I WOULD LIKE
TO CALL THE MARCH 19TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER. MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? COMMISSIONER PINEDA PRESENT. COMMISSIONER GUZMAN PRESENT, COMMISSIONER GRIM. HERE, VICE CHAIR MCBURNEY. PRESENT CHAIR WHITE PRESENT. COMMISSIONER BENSON AG CASTILLO AND COMMISSIONER JEWEL ALL HAVE AN EXCUSED ABSENCE FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU, ARIANNA. IS EVERYONE, UH, REVIEWED THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 19TH MEETING AND ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS AT THIS TIME? THE CHAIR WOULD INTRODUCE A MOTION COMMISSIONER MCBURNEY MOVES TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 19TH PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING. AND A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. UH, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER PINEDA. AND ROLL CALL. VOTE PLEASE. MM-HMM . COMMISSIONER PINEDA? YES. UH, PLEASE SPEAK INTO YOUR MICROPHONE. YES. . SORRY. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, COMMISSIONER GUZMAN? YES. COMMISSIONER GRIM. YES. COMMISSIONER OR VICE CHAIR? MCBURNEY AYE. AND CHAIR WHITE. AYE. UH, TINA, WE ARE READY FOR AGENDA ITEM FOUR A. COULD WE HAVE YOUR REPORT PLEASE? THANK YOU. CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. THE ITEM BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS A REZONE REQUEST FOR SJ ACQUISITIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION PL DASH 24 DASH 0 2 0 1. THE PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR THE PLAN AND COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE PROPOSED REZONE REQUEST AND FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL. SO BEFORE YOU IS A AERIAL MAP OF THE PROPERTY. THE SITE IS LOCATED WEST OF THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF FOURTH STREET AND LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD. IT IS CURRENTLY VACANT WITH ABANDONED OUTBUILDINGS. THE PROPERTY WAS ANNEXED INTO THE CITY IN 1960 AND WAS ZONED MANUFACTURED HOME PARK. IT WAS REZONED IN 2018 TO GENERAL INDUSTRIAL LIMITED TO A MINI STORAGE WAREHOUSE WITH ANCILLARY RV STORAGE WITH THE MINI WAREHOUSE REQUIRING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPROVAL. A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WAS APPROVED IN 2018, HOWEVER, THE APPROVAL EXPIRED IN 2022. SO THESE MAPS ARE PROVIDED TO SHOW THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION AND THE GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION FOR THE PROPERTY AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD. THE CURRENT ZONING OF THE PROPERTY IS GENERAL INDUSTRIAL, LIMITED TO THE USE OF A MINI STORAGE WAREHOUSE AND ANCILLARY RV STORAGE. THE GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION IS INDUSTRIAL AND THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE HISTORIC AVONDALE INFILL AREA. SO THESE PHOTOS ARE THAT ARE PROVIDED ARE JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR THE SITE. THE TOP PHOTO SHOWS THIS SITE AS SEEN FROM LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD. THE SITE IS VACANT. THERE'S SOME ABANDONED OUTBUILDINGS AND THERE ARE LIMITED OFFSITE IMPROVEMENTS. THE BOTTOM PHOTO SHOWS THE PROPERTY AS SEEN FROM ELM LANE. SO THE REZONE REQUEST IS TO MODIFY THE EXISTING GENERAL INDUSTRIAL ZONING THAT LIMITS THE USES TO A MINI STORAGE WAREHOUSE WITH ANCILLARY RV STORAGE TO GENERAL INDUSTRIAL ZONING WITH REVISED CONDITIONS TO ALLOW FOR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS A CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT. I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS WHEN ADJACENT TO A RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT OR USE. THE DEVELOPMENT WILL REQUIRE 75 FOOT BUILDING SETBACKS, 35 FOOT LANDSCAPE USE, BUFFER
SETBACKS, AND EIGHT FOOT SOLID BLOCK WALLS. HERE ARE SOME CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS OF WHAT A FUTURE BUILDING ON SITE MIGHT LOOK LIKE. AS DESCRIBED IN THE CITY'S INDUSTRIAL DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYMENT DISTRICTS. THE INDUSTRIAL BUILDING WILL HAVE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF AN UPSCALE OFFICE BUILDING WITH A MIX OF MATERIALS AND BUILDING ARTICULATIONS. SITE PLAN DESIGN REVIEW WILL BE REQUIRED TO EVALUATE THE SITE AND THE BUILDINGS STAFF HAS ANALYZED THE REZONE REQUEST. REZONING THE PROPERTY TO GENERAL INDUSTRIAL WITH REVISED CONDITIONS, SUPPORTS THE GOALS OF THE GENERAL PLAN BY ALLOWING A WIDER RANGE OF EMPLOYMENT USES THAT WILL DIVERSIFY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SITE. THE REZONE ALSO SUPPORTS THE GOALS IN THE SPECIFIC AREA PLAN BY ENCOURAGING REVITALIZATION INVESTMENT AND REDEVELOP REDEVELOPMENT OF AN UNDERUTILIZED IN FILL SITE. INCOMPATIBLE USES HAVE BEEN PROHIBITED WITHIN THE PROJECT NARRATIVE. ALL PUBLIC NOTIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN MET. THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING WAS HELD AT THE A HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY ON FEBRUARY 11TH, 2025. THERE WERE TWO ATTENDEES ASIDE FROM THE APPLICANT'S TEAM AND CITY STAFF. DISCUSSION WAS PRIMARILY RELATED TO THE CITY'S PLANS FOR FUTURE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS TO LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD. THE CITY DID RECEIVE ONE PHONE CALL IN OPPOSITION TO THE REQUEST. THE NEIGHBOR WAS CONCERNED THAT ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT MAY BLOCK HER VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS. NO COMMENTS WERE, UH, MADE ON THE AVANDALE CONNECT PLATFORM AND NO OTHER COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. TO DATE. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF APPLICATION PL 24 DASH 0 2 0 1 SJ ACQUISITIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT SUBJECT TO THE STIPULATIONS FOUND IN THE STAFF REPORT. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU, TINA. DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE STAFF? I DO. COMMISSIONER MCNERNEY? UH, I JUST WANT A SIMPLE DEFINITION OF WHAT LIGHT INDUSTRIAL IS. JUST EXCUSE ME FOR JUST A MOMENT. I READ IT DOWN. SO, LIGHTNING GESTURAL IS, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, SO FOR LIGHTING, GE MANUFACTURING, THAT WOULD BE, UM, WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE AN OPERATION WHERE THEY WOULD, UM, DELIVER A PREFABRICATED MATERIALS AND, UM, FINISH PRODUCTS. AND THEN YOU WOULD FABRICATE THAT ON SITE LIGHT IN GESTURAL ARE USES SUCH AS A, UM, IF YOU WERE TO HAVE A WINDOW SHOP AND YOU WERE PUTTING TOGETHER THE WINDOWS AND THEN YOU WOULD DISTRIBUTE THOSE OUT, YOU WOULD NOT START FROM THE RAW MATERIALS. SAY LIKE YOU WOULDN'T CREATE MAYBE THE GLASS OR THE, UM, UH, OR TAKE THE METAL AND REFINE IT, BUT IT, IT WOULD BE MORE OF A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL IN NATURE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANY COMMISSIONER FOR THE STAFF? CAN YOU I DO. I HAVE ONE QUESTION. I HAVE ONE QUESTION. HOW, HOW TALL WAS IT AGAIN, ON THE PICTURE? I, IT LOOKED LIKE TWO STORIES APPROXIMATELY, UH, THROUGH THE CHAIR. UH, COMMISSIONER PINEDA, THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT IN THE A ONE ZONING DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE 45 FEET. THE, UM, BUILDINGS HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, SUBMITTED AT AS OF THIS TIME. SO IT'S, THEY WILL NOT EXCEED 45 FEET AND HIGH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE STAFF? I HAVE ONE. COULD YOU GO BACK TO SLIDE 10 PLEASE? THERE ARE THE TWO ARMS THAT EXTEND UP TO THE NORTH ON EACH SIDE OF THE CURRENT HOUSE. IT LOOKS LIKE THE BUILDING SETBACKS ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW FOR ANY BUILDINGS
IN THOSE AREAS. AND IT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT GATES ACROSS THERE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE FOR THOSE TWO AREAS? UH, CHAIRPERSON WHITE, UM, AT THIS TIME THE APPLICANT HAS NOT PROPOSED ANYTHING, BUT YOU ARE CORRECT THAT THE BUILDING SETBACKS, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SITE PLAN, UM, APPEAR TO NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE A BUILDING. UM, THEY COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE OUTDOOR STORAGE OF MATERIALS BEHIND THOSE WALLS, BUT THEY WOULD NEED TO BE FULLY SCREENED BY A SOLID BLOCK WALL. AND THE, UH, MATERIALS COULDN'T, UH, CANNOT BE SEEN OVER THAT WALL. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE STAFF? WOULD THE APPLICANT LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION? AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WENDY RIDDEL WITH THE LAW FIRM BARRY RIDDEL, 67 50 EAST CAMELBACK. UM, MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING. ON BEHALF OF SJ ACQUISITIONS, UM, CHRISTINA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING WHAT WE HAD, UM, BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING. I DID JUST WANT TO ADD THAT MBU OUR, OUR NEIGHBOR WHO ACTUALLY LIVES AT THAT HOME THERE IN THE MIDDLE. SO CLEARLY THE MOST IMPACTED PROPERTY OWNER, UH, IS HERE IN SUPPORT. SHE'D PREFER NOT TO SPEAK, SO I'M NOT TRYING TO BRING HER UP. BUT I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT SHE TOOK THE TIME THIS EVENING TO COME AND JOIN US. UM, 'CAUSE SHE'S ANXIOUS TO SEE THIS ACTUALLY BE DEVELOPED AND MOVE FORWARD. SO, UM, WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEFORE YOU VOTE. UM, LIKE ANY GOOD LAWYER, I CAN STAND UP HERE AND SPEAK AS LONG AS YOU WANT ME TO. UM, BUT I WILL, UM, ALSO SIT DOWN IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO AS WELL. WOULD ANY COMMISSIONER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO ASK? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. AND WE WELCOME UH, WELCOME WORKING WITH YOU HERE IN AVONDALE. LIKEWISE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS ITEM AND I DID RECEIVE, UH, ONE REQUEST TO SPEAK, ALTHOUGH IT'S A REQUEST NOT TO SPEAK. WE WANT TO THANK MVU FOR HER, UH, INDICATION ON HER FORM THAT SHE IS IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM. UH, HAS ARIANA, HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY OTHER REQUEST TO SPEAK? THANK YOU CHAIR. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REQUEST TO SPEAK, BUT IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO UH, SPEAK, YOU MAY GO UP TO THE PODIUM. SEEING NONE, I WOULD NOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM. WOULD THE APPLICANT OR UM, STAFF CARE TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS TIME? , I'M SORRY. UM, SHE SAID NO THANK YOU. OH, OKAY. , HEARING NONE, UH, THE CHAIR WOULD NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THIS ITEM CHAIR. MCBURNEY WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT, UH, WE, UH, APPROVE THE SJ ACQUISITIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT REZONING APPLICATION PL DASH 24 DASH 0 2 0 1 AS IT'S BEEN PRESENTED, I THINK THEY WOULD LIKE YOU TO READ, UH, FROM THE SCREEN THE ENTIRE I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO APPROVE AGENDA ITEMS FOUR A, UH, UH, RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF APPLICATION PL 24 DASH 0 2 0 1 SJ ACQUISITIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, A REQUEST TO REZONE APPROXIMATELY SIX AND A HALF GROSS ACRES LOCATED WEST OF THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF FOURTH STREET AND LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD. THE REZONING WOULD, UH, MODIFY THE EXISTING GENERAL INDUSTRIAL A ONE ZONING THAT LIMITS THE USE TO A MINI STORAGE WAREHOUSE WITH ANCILLARY RECREATIONAL VEHICLE, ALSO KNOWN AS RV STORAGE TO A ONE ZONING WITH REVISED CONDITIONS TO ALLOW FOR A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS LISTED IN THE STAFF REPORT. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. I'LL SECOND. AND UH, CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME TOO? COMMISSIONER PINE. COMMISSIONER PINETA. I'LL I SECOND. THANK YOU. I WILL NOW OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION AMONG THE COMMISSIONERS? HEARING NONE, IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED
FOR APPROVAL OF APPLICATION PL 24 DASH ZERO TWO ZERO ONE. UH, ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE. OKAY, COMMISSIONER PINEDO AYE. COMMISSIONER GUZMAN. AYE. COMMISSIONER GRIM. AYE. VICE CHAIR MCBURNEY. AYE. CHAIR WHITE. AYE THE MOTION PASSES FIVE TO ZERO. THAT CONCLUDES AGENDA ITEM FOUR A AGENDA ITEM FIVE, COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENTS. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS FROM ANY COMMISSIONER? HEARING NONE. ITEM SIX, PLANNING DIVISION REPORT. CATHERINE, DO YOU HAVE THE REPORT? NEED CHAIR, UM, VICE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS? UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY ITEMS TO REPORT OTHER THAN TO LET YOU KNOW FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY THAT, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DID RE RECEIVE 24 NEW, UM, DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS. SO WE ARE KEEPING FORWARD WITH THE TREND OF ABOUT 20 TO 30 APPLICATIONS A MONTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AGENDA ITEM SEVEN. CALENDAR. THE NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING IS APRIL 16TH, 2025. AND MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? COMMISSIONER MCBURNEY MOVES TO ADJOURN THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF MARCH 19TH AND A SECOND. COMMISSIONER GROOM SECONDS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. YOU OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. WE ARE ADJOURNED.