finished products, and then you would fabricate that in sight
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light ingests real our uses such as a
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If you were to have a window shopping you were putting together the windows and then you would distribute those out
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you would not start from the raw materials say like you wouldn't create maybe the glass or the
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or take the metal and refine it, but it would be more of a light industrial in nature.
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Thank you.
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Any other questions from any commissioner for the staff?
[9:04]
I have one question.
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How tall was it again on the picture?
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It looked like two stories.
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through the chair, Commissioner Pineda, the maximum height in the A1 zoning district is
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going to be 45 feet. The buildings have not been submitted as of this time, so it's they
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will not exceed 45 feet in height. All right, thank you.
[9:36]
Any other questions for the staff?
[9:40]
I have one. Could you go back to slide 10, please?
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There are the two arms that extend up to the north on each side of the current house.
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It looks like the building setbacks are not going to allow for any buildings in those areas.
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And it looks like maybe they're thinking about gates across there.
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Do you know what their plans are for those two areas?
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A chairperson might.
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At this time, the applicant has not proposed anything, but you are correct that the
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building setbacks, as you can see on the site plan, appear to not be able to have
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a building. They could potentially have outdoor storage of materials behind those walls, but
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they would need to be fully screened by a solid block wall. And the materials cannot be seen
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over that wall.
[10:52]
Thank you. Any other questions for the staff?
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Would the applicant like to address the
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Commission and
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please state your name for the record.
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Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Wendy Rodel with the Law Firm, Barry Rodel, 6750 East
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Camelback.
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My pleasure to be here this evening
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on behalf of SJ acquisitions.
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Christina has done a great job of explaining what we have
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before you this evening.
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I did just want to add that Mabu, our neighbor, who
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actually lives at that home there in the middle,
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so clearly the most impacted property owner,
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is here in support. She'd prefer not to speak, so I'm not trying to bring her up.
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But I did want to point out that she took the time this evening to come and join us
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because she's anxious to see this actually be developed and move forward.
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So, with that, Mr. Chair, members of the Commission,
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I'm happy to answer any other questions that you may have before you vote.
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Like any good lawyer, I can stand up here and speak as long as you want me to.
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But I will also sit down if you'd like me to as well.
[12:03]
Would any commissioner have any questions to ask?
[12:08]
Thank you very much for your presentation.
[12:11]
Thank you.
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And we welcome working with you here in Avondale.
[12:16]
Likewise.
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Thank you so much.
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I would like to now open the public hearing for this item.
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And I did receive one request to speak,
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although it's a request not to speak.
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We want to thank Mavu for her indication on her form
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that she is in favor of this item.
[12:44]
Has Ariana, have you received any other requests to speak?
[12:48]
Thank you, Chair.
[12:49]
I have not received any requests to speak,
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but if anyone else would like to speak,
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you may go up to the podium.
[12:57]
Seeing none, I would now close.
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There's public hearing on this item.
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Would the applicant or staff care to add anything else at this time?
[13:14]
I'm sorry.
[13:15]
She said no. Thank you.
[13:17]
Okay. Hearing none, the chair would now entertain a motion on this item.
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Chair McBurney would like to move that we approve the SJ Acquisitions Industrial Development
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and rezoning application PL-24-0201 as it's been presented.
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I think I would like you to read from the screen the entire.
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I would like to move to approve agenda items for a,
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recommend the approval of application PL-24-0201,
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SJ Acquisitions Industrial Development,
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a request to rezone approximately six and a half
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gross acres located west of the northwest corner
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of Fourth Street and Lower Buckeye Road.
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The rezoning would modify the existing
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general industrial A1 zoning that limits the use
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to a mini-storage warehouse with ancillary
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recreational vehicle, also known as RV storage,
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to A1 zoning with revised conditions
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to allow for a light industrial development
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subject to the conditions listed in the staff report.
[14:36]
Do we have a second?
[14:40]
I'll second.
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Can you state your name to Commissioner Panetta?
[14:47]
Commissioner Panetta, I'll second.
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Thank you.
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I will now open the floor for discussion.
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Any further discussion among the commissioners?
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Hearing none, it has been moved.
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Moved and seconded for approval of application PL 24, day 0201, roll call vote, please.
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Commissioner Panetta.
[15:11]
Aye.
[15:12]
Commissioner Goosman.
[15:13]
Aye.
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Commissioner Grimm.
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Aye.
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Vice Chair McBurney.
[15:17]
Aye.
[15:17]
Chair White.
[15:18]
Aye.
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The motion passes, 5 to 0.
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That concludes agenda item 4A, agenda item 5, commission announcements.
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Are there any items for many commissioners?
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Hearing none, item six, Planning Division Report.
[15:42]
Katherine, do you have a report?
[15:44]
Good evening, Chair, Vice Chair, and commissioners.
[15:47]
I don't have any items to report other than to let you know for the month of February
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that Development Services did receive 24 new development applications.
[15:59]
So we are keeping forward with the trend of about 20 to 30 applications a month.
[16:05]
Thank you.
[16:06]
Thank you.
[16:08]
Agenda Item 7, calendar.
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The next scheduled meeting is April 16th, 2025.
[16:16]
And may I have a motion to adjourn?
[16:22]
Commissioner McBrenney moves to adjourn the Planning Commission meeting of March 19th.
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And a second.
[16:30]
Commissioner Grimm seconds. All in favor say aye. We are adjourned.