Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the Goodyear Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. We're excited to have you be a part of this important public process. Tonight, you will have the opportunity to address the commission on both non-aggenda and agenda items. The agendas and speaker request cards are located in the back of the council chambers. You must fill out a speaker request card in order to address the commission. Please hand in your completed card to a city staff member. You may check the I do not wish to speak option on the card. This allows you to still voice your opinion on an item on the record without having to speak. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact a staff member if you need any assistance. Public comment on a non-aggenda item will take place during the citizen comment portion of the evening. These are items that don't appear on tonight's formal agenda. The commission secretary will call your name when it's time for you to speak. At that time, please approach the podium and tell us your name for the record. You'll have a maximum of 3 minutes. The timer is on the screens visible from the podium. Note that you may also choose not to speak if other speakers before you have said what you [music] wanted to say. Shouting, cheering, and loud noises will not be tolerated, and violators may be removed for disrupting the meeting. Goodyear Planning and Zoning Commission meetings stream live on YouTube and online at goodyearaz.gov. Follow the city's social media pages so you don't miss out on all that's happening in Goodyear. Thank you for coming to this meeting and being an active part of your city. And remember, it's a great time to be in Goodyear.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and fellow commissioners. Let's uh open the meeting tonight for the uh November the 5th meeting and is called to order. And I'd like for you to join me in the pledge of allegiance, please. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Hey, will Secretary note the role?

Commissioner Wang is present. Commissioner Hegedus is present. Commissioner Booth is present. Chairman Climber is present. Vice Chair Samito is present. Commissioner Roberts is present. Commissioner Nepomsino is absent. We have a quorum. At this time, a vote shall be taken to excuse members unable to attend due to extenduating circumstances. For the audience who may be watching, we will be utilizing a voice vote tonight. Is there a motion and second to excuse Commissioner Nepomomasino from the meeting? Motion. Motion by Commissioner Booth and second by Commissioner Hegodus. All in favor?

I. All opposed. Motion passes. Okay. Now is the time for citizens who would like to address the planning and zoning commission on any non-aggenda item. Are there any speaker cards? I do not have any. Anyone in the audience like to speak on a non-aggenda item? Okay. Thank you. Agenda item number one is to approve the draft minutes of the last meeting. Will the secretary please read the recommendation? Approve the draft minutes of the planning and zoning commission meeting held on October 15, 2025. Is there a motion and a second for the staff recommendation? A motion. Motion by Commissioner Hegodus.

Second. Second by Vice Chair Samo. Uh all in favor? I. All opposed. Motion passes. This is now an opportunity for commission members to disclose any exparte communication they may have had prior to this meeting on any item scheduled for discussion on this agenda. Exparte communication is an any outside communication commissioners may have had regarding items on tonight's agenda. Anyone?

Okay. Thank you. There is one public hearing on the agenda tonight. And as a reminder, the planning and zoning commission is a recommendation board for council. Commissioners will vote on each item for their recommendation to council who makes the final decision on all items. Agenda item number two is the use permit for convenience use convenience store with gas station. I will open the public hearing tonight. Senior planner Kyle Abbott will present. Good evening. 2002. The proposed Walmart convenience store and gas station sits on an approximately 1.4 4 acre property and it is cited within the parking lot of the Walmart Super Center main store. The applicant proposes an approximately 1,556 square foot convenience store with an approximately 6,248 square ft fuel canopy area, which would provide a maximum of 10 gasoline fueling pumps and can serve up to 20 vehicles at a time. The Walmart Super Center property in its

existing condition provides 947 parking spaces. This proposal would decrease the total number of parking spots to 819. However, the required number of parking spaces to serve both the Walmart main store and the proposed convenience store with gas station is 682. Therefore, the number of parking spaces proposed does exceed the number of parking spaces required. A traffic study was submitted and reviewed with the use permit. During our analysis, it was determined that a traffic signal is warranted at this location and that spacing between the proposed traffic signal and the traffic signal at Australia is sufficient to be able to operate in an efficient manner. The applicant will also be modifying the entry driveway medians to mitigate vehicle stacking at the new signal and keep internal driveways from being blocked within the center. The proposed building elevations include colors and materials consistent with the colors and materials of the Walmart in the center. The height from ground The highest point of the building is 20 ft which is well below the maximum height allowed in the C2 zoning district. The fuel canopy elevations include roof line undulation and masonry columns. Staff evaluated the proposed development

with use permit and convenience use criteria provided in the zoning ordinance. The use is similar to other uses approved within the area, including the 7-Eleven convenience store with gas station located at the northeast corner of Roosevelt in Australia. The applicant is proposing operations Monday through Sunday 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. which is similar to the Walmart superstores 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. operating hours and the nearby 24-hour operations including Filibberto's drive-thru as well as the 24-hour waterburger and 7-Eleven. The nearest residence is located to the west of the Walmart property and separated from the proposed fuel station by a distance of 620 ft. An alternative notification process was used for this use permit. While a formal citizen review meeting was not held, notice providing information on the project and the use permit was mailed to 70 owners of property within 500 ft of the subject property. A sign was posted to the property facing Roosevelt and a legal ad ran in the Arizona Business Gazette Republic Edition. There were no objections to this use permit received. Based on this, staff recommends the planning and zoning commission to recommend conditional approval of this use permit. the applicant is present and they are happy to present if needed.

Thank you.

Um question I'll get might be for the applicant but um I I know you all the city did a traffic study and they're assured themselves that with the traffic light they're still going to get good flow out to Roosevelt then onto Australa. I know that in the past the times I've used that quite often waiting to turn on to Roosevelt is a while and then once you do that then all of a sudden you've got another backup at Australa. So I assume they they figure that that's not going to be any more than what it is now. But I guess I'll wait and see. I'm not paid to do that make those studies. So I just want to point that out and see if the applicant might have a point on that when he gets up here. Um, but thank you. Anybody else have any questions for staff?

Okay. Would the applicant like to speak, please? Just comment. A light is needed there and it's been needed there for a while. Um, but I'm just curious to know maybe the applicant can respond to this, but there's four other gas stations within a mile of this. And I know that's a busy intersection and it'll get used. I'm just curious to know why they want to put it the convenience store with the gas station there. Sure. At this point, I will open up the conversation for the applicant to speak to this question.

Good evening, commissioners, chairman. Um, first of all, I just want to thank city staff for all their help in uh bringing our application forward. They've been a huge help. Um, I will start with the traffic just because I was asked first. Um, so yes, full traffic study was completed. We went through numerous revisions uh with the traffic engineering department. So, uh, we will go through and continue to, um, work on the timing of the signals and all that will need to be approved by, uh, city staff before any any, uh, design is implemented and and constructed out there. So, we'll make sure. Yeah, I'm sure that was going to happen, but I've just in in my experience in the past, I've noticed that's even without a light, it still

is a while to get from one point to one point, then turn left to go out towards I 10. [clears throat] Um and I believe the second question was regarding just the probably uh number of other fuel stations in the area and why choosing this location. So um Walmart um not sure if anyone here's a member but uh is rolling out a program or has already rolled out a program Walmart plus. Um so one of the benefits of that program in addition to serving the public is uh discounted gas. Walmart is consistently the cheapest priced gas uh in the area they go to. alo providing a benefit to the public by also providing more gas service um elsewhere but also at a competitive price. Walmart plus members get a discounted price. The um there inside the convenience store there's also the sale of convenience goods which are competitively priced against anywhere else. Um but giving the customer an opportunity of rather than needing to go into the larger super center if it just needs to be a quick uh item they can do that at the convenience store. So fuel station giving them the benefit of cheaper another spot to go to for convenient gas but also for some of the smaller convenience goods inside the convenience store. And they have done study based on their their uh membership inside in the area and validating that um it would be serving those customers.

Okay, that answers my question. They they did the background which I'm sure they did anyway and they did the survey. just curious because there's two on the east side, two on the on the west side already. It's a very busy corridor and um it is it is a newer program for Walmart. They they've currently uh rolled out, I believe, about 15 or 20 of these across Arizona. A few of them fully construction constructed in Phoenix and Tucson area, as well as uh finishing up a few more in Mesa. So, I'm starting to see them roll out a lot more. What is the time frame start to finish to put all this together?

Um, for one like this, it's I I think 3 to four months. Um, just with all the state approvals that are needed for the underground storage tanks, the fuel, making sure that those are all set, balanced, and tested and meeting all the regulations there. Um, goes pretty quickly once once the tanks are in the gap and uh everything else can start going. Uh this one would be probably a little bit more just knowing that that traffic signal will probably be tied to the project as well. Um so don't hold me to the three or four monthth time period just knowing that we are going to probably be required to input the uh traffic signal there. Any other questions? Thank you. Do we have any speaker cards?

We have one speaker card in support of the project from Mr. Jeff Levy. He's indicated he does not wish to speak. Okay. Thank you. Anyone in the audience want to speak? I don't think there's anybody left to speak. Okay. All right. All right. I'm going to close the public hearing with [clears throat] the secretary. Um, please read the staff recommendation. Recommend conditional approval of the use permit for a convenience use convenience store with gas station subject to conditions of approval. Is there a motion for the staff recommendation or a motion to recommend denial of the staff recommendation? I move approval. A motion from Vice Chair Sambido. A second.

Second by Commissioner Hegodus. The floor is open for commission discussion. Well, at least that answered my question about why they're putting it there. That gas is going to be cheaper. I don't have much cheaper, but Well, they have members, so Well, I don't know how much that you know, is it a free card or plus? I know some of the other markets have like a plus additional membership so it would help for them probably draw more members that way too. That too and that's a significant cost on their part. So I'm good with it. Okay vote.

Okay. Thank you. Uh, we'll do a roll call vote on this item for the benefit of the public. Uh, Commissioner Roberts, I. Commissioner Wang, I. Commissioner Booth, I. Commissioner Heged, I. Vice Chair Sambido, I. Chairman Climber, I. Okay. Motion passes. The recommendation of approval will be forwarded to the city council for the November 17th meeting.

Thank you. Were there any staff communications? Thank you, chairman. Um, first of all, the items you looked at last month, one was a use permit for a drive-thru that was approved by council um, as recommended by the planning commission. Also, you received a work session on the zoning ordinance update, and we took that same work session to city council Monday night. So, if you're interested in seeing what their discussion was, that's available online. um or the minutes, you can look at their discussion as well. It was a a really good discussion. Um also, I wanted to update you that I had promised that we were going to have a presentation on the transportation and unfortunately the schedules just didn't work out with the staff members next month. We are anticipating we're going to have a full agenda. So, we're probably not going to do it next month, but I do um commit that we're going to have our um deputy director of development services at the meeting. So, if there are more questions about the traffic studies um on those items we're bringing you, we'll have him who's he's in charge of those. So, he'll he'll be the expert and be able to answer the questions better than I was. And then we're thinking after the holidays we'll be able to have some more presentations for, you know, more work session style where we can do more um learning about, you know, the transportation master plan, everything we're looking at, how the traffic impact studies. So, we haven't forgotten that. It's just we're at that time of year where schedules get a little um difficult to um navigate. So, we are still working on that so we can bring some of that information to you in the future. That's all I have.

Okay. Thank you. I have [clears throat] one other item. Sorry. Um the 2026 planning and zoning commission calendar will also be on next month's agenda for your review and approval. Okay. Thanks. And the next planning and zoning commission meeting will be held on December the 3 at 6 pm in these chambers. And no further discussion, the meeting is journed.