Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

That was crazy. There you go. is ready. Good evening. I'd like to call the January 8th meeting of the Cas Grand Planning and Zoning Commission to order. If you would please rise and join me for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Eric, let the record show we're all here and changes to the agenda. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to make a recommendation that um item G4 be moved to the top of the agenda under new business to be heard first.

Okay. Commissioners, chair, I'll make a motion to move uh G4 to the first new business item. Second. Very good. Second. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? All right. Very good. Commissioners, we have minutes from the last meeting. Chair, I'd like to make a motion. Thank you. Like to make a motion to approve the minutes of the December 4th, 2025 meeting. Second. Very good. Got a motion to second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all in favor say I. I.

Any opposed? All right. our annual elections. However you all would like to handle this, please somebody any what are your desires commissioners? Chair, I'd like to nominate Brett Benedict for chair. Okay, I'll second that. Any other Thank you. Any other nominations? Okay, hearing none. I guess we're just going to go. All in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it. And a vice chair chair. I'd like to make a motion.

You go, buddy. I'd like to make a motion for Commissioner Garza as vice chair. All right. Second. All right. And a second. Any others? Hearing none. And uh all in favor, please say I. I. I. Any opposed?

All right. Thank you all. Okay, we're at the uh public comment portion of the meeting. So, anything that anybody from the public would like to address with the commission that's not on our agenda? Okay, if that's clear, because each of the agenda items, we will have an a public uh opening for you all to speak to that particular item. But if there's anything else that you'd like to address with the commission, this a great time for you to come forth and tell us what your thoughts are. All right, seeing none, I'll close the public comment portion and move on to new business. And we have first one is to hold a public hearing. Oh, let me back up. So our process is is normal process is that we will um present these each issue and the staff will give us a report commission will ask questions of the staff. Then we will hear from uh the the applicant or their representative and commission may have questions and and discussions with them and then we will open to for public comments for each of those issues and we very much invite you to uh address us. We really appreciate your input on these issues. So, and it please keep your uh keep your comments short and succinct if as you can so that everybody that wants to speak can do so. And please try not to repeat something that somebody else has said um particularly to at any length we allow three minutes for each for each

person to speak. All right. Great. Okay. We'll move on to which G4 has now become the first one. We'll hold a public hearing consider request by Ironwood Village HOA for a major amendment to the Ironwood Village P A DSA2500152 and Jim. All right. Well, happy new year planning commission.

Thank you. as you introduced this. Um, we are going to be discussing a proposed amendment to the Ironwood Village planned area development zoning this evening regarding the replacement of turf in four of the central drainage basins within the Ironwood Village community. Ironwood Village HOA is the applicant. They're requesting an amendment to their zoning to replace four retention basins within its zone district with decomposed granite and other landscaping materials. The location of those four basins are identified in the the purple ovals on the screen. As you can tell, they're fairly central within the Ironwood Village community. And just to familiarize yourself with with this location in case you're not aware, it's located of course at the northeast corner of McMurray and Pier. Ironwood Village is a age restrictive age restricted um community comprised of 264 homes. Here's a better view of the four basins that are in question that are being requested to be converted from turf to decomposed granite. Um, this view is looking to the north. And then this is another perspective of those four basins looking south. This is just another additional perspective of of the of the basins in question. the reason for the amendment. Not all planned area development zonings have particular text that would prompt the need to come in to request an amendment um for this type of detail. However,

within the Ironwood Village planned area development zoning guide, there is some text that I have highlighted for you that says the Green Belt open space will include turf areas similar to that is shown in this development guide where this excerpts from. And then it refers to a a variety of exhibits. On exhibit 17 that's referenced out of the planned area development guide. You can clearly see that the four basins that are requested to be um converted to decomposed granite are shown to be turf. then on their um final landscape plan which was approved after the zoning was approved as required in this PAD. If you notice the first part that's unhighlighted out of this excerpt, it says a final landscape plan will be submitted to the city for street frontage landscape areas and common open space areas. That final landscape plan that was approved administratively also identifies turf. The request is to amend that verbiage referencing an alternative request where they would take these four basins and convert them to decomposed granite. However, they aren't just um leaving them as granite. They are proposing a variety of trees and shrubs in those four basins as graphically shown there to the left. And it would be comprised of a mulga tree, two of them in each basin, and then a variety of rosemary and winter blaze plants. And they've even provided the um type of granite proposed.

If this revision to the PD is successful, we would ask that the final landscape plan be redlinined, which is an administrative process to reflect those four basins as um decomposed granite and and the shrubs as proposed. But if they are successful with the request, it would remove a total of 0.029 acres of turf. No um changes are proposed to the east and west green belts. The conversion of these basins would result in um 5.87 acres of decomposed granite that's already you know just adding a little bit to what's already on the site primarily along the street frontages of McMurray McMurray and Pier and it would result in a reduction of turf leading to 2.62 62 acres. I do want to note that the um as I mentioned the east west green belts aren't proposing to be changed nor is the larger of the retention basins closer to the clubhouse near the entrance um to the community that proposes to remain as turf as well. With regard to P Amendments, there are some that do require many in fact that require going all the way to city council for consideration and approval. However, there are some type of major amendments that um planning commission is the final authority for. This happens to be a case where planning commission would be acting as the final authority on this amendment. And the reason being um the request does not affect any of these bulleted items. Um it doesn't add a new use and it doesn't change the

density of the development. It's basically a design standard that's within the PAD guide that doesn't have an impact on um a true zoning concern such as land use per se. When reviewing amendments to PA ADS, there are a series of of criteria that have to be evaluated. And the staff report goes into those criteria in greater detail, but I want to focus on a few specific ones. One is a relationship of the plan to surrounding land uses. As I mentioned, there is not really a change of land use with this request. The conversion from turf to decomposed granite does not modify the intended use of that area as a retention basin. And just to note, other HOA communities in the city have made conversions or have had conversations about such about converting some of their basins from turf to decomposed granite as a water saving measure. Another criteria is with regard to being in conformance with the city zoning ordinance in general. Since the zoning of this property is planned area development, it is subject to design standards and uses per its approved planned area development guide. In addition, all planned area development zone districts that are residential are subject to a companion document known as the residential design standards for planned area developments. When Ironwood Village was um approved in 1999, it was approved under a different version of PED residential design standards that are in place now. at at the time in 1999

um in order to get its zoning approved the uh approval sought two exceptions to those PED design standards in place and they were granted. One was there was a a PD standard requiring concrete walkways through the development to be at least 10 feet wide and it was approved to have a five-foot walkway that goes through the central central part of the development. Another exception that was granted is back in 1999 sideyard setbacks were required to be a minimum of 10 ft from home to property line. Whereas in Ironwood Village, it was approved with a minimum distance of 15 feet between structures. So there may be some instances where between the actual property line and the structure um wasn't necessarily 10 feet, but it ensured that there'd at least be 15 feet between structures. If this were to be a brand new development proposed today, it would be subject to the 2022 version of the peed residential design standards whereby we still within the city require residential plantary developments to have a 10- foot wide minimum walkway unless an exception was granted. And we um we but we have made something a little bit more restrictive which is the landscape frontage areas. So like the area next to Pier and McMurray would now be required to have one tree and five shrubs for every 20 ft. In the 1999 version of which this was approved, it required one tree and three shrubs for every 30 feet. So staff is recommending that should

this P Amendment be approved, um we are recommending a condition that the HOA is to um work with its landscaping company to survey the landscaping against the approved final landscape plan and replace any missing trees and shrubs with new trees and shrubs in accordance with that approved uh landscape plan. That way it would just bring it and ensure that the the landscaping there would be brought up into compliance with the approved plan. Another element of the PED review criteria talks about adequate pedestrian access. I only bring this up because um as you'll probably hear from some of the attendees this evening, there had been a previous effort to amend this planned area development a few years ago to convert all of the basins to decomposed granite. That request was not supported by staff because the existing turf contributes to recreational purposes that rocked basins really wouldn't be able to accomplish in the same way. And since this site is lacking typical sidewalks along streets and it as it is it had a central walkway reduced from a 10-ft requirement to 5t. Um, it was recommended by staff at that time that the only way that the conversion of all turf would be supported, namely in those east west areas, would be if the site was amended to provide walkways within those basins to improve that as an amenity for the for that community. However, that's not being proposed with this new amendment. we're only talking

about four basins that sit alongside the walkway that's there. And so in this instance, the amendment is supportable um since it it doesn't impact the area in the same way and as I mentioned is it is alongside that central spine walkway. So there's already a a recreational amenity present in that area. regarding the notification process. Um we followed that which is required by code and then unfortunately the meeting that this was scheduled for had to be moved due to a um notification error and so there were new notices sent out the week of Christmas announcing the moving of this hearing. Staff had received a variety of comments um regarding this request. There were several inquiries expressing concern about this turf conversion. Um, basically the sentiment is that turf is preferred over the presence of more decomposed granite. It was an amenity offered and promised to the residents. Um there's a a feeling that if those areas were just simply maintained better there there wouldn't be the issues that are prompting the need to to convert the turf areas to rock. However, staff has also received a couple of other comments provided in support of the change contending that this will ultimately result in in less water cost in the long run. With that, staff does recommend that planning commission approve this amendment to the Ironwood Village P AD um subject to the following condition that I mentioned regarding that the landscaping per the approved final landscape plan shall be replanted in those areas where it's currently

missing. And that concludes my presentation. Right, commissioners? Any questions for staff? Seeing none, would the applicant or their representative please come forward? Address the commission. Give us your name and address for the record.

My name is D. Canudson, 1551 East Manor Drive, Kasa Grande, Arizona. Good evening. Um, thank you, Jim. Excellent presentation. well presented. I'd like to add a couple of things uh that I think you should know about um and should be considered. Uh we went back 10 years in our records and pulled all invoices related to um our landscaping contracting uh as they relate to turf maintenance. and we were able to create a timeline for 10 years that would illustrate what has occurred in those turf areas which I think would you will find of interest. So I'll just give you a few highlights on that. Uh first off in uh July and August uh right in there in the year 2015 a weed called spurge I don't know if you're familiar with it but it is a Bermuda grass killer. uh yet got into airborne, got into especially our two northern east west uh turf areas and also the basins and a few other areas. Very very difficult to get rid of it. Um we started um okay so once we got to the point where we felt like we could then deal with the turf uh we started with uh our landscape company in uh doing a lot of fertilizing which has continued every year of every year

in the last 10 years fertilizing izing soil amen amendments, deatchching, irration, turf pre-postemergent, all the common kinds of things that you would use uh to keep your turf uh well-maintained and to keep it healthy. Uh we have also um hydro seedated which occurred um about a year after the spurge was initially found when it was at a point where it could be hydroed and the first hydro seeding in June of 2016 did not take. So it was hydro seated again in 2016 in many of the turf areas uh and it did start to take. So there was some success with that. Um, in addition, uh, when we got to the year 2023, we turned off all the water in the turf areas in the eastwest turf areas and those the four basins that we're talking about today. We had two to three irrigation techs in there during the heat of the summer going through every single sprinkler, PVC line, valves, valve boxes, timers, everything water related to the turfs. Almost all of it was replaced and what wasn't replaced was repaired. uh we felt we just had to start over. So that's that what h that's what happened in the year of 2023 is when we got done with that then we came back in and we hydro seated those areas and we ended up again hydro seating them twice because the first after a couple of months we could see it wasn't taking as well as it should. So the company came back and

they hydro seated. Um again during this period of time before we hydro seedated it was the recommendation of our landscape company that we install two uh storm drains in the two furthest northern basins that we're talking about tonight. And these storm drains uh are uh about 8 foot long, six wide, three deep roughly. And so they came in, they come in off of the streets. They're right there. And these big wells were dug. Uh, a filter type of paper product is then filled in those big wells that they created. And then you put a lot of river rock in there. Um, and that is to help when the water's coming off the street for what rain we do get. um than it with it's designed to help take care of some of that water so it's not sitting in those basins for a great period of time. They do help um did it completely resolve the problem? No, it did not. U meanwhile um get to the year 2024. Now we're Bermuda seating. So now we've identified several areas throughout the turf. Um and those were Bermuda seated. We also installed some sod in one basin to try it and in an east west basin on one area to see how that would work late summer of 2024 that did really well. Really really well. So, we knew um basically the direction we had to go and that was that you know some of these areas we're just going to have to resod them. Uh so this past summer uh we

completely resolded one particular east west uh basin on one section and several other identified areas as well. Uh so that's where we are with the turf. The four basins after everything I've told you have not responded to anything that we have tried. They just don't. We have not sold them at this point. Right now they're standing there or sitting there laying there um without water. We turned the water off because more than half of those four basins are dirt. it made no sense to let water run uh and just waste it when there's no grass there. So, we did that. We also uh went ahead and killed the grass in those basins in September uh because again we knew uh we were going to have to with either we're going to have to resod them uh which will be an expensive process but can be done or uh we're going to convert them which is why we're here today. So, that's that's a pretty good um rundown of what's been going on with the grass in in our community. Uh the other thing I wanted to talk about, Jim had mentioned, you know, the condition under the condition that we get the the landscaping with the trees and the the plants back up to snuff. I will quickly tell you um fourth quarter we planted 55 plants and four trees interior. first quarter of 2026. The exterior in about two to three weeks is set to be totally replanted. Uh 217

uh shrubs and 23 trees. The trees are 24 bucks. Uh on the interior, we have about 70 uh plants that we'll be putting in in during the first quarter and we are also putting into uh 22 uh trees as well. So we are definitely underway in in taking care of some issues that have been there for a while. Um lastly I think that um we need to understand the use of the water. The four basins they have roughly an average of 22 sprinklers per basin. If you take a 30 minute period of time, one of those sprinklers over a 30 minute time period of time for 24 minutes because that's the approximate time that we are watering our grass during the summer months uh during a particular day. And we're watering the grass four or five times per week. So the average of one sprinkler runs 300 or uses 330 gallons of water in 24 minutes. If we convert, we'll be using the two gallon emitters. One two gallon emitter for 30 minutes uses 18 gallons of water. So there's quite a difference and it just does make some sense and seems like a reasonable solution to our problem. I would like to bring uh John BGS. He is our regional operations manif manager for Genesis up here because I assume you

have some questions and he's going to help answer. So okay, any questions for Yes, I might have a question. Yes, please. Um, D, did the the board the HOA board take action on on this item in any way? Did it come before Do you guys have an HOA, I'm assuming? And yes,

did did the board take action? Was there a consensus or anything? The board held a special meeting when it knew what it what it needed to do uh with the with the sod for not only those basins but but the entire area. The board held a special meeting in August August 27 I think it was. Genesis brought to the table and John was there. Um he brought a proposal saying we can reside the whole thing if that's what you want to do for the identified areas. We can um what was the other one? Soding uh plus doing the turf conversion and then and then a combined

combined combined. And so we chose the combined and that's what we voted on because if we did it that way, we saved ourselves 20,000. Okay. So all it it went more forward in favor of the board members. Yep. Okay. Yep. It was an open session, special board meeting. And then just my second question to you was going to be, is there an increase in fees with all of this work that you've been doing over the course of the last 10 years? No. Okay. No. I mean, well, sure, each year our our um budget assessments do go do go up, but it's not just right

landscape. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So, let let me be clear. You're you're a board member. I'm the president of the board. Very good. Um, yeah. Okay. Any other questions for them. All right. Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Thank you.

Now, I'd like to open the public portion of the meeting for this particular item. Anyone like to address this meeting, please come forward. give us your name and address uh for the minutes and uh please keep your comments to three minutes as best you can so that everyone can have can have time that would like to anybody like to address this issue. Charles Smith. I live at 1558 East Brenda uh in uh Ironwood Village. Uh the staff summary you just had uh with the recommendation from the city planning office has merit. Uh what you don't know, however, is how we got there. Um, you heard a little bit of it from the, uh, the board president. Uh, what she neglected to tell you, uh, is that, uh, all of that was, uh, conducted without homeowner input, uh, without acknowledging that the, uh, homeowners had opinions on that. Uh, and, uh, the whole thing was introduced, uh, without, uh, concurrence of the the homeowners as a community. Uh, also of concern is not just the how it was done, uh, but the situation that it places you as commissioners, uh, in today, um, because you're basically in the middle of an HOA dispute, uh, because there is not any consensus uh, with the homeowners right now. So, let me take you through here. Uh, as we've already uh, discussed, uh, this is history repeating itself. We did this

four years ago. The board knew then uh that they had to have a uh an amendment. Uh they did file for an amendment at that time, but it got vacated uh primarily due to cost and also a very vocal uh buildup from the homeowners themselves. Uh so here we are fast forwarding four years later uh and uh we have a middle of the summer when all the snowbirds are away. Snowbirds love grass by the way. Um the snowbirds are all away and we have the introduction of this thing all over again. Uh it didn't get introduced as something that was for discussion by the homeowners. It got introduced as a contract uh which has already been discussed um from the board and all they did was vote to approve the contract. No discussion of the bigger picture of whether or not we really wanted to have those issues addressed. The grass has already been killed. There was an indication there that the board had no intent of applying for the amendment to the P A which they knew they required. Uh that wasn't done until October. Like D already said, they killed the grass in September. Uh how does this affect you? You're in the middle of the dispute. I don't think it's your job to be judge and jury in the middle of a dispute. So, we're not ready. Um, if you deny it or table it, we can always come back. Thank you.

Thank you. Appreciate that.

Anybody else like to address this issue? Sure. Like to hear from you. My name is Betty Clark. I live at 1527 East Brenda Drive in Ironwood Village. Uh I have lived in Ironwood Village for over 20 years. Having been on the HOA board of directors twice for a total of five years and regularly attending board meetings, I can confirm that the HOA boards have tried to maintain the turf in the PAD designated basin areas. HOA attorneys advise HOA board members to listen to and follow the recommendations from the professionals under contract to the HOA. None of the residents speaking against the conversion tonight are professional landscapers, nor are they fully aware of what the professional landscaping company has done over the years in these four basins. And the fact that the this um proposal was not uh conducted in a in the correct manner is not true. The information was brought before the public in a public meeting before the residents in August. The the president of the board gave the residents attending that meeting two opportunities to speak to ask questions to speak against that proposal. Nobody said anything. Not one person. Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on the four designated basins on irerration, soil amendment, deatching, bermuda seeding, weed killing, storm drains. The HOA boards have diligently followed the professional landscape contractor's recommended grass maintenance. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over,

expecting different results. Every attempt has been made to grow Bermuda grass in these four basins with poor results. The HOA can't afford to continue to waste money in these areas. That money is needed for repairs and updates elsewhere in the community. The four basins involve less than 310 of an acre. They've looked terrible for for years. The professional landscaping company under contract to the HOA is recommending that these basins be converted. Converting the four designated north south basins to granite with boulders, plants, and trees will enhance the appearance of these areas, provide cost-effective maintenance, save money on save water and save money, and protect property values. As the plants and trees mature, they will shade the rock and reduce the heat effect that is of concern to some residents. Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm Robin Smith. I live at 1457 North Agave Street. My brother owns the house, but I have proxy to speak on his behalf because I'm the one that lives there. So, I moved in in 2020 and um in my backyard alone, I don't don't know how many plants I'm supposed to have, but I have three. But I have little watering. I should I should paint them green. So, at least there's something green in there. What I have noticed over the time is again from this is from the resident's point of view, not the board. The board doesn't listen to us. They took they sent out a survey, kind of a questionnaire before I moved in. They just asked, "Do people want this?" Never gave costs, nothing. And all of a sudden, we get something from the board, the HOA board saying, um, we've got this architect already to go to change into into um, Desert Scape. They spent at least $60,000. They took that money out of our reserve fund, allocated it to a different fund so that they can use this for landscaping, which they're not supposed to do. And that was the first the residents had heard about changing over landscape. So they've already contracted with architects. They've already contracted to get work done. We knew nothing about it is what what I have heard from other residents. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Um they did send out an actual survey the time that we were supposed to meet and a majority of the residents because the board wouldn't give wouldn't couldn't give us any cost. We had no idea if we were going to get an assessment and in um

and most of the residents from the survey did not want the conversion. So now it's dead. We're thinking we're really good on Tom. And so now they did it again. Again, they started without asking. They started without coming to you guys. They came to you guys because they got caught by one of the residents with or confronted by one of the residents um about the death, the grass dying. So now we have this at it. Again, the board has been pushing this for many years. Um they brought up the cost, you know, this professional landscape. Well, who who who wins in the landscape, the landscapers, they have to keep planting plants. They have to keep mowing the lawn. They have to keep they're working. They're but they're getting off of learning off of us by having to replant. The board would not have replaced the outside plants if that hadn't been told that they had to do it. city knew that they were out of um out of they weren't biting to buy it. So now they're fixing it so that they can get push their agenda and that's how we see it as homeowners. Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes. I'm Alvin Anderson. I live at 1533 East Brenda Drive. I moved into Ironwood 22 years ago. And the property we're discussing tonight wasn't even developed at that time. So, I've seen it from the beginning. About four years ago, I was on the board. We were discussing rejuvenation of the grass. My wife and I went out and walked the every green belt in in the development. And there's a Hey, hang on. Hang on. No. Lost the microphone. Now it's working. Sorry. Go ahead. But the board has done a great job of getting the grass back up in shape except for these four basins. They've never been any have much grass. I think they've done everything they can do. So, I'm really in favor of removing this turf and doing something different because the only thing we have accomplished is spend a lot of money and waste a lot of water. Thank you.

Thank you.

Ladies first. Good evening. Happy New Year to everyone. Um, my name's Angie Bolt. Can you Can you put the mic down so we can hear you?

Angie Bolt and I've lived in Cass Grant all my life. third generation farmers, but I just recently moved to Ironwood Village, 1552 East Laurel in March. So, I haven't been there a whole year, but I walk my dog through these basins and uh but today I took some pictures because of the rain. And I think the word basin identifies this. A basin collects water and that's all they they do. And if you want to see pictures, I have them here. I know you have that up there, but can I bring them?

It just when I first moved there, I think in the back, some lady came running in saying, "Mosquitoes, mosquitoes." So, this water just goes into this. They did put some drainage there, but it doesn't work. But, uh, we have a lot of rabbits. Rick's house, right next to one of these basins. There's a picture of rabbits on there, but they have to keep replacing it because they're like bogs. The the the the grass can't grow in these bogs. And so I'm in favor of just doing away with all that grass and doing what this landscaper wants to do is put some rock and some nice boulders and get some shrubs in there or ground cover. And I think that would just really enhance that whole area because you're you're not going to grow grass in that area. I know from living in this town and trying to grow grass on my property as well, but um that's all I have to say, but I just wanted to show you those pictures.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

You have the Good evening, Chairman Benedict, members of the commission. Rick Miller, 1559 East Brenda Drive. First of all, I would like to uh thank you for allowing us to to be here and to express our concerns. I have a presentation that it was going to be given uh on January 8th, but we were continued. So, actually tonight, I guess you changed it, didn't you? Very good. Thank you. Go ahead. Let's go to the first slide real quick. I'll run through some some slides for you real quickly so you can get an idea. I was the planning and development director when this was approved in 1999. Uh, we required the developer to submit a landscape plan to the council before final plats could be recorded and and lots sold. I bought into Ironwood Village because of the green belts. Uh, they're green belts because they're meant to be green and have turf in them. I will counter some of the comments have been made that they've never been able to grow grass in here. I've seen it. They used to overseed. These areas were beautifully green. We had a lot of really nice social uh events in these green areas and I'd like to see it stay that way. Okay, let's go ahead. First slide, James or wherever? Oh, I do it here. Uh, see which way?

Okay. Community has been designed with highly visible and easily accessible open space areas. This was right out of the PD. The linear open space areas link the community together both physically and visually. These open space areas will be landscaped as inviting recreational areas and access ways where pedestrians can easily travel through the community through these open spaces. That was right from the the development guide. I'm hitting the wrong button, I think. This is an illustration in the development guide that I think James had earlier. You can see these are green belts. They're not brown belts. They're not full of rock and decomposed granite, which what they're proposing is not decomposed granite. large rock that has been screened. Probably one and a half inch granite that's not easy to walk on. Uh quickly going through these again. One more flip through. Uh again, some more images. Go ahead and flip through these a little bit. A lot of you may have seen these. This is a picture of May of 2011. These green belts were pretty green back then. Um in fact, some of the turf areas in this development have already been reduced. There is a mistake in the staff report. It's not 029 acres. It's 0 29 acres, which is about a third of an acre. They've already eliminated some of the grass since the original landscape plans were approved previously. One more time real quick. These uh illustrations here, this is August of 25. You know, they they they shut the water off. They killed the grass. They did so knowing that the commission needed to approve an amendment to the PAD before they came in and asked. Uh they just killed the grass. Uh go ahead. Next. These are some pictures I took recently. These are green belts. These are all over town. Uh this is an area um over there in in one of the PADs in in Kasa Grande. Next, uh this is kind of what we'd be looking at. We'd be looking at dirt belts uh that get heavily eroded. Um go ahead. Next. Uh just real quickly, I'll flip through the last remaining slides here. You can kind of see what we're talking about.

Last thing real quick, I know I'm out of time. Turf and trees and plants capture carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The turf retention basins help maintain a more natural environment compared to the barren look of rock basins. Turf retention basins support local ecosystems and create a habitat for wildlife which rock retentions do not. One last I think is there more. These are natural turf retention basins are natural processes to filter out sediments, heavy metals, nutrients. These uh help reduce volume of uh runoff and lower temperatures. Uh they help enhance filtration. overall maintenance cost is actually less if you look it up. Uh turf tension bases are actually less less maintenance less costly and uh I thank you for your time. Any if you have any questions I'm happy to answer them.

Thank you. Anyone else? Sure appreciate your input. Please see.

Good evening. My name is Belinda Aches. My husband and I live at 1582 East Earl Drive and we just recently moved to um the village. Uh we have lived in Arizona for 20 years though we lived in Eloy for 19 and we decided to downsize and move to a smaller house and we had been to Ironwood Village many times. Uh my in-laws had lived there back 10 years ago and we love the green areas and that was important to us. My husband and I are professional landscapers. We're from Wyoming, which is different than Arizona, but while living in Eloy, I had quite a bit of grass in the backyard, which I mowed, trimmed, fertilized, worked on the sprinkler systems, and overseated every week. I did something to the lawn. And that was one reason to move to Ironwood Village because I wouldn't have as much area to take care of. But I was known for having the most beautiful yard in Ropesen Ranch. So, I'm proud of that and I would like to kind of diffuse the situation and give us just a little more time that we could maybe research it a little bit better. We never had a soil analysis. Maybe there's something going on that's keeping the grass from taking hold. I know I'm late to the thing coming on and I know people will disagree, but um I think it would be nice for us to all get together and maybe we can come to a conclusion that maybe we can come up with a different idea. Rock is not maintenance-free. You get leaves and soil and dirt and everything in there and it doesn't just blow out of there with the blower. I know that. Um it will take maintenance. you'll have to go in there and get on your hands and knees and pull the leaves

out. I've done that. So, there are different views about what's happening, but I think it would be nice if we had a little time, whether it's three months or six months in the scheme of things. I think it would be good for the community to try and come together and settle this in a a good way. So, thank you for your time. Thank you. Anybody else? Yes, ma'am.

My name is Denise Rowiter and I live at 1589 East Laurel Drive. I moved there in March of 2020. And when I got there, I loved the place. It was beautiful. I had a dog, walked all the time. But the basins since I moved there have been going downhill. I saw the maintenance that they were trying to do. In fact, even this last year as I was riding my bike around, they've been doing the basins. We're not talking about the green belts. We're talking about basins that is not working. I am in favor of what the board wants to do. I do believe that rock does a really good job. And I also know that if you look back into some of the major areas of Arizona, they are going this way. I think in uh 2015 I read that Phoenix was about 15% now where they have grass in the homes. I lived in homes where they were surrounded by gr uh block uh gravel and such. Um and I've never had any problems with weeds and such. You get somebody to put down weed deterrent and that takes care of it. So, like I said, I am in favor with the board to do this just to make it look nicer and maintain the grass is not being maintained. It just seems like it can't be grown. Thank you.

Thank you. Hello. Hi, I'm Monica. I live at 15 1569 East Brenda Drive. Hard to even remember my name. Okay. Sorry. Uh I've lived in uh Ironwood Village 20 years. Transferred from um Nebraska where we had lots of grass because we had lots of rain. And so coming to the desert, I thought, well, you know, it's not going to be very beautiful or anything because it's going to be all brown. It is not all brown. We have beautiful plants. We have beautiful and we do have grass. And I know that there is some contention and I I just want everyone to know that's here from both sides. Love you all. Uh we're neighbors. We're friends. Uh you have a difference of opinion than I do and and that's okay because that's what we're here in the United States for. Right? So I just want to say that um I think the board has done an awful lot to try and maintain this community. I am um the chairman of the welcome committee and so therefore we have a visit with every new resident that comes into our community and we are told by these new people about how wonderful the place looks, how they are so happy to uh find a place that where it is maintained well. There are other communities where they're kind of lax and don't really keep up the the value of the homes. And uh I think that uh this is a project that has been long overdue in coming. And uh I think if we just waste any more time, it's just going to take it longer and longer to happen. And I just hope that um you will see that there are not as many people that we wanted to be here because they are very very much in favor of this project. And here again, uh,

thank you for listening. Thank you.

Anybody else like to address this issue? Yes, sir.

Hi there. My name is Mike Ritter. The 21 Westbust Street. Um, I have a pretty extensive background with landscape and especially in Denver, uh, desert environment, excuse me. Um, just something I just want to point out. Obviously, I'm not really concerned what happens with it either way, but I did notice some discrepancies and what's being said tonight. Um, I would like you guys to take that in account uh with the amount of water that is supposedly coming out of these sprinklers. Now, I have not personally inspected them. I don't know exactly what kind of brand they're using. um you that 24 minutes at 330 gallons is pretty on the high end um upwards of what a golf course would see and that wouldn't be used in such a small area. So that might be a little bit of a discrepancy there. Um as well as watering four to five times a week. Um that's basically going to kill your grass because you're drowning and it cannot breathe. So something to bring to point there. Uh, I don't know if anybody's ever been out of town here, but there's golf courses everywhere. I'm not saying they're on every corner. However, they seem to do pretty well. Um, obviously with the proper management and watering, um, it can grow out here just fine. It really can. So, that's all I'd like to say. Thank you.

Thank you.

Anybody else like to address this issue? All right, seeing none, I'll close the public portion of the meeting and bring it back to the commission. Commissioners.

Yes, sir.

Garrett, so I'm I'm kind of stuck. I would say I'm I I don't know what's the truth from what we heard. So, it kind of makes this hard and that's where I have to rely on what I know is proper in landscaping as far as a desert environment and the general direction. many cities and jurisdictions in the state of Arizona have moved um especially with a lot of the work I do down in Tucson in the type of landscape requirements that they have there and the restrictions on turf areas and things like that. Um just because water is so sensitive. I think replacing 0029 acres um what does that say? A total of 6,43 square feet. So, one lot, one home lot for it it doesn't seem like that is uh a detriment to the community to replace that, especially if it's being replaced with uh attractive landscaping in its in its place with his new trees, things like that that can be maintained. Um, so that's I I don't see this as a as a detriment and especially with the amount of other green space that exists in the community today. Um, I that's that's just where I stand.

Okay. Thank you. I have a question. Yes. Did you guys bring up doing artificial grass maybe? I mean, what's the cost because there's some really So, um, probably for somebody to address that the uh the president um president of board, right? No, I'm good. I I'd like to hear from the president of the board. I think because what's the cost right now for the rock? It's very expensive. Oh, I apologize. What's the cost for the rock right now? The cost for the rock the to do these basins? It's uh about 30,000 for each one together

to total. And did you try alternative like maybe um getting some artificial grass to see to do a compromise? artificial grass. Um, no, I will say no. Okay. However, I do know, um, when we looked at it before a few years back that at that point in time, it was cross prohibitive for our little HOA. Number one. Number two, the uh the heat, the summer heat and the ability of um artificial grass to extend for a great period of time wasn't there. Now it's been

I was a few years. Yeah. I mean it might be an alternative to kind of balance out people who are wanting grass. Um I don't you know I guess my question would be um because they are retention basins um these particular four basins are quite small and so they're they're they have a pretty significant I've seen I've been there. Okay. Oh, you know. Mhm. And so if you put artificial turf in there, I guess my my question would be how is it going to drain? Well, it does drain. I mean,

they do put sand and Mhm. you know. So, yeah. Yeah. But anyway, um, and then my next question is when you had these meetings, were they just in August when there was no, you know, when the snowbirds were gone? We did it in Yes, it was August 27th. So, when did the snowbirds normally come in your area in your subdivision? Gosh, October, November. Wouldn't it be more feasible to have maybe a second meeting in October so you can include everybody because it sounds like we have an imbalance here? Just a question.

The the reason that it was held in August was really the saw. Uh we had several areas that we had to saw and you're if if you're going to saw um you've got to back into it. So for the for the landscape company, they need to know so far in advance in order to get their name and order in with the sod company. And so when would you when would you quite a ways out? So typically I mean they would have to know by that period of time just what what how much sod they need because there's just a window for for sod.

But when and when would you lay the sod? I mean, if you're doing It's already laid. It's done. No, my question is if you're having the meeting in August, you're you're pre-planning for the sod. So, when would you be planting the sod? Because you wouldn't be planning it in August, September. I mean, you'd be planning it more towards March or April next year. Golf courses overseed at the end of September and early October. But are they planning winter, right? Or or I mean or Bermuda. It's Bermuda. See, they're talking Bermuda. Yeah, Bermuda. And that would not be

Bermuda is planted when it's very warm, right? So it's not very warm. It's Well, you look at this year, we went just went through the warmest. Correct. But I'm just saying so you you would have time to have another meeting in October because most likely you'd be pl planting Bermuda in April May right in there or February right in there. So it would be for the next year. The the plan was to get the sod installed before we hit winter of 2025. Okay. That's why August. Gotcha. Okay.

So, but while you're up there, um uh your HOA, um how often do you have elections? Uh once a year. Once a year for all the board or does the does it does it rotate? It's a it's a rotating board. Um the the And I got you. So, how long are the terms? Three years. Very good. All right. Okay. Thank you. Appreciate you coming back up. Okay. Yes.

I agree. This is a this is a difficult one and um I think there's a lot of contention between both sides which I get and um it you know whether it was brought up before u the whole population or not I I think we need to send it back to the HOA to vote on it um so we have a clearer picture of what the population of of the community wants. Absolutely. I agree. But I think I think my the challenge there is they can't make that choice. They can't make a choice to not have grass there because of the because of the pad. That's why we're But we want to hear from them first.

What I'm saying is do they want to continue on with the grass or does the community as a whole want to see the granite? Yeah. And then once we have that determination from the community, then we can make our choice. Well, I guess to my mind if you know if it's for me that the government that's closest to the people governs best. And you know, I'm not sure that, you know, somebody made the point early on that maybe this shouldn't be before us. the HOA should settle it and that should be where the decision should be made. So yeah,

um you know except you know except that that the city in general wants to have a beautiful city. Um these seem to me to be very internal.

It's what I'm saying. We're stuck in you know once the community decides then then we have our course of action. I don't feel like they have decided. Correct. I don't I feel like they need to have another meeting. I mean, if it was only in August, that's when none of the snowbirds are there and that's not fair. That's, you know, pretty much. Okay. Yeah. I question have they actually explored all the alternatives and actually presented that to the entire residents, right? I don't know.

Yeah, I feel the same way. Yeah, I think presenting it as a landscape contract kind of associated it with all the other green space in the community. So, it was hard to make a determination on this

poor landscape contract who's who's still going to maintain everything else the same way, you know, and then have these basins included in that. So, I think it needs to be a completely separate item for discussion as a hearing for you folks to have that communication and we're going to want to hear where the majority of folks reside in that decision. And hopefully everybody shows up and and there's good discussion and and people have that conversation, but I feel like it's it's really not for us to make. Correct. For you all. So, I'm inclined to table until they have the opportunity to do that. Okay. I'll second it. Um Mark,

I was just going to say just keep in mind if we do table it, we can only table it for 75 days, which is essentially two meetings. So, we would have to hear it in March regardless of what else happens. So, just wanted to make that clear. We can't really table it until in perpetuity until Yeah. Yeah. Well, and nor should we, but I just wanted to point out we only have under our code, we you guys can only table it, right, up to 75 days, which would be the because I don't think it's right for us to make the decision when the community hasn't. I agree. M Mr. Chair, I want to add that if you do decide to table, if you could table it to a time certain

either next month or the following month, P&Z, and you may want to discuss this with the applicant. Okay. I want to jump in too. Yes, it's a little bit out of sequence, but I did air um and just for clarification, it's not 029 acres. It is indeed 29 acres. So, it is nearly a third. I just wanted to clarify the staff report is correct, but I just typed too many zeros here on the presentation. Gotcha. Thank you. Appreciate that.

All right. Good discussion. We got a whole lot to cover tonight. Um I I don't want to cut off discussion. If it's important, please bring it up. Otherwise, I'd sure like to move along because we have some other I make a motion to table this until Well, I I think what Dan was saying is we should also ask the applicant when they could conceivably have the next meeting. Yeah. which would be the HOA. So the the if the board So you have a question for the

for the board president. So if we were to table this when when could you have a meeting with your pop with your residents? The options are February or March? Come on up to the mic, please. Um we have um a meeting in a couple of weeks coming up and then we have our annual meeting and an election of officers um February 9th. Thank you. February

8th, whatever it is. And then we have a another board meeting the third. Our our board meetings are the third Wednesday of every month. And in between there is the election of officers um the second Wednesday. So then we should it to March till our our March meeting. To our March meeting. Your March meeting. Okay. Got it. That'll be March 5th. Is that good? Got your answer. Thank you. Very good. So I I move to table this discussion until our March 5th meeting. I'll second it.

Okay. We have a motion to table. Any more discussion? Feel free. I don't want to stamp all but I want to know kind of both sides of the story here guys. All right. Very good. Please call the role. Member Ibraham. Hi. Member Kle. Yes. Member Smith. Yes. Member Aldrret. I. Member Hubard. Yes. Vice Chair Garza. Hi. And Chairman Benedict. Yes. Thank you. Why they clear out? I have to go to the restroom. Sorry. Why they clear? I have to go to the rest. I know it's not 7:30, but

Okay. Well, everybody's getting up, so we're going to take a 5 10 minute break here. Chris is like, I had too much coffee already. Yeah.

All right, good evening commission. Uh, this is a request for conditional use permit for manufacturing of chemicals within the general industrial I2 zoning district. Uh, the site is located between Thornton Road and Burus Road north of Commerce Drive. Uh, again, the site's I zoned I2 and consists of approximately 26 acres. Little overview of the project. Um the applicant proposes to develop a phase chemical manufacturing campus on approximately 26 acres. Phase one development will occur on approximately six acres on the south southwest corner of the site and will include facilities for the purification and blending of semiconductor grade chemicals including hydrolic acid ammonium hydroxide along with associated warehousing laboratories quality control and office um space. Future phases will expand production capabilities and supporting infrastructure for KPPPC has reserved space on the site for semiconductor grade sulfolic acid facility which anticipated within the five within five to seven years. Um again this is subject to marketing conditions and the customer demand regarding the CUP criteria review criteria. Um all of these are covered in the staff report. staff finds um the applicant has um met all the criteria. I will be covering um one of them that the site for the proposed use relates to the streets and highways adequate in width and pavement type to carry the quality and kind of traffic generated by the proposed use. So with this uh traffic statement was provided with the cup. The project is is anticipated to generate 61 a.m. peak trips and 61 pm peak hour trips. Um, it has they have indicated that there will be approximately 10 to 12 trucks per day arriving anytime between 8 to 5 Monday through Friday and that they will

maintain a three-day inventory of both raw materials and product allowing for the truck delivery to be spread throughout the workday and typically outside of the normal AM and PM peak hours. Um, also I touched in the staff report that this site is also part of a five lot plat currently under review. Um, one of the purposes of this plat is to create roadways that will connect to the Hilibend Highway um, via Garden Avenue. There will also be access along Ash Avenue alignment um, that will provide access to Commerce Drive to the south for secondary access shown here. Uh, with regarding the stakeholder process, staff and applicant met all the requirements. Uh, pre-scoping letters were sent out by the applicant in November. Um, and all the updates were done. Um or I guess this is an excuse a new um public hearing dates for dispatch and um mailings were done by staff. Uh myself or the affluent did not receive any inquiries um for this request. So with that staff uh staff recommends the commission approved the conditional use permit and associated resolution. Happy to answer any questions the commission may have. That was really fast. Okay. Commission questions for staff. Okay.

Would the applicant or their representative please come address the commission? Hello, my name is Christina Cra um with WMA Architects and um I think you covered it pretty well, Jacqueline. Um can you put that up? Be sure you're getting caught on in the microphone. Is that better? Oh, keep talking.

Okay, let me know if it's not better. Okay. Um, I'm here to represent KBPC and their uh move into the community. They're very excited to be here. They're very excited to be a responsible partner. They are um meeting all the requirements for environmental concerns as well as um uh any any other concerns uh with an industrial use. So, they're just excited to be here and and we're excited to represent them. Okay, any questions? Oh, did you give us an address? Um, they have to have name and address.

Okay. 1743 East Bogle Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona, 85020. Thank you so much. Sorry for that questions. Yes. Yeah, I I just have a couple questions. Sorry, hot mic. No, you're good. Um, so phase one, um, I got what's the plan for the next phases? Are they there yet or what what's going to trigger their next point where they're going to be expanding the footprint? Um that that would be triggered by the need for the end user. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Yep. Is there um say the end user is there one? Uh multiple. Okay. Yeah.

And phase one um how many employees we talking about in phase one? Uh 58 which is that 61 um cars coming in in the morning and leaving in the evening. Perfect. And then phase two, different process or is it part of this approval? Uh, it'll go part of a different approval. Yeah, it'll be part of a a Yeah, next approval. Sorry, what was the phase two be part of is part would be included in this? Yes, the CU would be for the entire parcel, but um they would come in with additional site plan amendments for that, which administratively approved, right? Yes. But they would also require additional traffic analysis as well.

Okay. Um, and I'm sorry, you should tell us how many employees then phase two. Uh, it's not determined right now. And I'm sorry, one more question. Um, single shift right now is just going to be a first shift. Single shift right now. Yes. To start. Okay. And then, um, you said they're coming and going in between off hours. Are they coming off of I8 or are they coming through panel? Um, so that's the trucks that are coming off hours and they are Do you have that slide? Um, I think you you have the Yeah.

Well, that's right there. Yeah. So, they're they're going I have that I would have to read it, but they are going the recommended route by the by the planning department, you know, which is which is Yep. Let me Yeah, that's okay. I can I can pull it up. We don't have recommend. What's that? Per our meetings, we were um not a recommended route, I guess, but for our meetings, we we did meet the um consultants requirements. Do you have more questions on that statement or what were your recommended mount route, Jacqueline?

We don't have a recommended route. We we go with what the I mean we can't dictate what the trucks route the trucks use because isn't this hazardous material? Highly hazardous material. I was reading. Yeah, I was I was just going to one of my questions was going to be can you describe for a layman the materials what we're talking about? Yes, they are um it's a ultra pure materials that are made um that are used for in semiconductor um um manufacturing. Okay.

So they're they are highly talked it's a hazardous um an H3 occupancy. So yes, they are and they have and we the campus has met all the requirements as far as having the air scrubbed, the water the waste water treated. Um they've met the highest quality. Um that goes above and beyond what even like the basic code requires. My guess is it's going up north. So the plan would be it is but I Oh, I do have it in the There's no And there's no houses around here, is there? No,

I couldn't. It's an No, it's all industrial. I was just trying to make sure. Yeah. Get a big picture of it. See that? So, it's going What's down here? I know that. But what's down here? Uh, the ones we've approved over the years. These aren't See the tank? those. What's this? That triple tank thing. Well, that was platted. Is that housing? No, it is. It's just Okay, that's what I wanted to make. No, the only the only housing that if I'm in the right place, the only housing I know of is right here on Peter's Road.

The houses that work there's like three or four right next to the tile. Is it tile manufacturer? It's right down the road from Okay. No, I guess to me to that concern it it it's not so much there that it bothers me. It's it's and and we've had this before and you've heard me say this before. Um, it just makes me nervous as heck because we keep putting in these, you know, these chemical plants that are and they're, you know, they're shipping up to the valley and which is kind of okay, but it's driving right through the middle of town

and it just makes me makes me really nervous. I mean, can I answer real quick the Sure. Any comments would be great. Yeah, please. If you got anything, help us. It's the South Commerce Drive to Peterson Rose to East Thornton. And then what? Where from Thornton? Either Thornton goes to 8 or Thornton goes to Canal. Does I believe it's to I want to say to eight, but I don't have it. I don't have the answer directly, but just like the other plants, we can't. No, I know we can't, but we should be able to do something because Are you sure we can't do anything? I don't know. We not

these guys are the experts. I'm just I'm just I'm just wondering if we can make it a condition of the use permit, right? That they're traveling south on Thornton to Interstate 8. Yeah, that's not something we can really require the direction of traffic. Plus, it would be difficult to enforce. Oh, absolutely. So, yeah, we can look sternly AT THEM. WORKS FOR ME. Oh my god. I do often by the way every time I drive down canal.

And we are talking it's um 8 to 10 trucks for for the entire day. Um, as far as the KBPC site is, and if we had a spill, do we have the capability with our fire department to clean this or a spill on the road? Yeah. And the isotainers are double lined and very safe. They do have some sort, they have, you know, things built into them to keep them safe on the road. But I mean, does Cassagran does it does it the hazmat team and fire is re is a reviewer on um both the conditional use permit and site plan as well as the building permit.

I just just Okay. Okay. Any questions for the applicant? We're thinking. We're not thinking. All right. Thank you very much. Appreciate your time. Thank you. Now, I'd like to open the uh public hearing for this issue. Anybody from the public like to address this issue, please come forward. Give us your name and address for the record.

I have a question. Johnson, story 12. Hold it. Get the mic down to where we can hear you. We can record you. I'm under short, huh? But I Okay. Gloria Johnson story

1245 East Laurel Drive, Kasa Grande, Arizona on the um I8 issue. Clark, the city is working on some kind of driving condition thing. I thought someone had said something last year about where they would limit the truck traffic. I I don't know if I'm dreaming this, but somewhere along the way it came up that the city was trying to create a traffic pattern to avoid the big trucks because it's getting really scary to drive through um downtown our area. Is is there something in the works on that? Does anyone know?

If the question could be pointed or directed to the commission and the commission may ask Clark. Okay. Commissioners, could you answer that? Well done.

I'd be glad to. Uh, public works has undergone some initial studies at developing a bur road corridor, including a couple submitts to the UP Railroad to uh look at some planning concepts uh to get their buy in. The most recent submitt was last week. Um we revised the alignment based on their comments and we have a lot of utility issues along the corridor. So, uh, it's going to take us time, but we're looking at a Bur Road alignment, uh, from I8, uh, north, uh, that would wrap around the north side of the airport and tie into Panel and with a notion that that would be a, uh, good route for heavy vehicles, uh, trucks, and for, uh, workers. Um, so it would bypass a majority of the community. It would go south of Val Vista uh and then go roughly a quarter mile and then turn on the north side of the airport to head west if you're head southbound for example. Okay.

But then it would uh wrap around the airport, tie into Burus, cross the railroad and then continue on into this area. So not on Val Vista. It would not tie into Val Vista. There are a lot of homes along Val Vista between Burus and and Panel. And so that was quite pointedly the idea is let's stay away from the homes with what would be used. It's not a truck route. It would be heavily used by trucks. Okay. I I had just heard that there was something in the planning. So thank you for sharing. Um,

so it it it won't prevent panel panel from being used though. Still go clerk, can you answer that? You go. Panel would be used from north of the airport to I 10. Okay. So it would go around the heavily traffic heavily traffic part. Okay. Thank you. Correct. Thank you, Gloria. Anybody else from the public like to address this issue? Okay, none. I'll close the public portion of the meeting, bring it back to the commission. Chair, I'd like to make a motion.

Thank you. I'd like to make a motion to approve the conditional use permit and associated resolution DSA 2500131. Second. Okay, got a motion in a second. Any discussion? discussion hearing. None. Please call the role. Member Ibraham. Hi. Member Kle. Yes. Member Smith. No. Member Alderret. I. Member Hubard. No. Vice Chair Garza. No. Chairman Benedict.

I think we're split. Um, until the city can find a way to work with the truck traffic, sending hazardous waste down through 70,000 residents is is just not the way for me. So, I think when you guys bring this before us, that conversation needs to be had. So, that's where I'm at. Okay. I I didn't count. Am I correct? We're split. Thank you, Dan.

Yes. And I'd say we live next to gas stations that bring in gasoline tankers and all these other hazardous things that go on near our communities and we never are or then we we don't know because we just are not that tied in to some of these things. We live our lives and all of these dangerous materials may be around us at some point but we just don't know. And so that's where I think the just because we know that this is going to be an industrial area and this has volatile materials doesn't mean that it makes it uh any less safe than any of the other volatile materials that are currently uh in that area of our city. And then additionally KPPPC, you know, they they chose Cagran for a reason. They've kind of been talking about this for a while. uh we've all been a part of what those kind of industrial development in our in our growing industrial area is supposed to be. Uh we we it would look very bad on the city uh to get to this point where they are trying to finally develop and we come in and we say no because of something that is and and I'm not trying to put it on the city like this but in a way it's it's a bit of our fault because we have not got that infrastructure in place that is and and so that's not the applicant's fault that is our fault And so if they want to do that, we have an area for it. Obviously, we would like them to use I8. We can't force them to use I8. Our infrastructure is our problem. We can't put that on the applicant. Um, so that's where, you know, I'm I would like us to go forward with this just because I know what it means to our city as far as economic development. Um, and and I think that's

very important, especially when they're trying to do it in a place that we have said this is where it should happen. And so if they're trying to do it where we have said it should happen and then we go and take that back again, it's a black eye on the city. And so that's where I stand. No, I I hear you and and I appreciate very much you're expounding on that. Um, I I really do. Um, there is a reason it's a conditional use,

you know. So, um um Jacqueline, did did I see a um did I see a map of where we had, for lack of a better term, volatile compound PL plants with volatile compounds that we had approved. I I guess it'd be CUPS that we had approved in this area. We No. Well, There's previously I don't believe I included it in that. Okay. Yeah, it's not in this one.

Yeah, that's my that's my challenge. My challenge is the volume of it that's that's that has come that we have already approved and under conditional use permits and um yeah I again it's it's and and you're absolutely right you know if if if we were ahead of it with the infrastructure then um then this wouldn't be such an issue for us for us. We aren't. And so I vote no. Okay. Motion fails. So on to the next one. G2 public hearing and consider forwarding a recommendation to city council for a zone chain request from B4 to I2 for uh DSA 2500128 Jacqueline again

uh this site is located on the southwest corner of Helman Highway and Burus Road. Um the site is currently zoned B4. Um and the request is to zone to I2 uh general industrial. I just want to note it is known in the staff report. Um, but this was reszoned to B4 along with the southern portion of uh the parcel in 2016 and this was done prior to the general plan amendment or excuse me the general plan update in 2021 and um prior to the influx of the industrial in this area and um the site this portion of the parcel is 23 acres. Here is the um zone change uh review criteria I'll be covering on the next couple slides and it's covered in detail in the staff report regarding uh action or criteria one that the action is consistent with the city's general plan including the goals policies and other applicable elements. Uh one of the goals of manufacturing industry is to provide and expand the manufacturing industry land use areas to accommodate a variety of industries and action steps to divi identify locations where it would be beneficial to increase manufacturing industry areas within the city and goal manufacturing industry. Number five is to encourage appropriate and responsible industrial development in appropriate locations. Um we Regarding uh criteria number two, a reszoning conforms to the general plan if it proposes land uses, densities or intensities within the range identified uses of the general plan. Again, the request is from I2 and is an appropriate zoning district in the manufacturing industry land use category per the 2030 general plan. Um there's not a specific density or nor intensity um for this land use category that pertains uh to general industrial development. However, I2 is appropriate again in this category and um compatibility can be achieved to the design at the major site plan stage

if needed. And finally, the third criteria is that the proposed zone change is necessary and proper at this time to meet the land use needs of the residents of the city. The city's current demand for general industrial land is significant and this reszone would expand and put really this parcel as one um whole zoning district. Um and also staff is aware of the residential area to the north and the zoning um along Hiliban highway which is also a gateway to the city. So because of this um have you seen the staff report staff has added conditions of record to help with the aesthetics as well as no conditional use permits for the storage of utilation or manu manufacturing of volatile or explosive materials within 400 ft of the highway. And again, at the time of sight plan, the staff will ensure that appropriate measures will be incorporated into the final design to ensure development is compatible with the area. Regarding the stakeholder process, um staff and applicant met all the requirements. The applicant did send out prescoping letters in October of last year and notices and signs were updated um for this meeting. I did not receive any comments, nor did the applicant receive any inquiries as well. So for staff recommends forwarding a recommendation of approval to city council for the zone change request DSA 2500128 from can we service B4 to general industrial I2 with the following conditions of record as noted in the staff report and then happy to answer any questions the commission may have. All right, commissioners. Questions for staff.

So, can you go? Um, do you have the the existing zoning map. Yep. There it is. There you go. So, the the this little kind of like an L that's up in the just across just across Hila Bend. It's kind of reddish kind of sort of. Do you know what that is? What zoning that is? If I'm not mistaken, it is I believe it's ve vacant, but it's a like an office building on the corner, right? But the zoning there, that would be B4, too. That's B4,

I Yeah. Okay. And then there's some all the way back to Thornton Road and all the rest around except for because everything south is I2. will show an even I1 up against Hila Ben and yeah on both sides of Hil Ben there between Boris. Yes, between Bur and Thor and the the yellow is a PA a correct.

And and is it easy for you to describe for me real quick what's allowed in that P A? I don't have the staff report in front of me, but I believe it was residential, but I don't think they have cause, so that will likely be redeveloped as something else. I hate when that happens. Um, okay. Yeah, it's a it's a old early 2000 PD. All right. Very good. Any any other questions, commissioners? Nope. Very good. with the applicant their representative please come forward address the commission please give us your name and address for the record

thank you so much my name is Jessica Sarissian with upfront planning and entitlements 1811 South Alma school road in Mesa Arizona um representing the applicant here so this case as Jacqueline mentioned had um come before you guys before for it to be reszoned for industri I2 um which it was and then um due to the time the at the I believe at the hearing it was requested that the northern portion be retained as B4 in hopes that to just continue accentuate Hila Bend Highway for commercial and items like that. Um the surrounding area has continued to develop as industrial and continues to push out that way as you'll see with the general plan. Um it is in conformance with the general plan for industrial um and the owner has um gone out for development and trying to look for users on the site and every single one of them says I want access on Hila Bend Highway. Um, and so they they are looking for frontage, they're looking for view, they want visibility. Um, and so that is that is what they're looking for. Um, by reszoning it to industrial, it doesn't take away the opportunity for compatible commercial uses to go on there. It just allows for those other users to come in and have the frontage and the visibility along the highway that they're looking for with their signage or monumentation or whatnot like that. Um, but that is the item that we're trying to address here is just putting it back to what was originally requested all those years ago. Um, to make it I2 so that they can fill in the space and put in a master plan for it. And we did actually receive one comment from a sign um, but it was just, you know, the sign company put the sign on the wrong property. So, we got a nice call and uh, the neighbor, you know, he's like, I'm fine. I don't care. So,

yeah. It was a neighbor directly to the west. Great. Thank you. That explanation really helped. Any questions?

Uhhuh. That's the Mhm. What's the residential development got a name? The the existing one. Sorry, the existing development. the plat. No, this farm. Well, I mean, we Well, there's there's western manners. Thank you. Oh my god. I didn't know if you're That's what we were trying. So, oh my god. So, why we why we've interrupted her? Um to the west, the green the green and the greenish gray

directly west is actually the county. So, it would be it's residential. It's um sorry, like uh general rule. General rule. Yeah. And then where's all those big old houses? We're right here. Uh they're up a little further. We have no idea what that P A is because I looked in the staff report and I couldn't find it. Just says P A Do you know Jessica by chance? I sorry I don't. But being that it's been there since 2000 and not platted um I don't I a long time ago when the heyday when everything was going in the early 2000s I mean we we entitled so much stuff in Cass's gran as PD which has all kind of gone

it could have been issue cause in the 2000s you know I'm just casualty of too much entitlement. So thank you. Anything else for All right. Thank you. Appreciate it. Okay. I'd like to open the public portion of the meeting for this issue. Um, anyone like to address it, please come forward. Give us your name and address for the record. Okay. Seeing none, I'll close it. Bring it back to the commission. Chair, I'd like to make a motion.

Okay. I'd like to make a motion to forward a recommendation of approval to city council for zone change requests DSA2500128 from community services B4 to general industrial I2 with the conditions of record. Okay, got a motion. Second. Got two or second.

Okay, motion and a second. Any discussion? Yeah, I'd like I mean I' I'd like to have B4 kind of services, you know, along that kind of a main entry kind of thing, but um boy, you know, they're all along to the east of it as you get in closer to town is more industrial um already. And so I'm not sure that that continuing to make it, you know, required is is necessary for me. Yeah. Everybody's all worn out. All right. Please call the role.

Member Ibraham. Hi. Member Kle. Yes. Member Smith. Yes. Member Alret. I member Heard. Yes. Vice Chair Garza. Hi. And Chairman Benedict. Yes. Oh, that was easier.

Okay, we're on G3, I think. Please tell me if I'm wrong. So, we will hold a public hearing and consider forwarding a recommendation to the city council for request by Wooda Cooper Development for a zone change for Pier Road from R3CR to R3. Okay, Sam.

All right. Thank you, chair. So, we're here to hold a public hearing and consider forwarding a recommendation to city council for a request by Wer Cooper for a zone change from R3 with a conditions of record to R3. Um, so the per the proposed site is along the west side of North Per just Pier just south of Florence Boulevard. Um, the current zoning, like I said, is R3 with conditions of record. And I will get to the specifics here because I know it's sounds like I'm we're changing it to the same thing, but um so and then the general plan area is community corridor. Okay. So, the applicant is requesting a zone change for uh 465 and 475 North Pier Road. So, the current zoning is R3 with conditions of record. Um, and the applicant is asking to remove those conditions of record without changing the R3 zoning. So, some history in 2015, the land owner had applied for a zone change to R3 for these two properties. Um and so so and at that time conditions of records were imposed that would result in mitigating the potential undesirable impacts that future development would have on the subject property to the north is Warren Funeral Home. So there was concerns about being a good neighbor and being compatible use um with that property. So there were conditions of records set at that time. Um so and the request at that time was to build condos on these sites. So one of the conditions

created limited the type of cons development to housing units for individual sales. Um so no development materialized. Um and here we are down the road where now we are required to have cause. Um it doesn't look like we're going to be getting cause anytime soon for these types of um individual sale lots um which renders this lot or these two lots effectively undevelopable um at this time. So the applicant um is proposing um an 81 unit um senior living apartment. Um so it would be going from a multifamily condos to multifamily apartments. Um because that is something that can be developed on that site. Um so the existing conditions of record um there is a minimum 30-foot landscape setback um requirement for the western 350 ft. Um and this is the area that is shared with the Warren Funeral Home. Um an 8 foot block wall was required um along that same 350T to the north. Building setbacks um were set for 30 and 75 ft um depending on the direction the building was going to be uh facing. Um any north facing patios or balconies were prohibited um along that western 350 shared border. And then all dwelling units shall be designed for individual unit sales such as town homes or condominiums. Um so looking at some of the conformance with city code uh want to look at the action is this action consistent with the city's general plan including the goals policies and applicable elements.

Um R3 is an appropriate base zoning category within the community corridor. Um the Marold crossing zone change aligns with the general plan goal um to promote highdensity residential uses along urban corridors and near major commercial centers. And then uh action steps 4.1 and 4.4 encourages um highdensity multifamily developments on infield sites along key corridors and recognizes multif family developments meeting a housing demand while encourage encouraging the conservation of water resources. Um so uh their proposal is in line with the city's general plan and the city's uh intentions going forward um by providing a multif family highdensity um living option and then reszoning conforms to general plan if it's proposed land use densities or intensities are within the range identified uses densities um with the general plan. Uh this reszone request does not change the land use densities or intensity of what is currently in place on this property. It is already zoned R3. It will remain R3. Um this request essentially is just amending the conditions of record. Um so um what is allowed as far as density is uh 25 dwelling units per acre. Um the R3 zone permits a density of up to 21.78 dwelling units per acre and our proposal the applicant's proposal um is proposing no more than 18 dwelling units per acre. Um the proposed zone change is necessary and proper at this time. So while there has been concern about the over supply

of multifamily products, um we are aware that apartments are not favorable generally at this point. Um this zone change does result in creating additional multif family entitlement or it does not result in creating additional multif family entitlement. Since the property is already zoned R3, the purpose of the zone change is to remove the conditions. Uh the applicant also reports being in regular contact with the funeral home and having come to an acceptable agreement that would allow them to move forward um by removing these conditions of record. And then uh planning staff believe that removing the CRS entirely could create a situation where a future development could be proposed and approved that would not have any of these uh protections in place. Um so we don't want to see that you know we give them no conditions of record that ends up not being uh coming to fruition um with their proposal and then something else comes in. Um so we are going to recommend that the following amended and new conditions of record uh replace the existing ones that are currently associated with this zone. Um so here are those changes. So on the first condition of record uh the landscape setback will remain. Um but we are removing them a requirement for minimum of 30-inch box trees. Um we are remove are removing the 8 foot block wall requirement. Um but building setbacks for buildings with the north south orientation shall be a minimum of 30 ft. Um and then 75 ft on the 350 ft of shared um property line. Uh removing three altogether. Um removing the requirement that there be

no um north facing balconies. uh removing number the original number four. All dwelling units shall be designed for individual unit sales such as town homes, condominiums, etc. We would remove those. Um we would add that the maximum gross density of this site shall not exceed that 18 dwelling units per acre. Um and then prior to development, the two parcels associated with this property are to be combined into one parcel. Um and then in accordance with cost of grand municipal code um that the owner shall dedicate all the necessary right ofway in accordance with uh the classification of roadways. Oh, and that these uh dedications be done prior to or no later than the time of platting or site plan approval or otherwise provided by Kasa Grande Municipal Code. Um, and then all of our public notification uh requirements have been met. Uh, neither staff nor the applicant has uh received any inquiries or comments from this about this proposal. Um, so staff is recommending that the planning commission forward to city council a recommendation to approve DSA 2500188, a request by WA Cooper Development for zone change from R3 with conditions of record to R3 with a modified conditions of record. Um, those conditions being there below and on the staff report. Um here is uh some of the options that you have before you and I would be happy to answer any questions.

All right. Very good. Questions for staff? I have one. Yes, sir. Uh in regards to the site plan that's included, does that reflect the changes that or as far as the record changes that you're proposing? Yes, that site plan does meet all of the proposed um amendments and changes to the uh conditions of record. Yeah, thank you. I have a question. Yes, please. The Sam, you removed the the block wall requirement on the western boundary. I guess what was the reason for that? Because the part I thought maybe the parcel went all the way to is that Walmart, right? The Walmart property, the old Walmart,

I think. So the western 350 um I'm sorry oh the wall the removal of the requirement for the wall foot wall. So when that wall was required uh the development I believe that was proposed at that time was going to be much closer to that northern property boundary. To to clarify the wall isn't on the western property line it's the western 350 ft of the north property line. Ah okay okay. So you have the street in between those. Okay. I was getting confused because I saw the western. Okay.

So that wall would go here. So this would be north and then the 350 ft is this shared border with the uh the funeral home here. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

That's what I thought in my head but when you started asking the question. Thank you. Help. Any other questions for staff? Okay. Would the applicant or their representative please come forward and address the commission? My name is Omeie. Address is 500 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Wait for the presentation to come up. So good evening honorable planning and zoning commission members and thank you all for your time and consideration. I am here on behalf of Woda Cooper Development Inc. presenting the proposed development of Marold Crossing, an 81 unit senior independent living community at 465 to 475 North Per Road.

Is it the

the up there? Yeah. To give you a little bit of background on WA Cooper, we are a vertically integrated developer, general contractor, and property manager that has been in operation for over 35 years. We currently manage and own over 365 properties across 18 states. Many of our communities have received accolades for energy efficiency and green certifications which we intend to continue in Kasa Grande. What really sets WA Cooper apart from other developers in our industry is our commitment to long-term ownership and management. It is for that reason that we take pride in the work that we do and strive to develop highquality, safe, and sustainable communities. Next slide, please. We wanted to highlight a you a few of our past award-winning developments, most notably the Doris in Wheeling, West Virginia, which was awarded multifamily project of the year by the Homebuilders Association of West Virginia in 2024. Next slide, please. In researching the current attainable senior housing stock in Kasa Grande, the newest construction occurred over 25 years ago and the most recent renovation of Kacina Apartments occurred in 2012. I do want to emphasize that this is for rent products. Next slide, please. This is a the solution that Margold Crossing will provide a brand new community in Kasa Grande that will allow near elderly and senior residents an opportunity for sustainable and attainable housing. Maragold Crossing will include various amenities such as

energy efficient appliances, LVT flooring, a fitness center, elevator, community garden, shared gathering area, and outdoor covered seating with grills. Uh you can stay on on this slide for for now. I have one more thing. So, we want to emphasize that we are not requesting a reszone that would not conform to surrounding uses, but rather a removal of conditions originally put in place by the funeral home to the north. We have communicated at length with the neighboring funeral home and they have expressed their support of our concept plan. We have amendated after their feedback to include a greater buffer space between our property and the funeral home and have also included perimeter fencing at their request. A representative of the funeral home was looking forward to attending this meeting to express their support of Margold crossing but unfortunately was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances. We have also spoken with the Panal Alliance for Economic Growth who has provided a letter of support and expressed the need for additional attainable senior housing units in Kasa Grande. As Sam had mentioned, we have had a public notice sign posted for more than a month and sent notices to nearby property owners and only received inquiries of new construction opportunities. Next slide, please. The affordable housing plan prepared in September 2025 in Kasa Grande further displays the need for this housing. Over half of the senior renters over the age of 65 in Kasa Grande are currently costburdened and pay more than 30% of their income on housing. The plan calls for 500 additional additional attainable

units specifically set aside for seniors by the year 2030. The 81 units of Maragold Crossing would contribute approximately 16% towards that goal. We look forward to working with the city of Kasa Grande and contributing to their overall housing goals. Thank you all for your time and we are happy to take any questions. We have representatives from development and management in attendance. Thank you.

Questions? Yeah. Stay here just in case we got questions. Don't leave yet. Any questions for them? Yeah. Yes. Andrew. Yeah. Do you have any idea of what the cost for the housing is going to be? The total development cost of No, no, no. For for the uh potential tenants.

Sure. Yeah. We have it broken down. So we have units that are serving individuals at 30%, 50% and 60% area median income. So uh currently for onebedrooms at 30% our net rents are 455 a month. Um for one bedrooms at 50% 875 and one bedrooms at 60%,025. Um two bedrooms 30% 540. uh for two bedrooms at 50% 1,045 and two bedrooms at 60%,175 per month.

Great. Thank you. Any other questions? No. Okay, great. Um you're you you I'm hearing you say these conditions are their replacement conditions are are fit your plans. Correct. Good with that. Correct. Great. Thank you. We're good. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Now I need to open the uh public portion of the meeting. Anybody from the public like to address this issue, please come forward. Give us your name and address for the record. Everybody, my name is Jerry Warren. Uh, my address is 525 North Pier Road, Cassag Grand, Arizona. Like I said, we are the representatives of of Jay Warren Funeral Services. Like he gentleman said, we do we don't have a real problem. You know, we want to get along. Just a couple couple things comments I want to make. I I'm assuming is there a fence going to be on the north between our property and there from from Pier all the way back to where we have the wall.

So

so from what I understand and I think um the developer can answer it better is I had initially thought that they were not going to build a fence but it sounds like he said that they are going to supply a fence.

Yeah. Yeah, my my concern was basically I think I I at one time this was probably in our PAD like the property is in front of us. Basically when we have different requirements and things that we had with that and at the time that we built built the property and did the situation is the you know we wanted to make sure that there was some type of divider that that divides our property from you know where our lines in the back of we have the one wall. So that that was one of our you know our our concerns as far as that part of it. From there you know uh like I said we just want to be a good neighbor. We basically want you to understand what the significance of our business is basically and give us you know the the the respect of the people that we serve in that area as far as you know the noise factors and things like this when you build it. We understand that you're building a situation but yet we still will have funerals and we will go out on the south side of our building. So basically we would just want to take at least you know make the comment to at least take that into consideration. So there's something really going on and you guys got the big trucks going through there or whatever you know doing what Mr. Can you speak into the microphone

that we could basically talk talk a little bit to with you guys and say, "Hey, we've got, you know, a big funeral coming up and basically we would like to uh, you know, if they could move the construction to another part of the situation to be able to not disrespect disrespect our families that we're serving. So, we just want to make sure that you guys, you know, understand that. we'll we'll you know my staff and things will communicate with you and then hopefully we can you know get a get a a common ground as far as who do we who do we go to who's running the construction situation from there that that that we can do this uh just a comment to you as well that there was a there was a dwelling on that house in on that property and basically I don't know if they uh I think probably there was a septic tank and I don't know what you know the possibility some other tanks and things underneath that property I don't know if you guys did an environmental study you know, or not, but I know at one time there was a mobile home on there, you know, was there for quite some time. So, basically, I I would I would think that possible that there was, you know, a septic tank there at one time. So, just take that in consideration. So, you know, on behalf of myself, my staff and and and that situation, we we we want to work and be a good neighbor and and uh do the best we can,

right? I just like you guys, you know, to take into consideration, you know, we got a lot of apartments in town, you know, and and everybody in the community that that we deal with and situation is does have a concern about the amount of apartments that are coming to the community. Very good. Thank you. You're welcome. Anybody else like to address this issue? Seeing none, I'll close the public portion of the meeting. Bring it back to the staff. Not staff commission. Is it late? It's not quite that late. Chair, I'd like to make a motion. You go, buddy. You're a motion maker today. He does it well.

Chair, I'd like to make a motion the planning commission for city council recommendation to approve DSA 2500188, a request by WTO Cooper Development uh Incorporated for a zone change of approximately 4.6 6 acres of property on the west side of North Per Road approximately 700 ft south of East Lawrence Boulevard from R3 with conditions of record to R3 with modified conditions of record with the following conditions. Okay. Second. All right. I have a motion to second. Any discussion? Seeing none, please call the role. Member Iraham. Hi. Member Kle. Yes. Member Smith. Yes, member Alderret.

I, member Hubard. Yes, Vice Chair Garza. Um, just a quick statement that this is not just apartments. This is age restricted incomebased apartments. So, that is, you know, the fact that there's an he's they're an owner, developer, and property manager is the other plus in this situation. So, I think this is this is a win-win for the city. Absolutely. So, I'm Yes. and Chairman Benedict. Yes. Thank you. Good luck on your project. We look forward to to it looking as beautiful as you're showing us. You look nice. Thank you very much.

All right. Next we have Let's skipping. We did that one. So G5, we'll have a public hearing considered foring recommendation of city council for request from Ryan Goodlife, uh, Goodl Life Investments LLC for a zone change from B1 to and Urban. Okay. And Urban Ranch to B4. DSA 2500127. James, you're on again, buddy. You're all by yourself. It got up and ran.

All right. So, um, as you introduce, this item is for a zone change request. And just so you know, the applicant will be participating virtually. He's waiting probably pretty patiently, I hope, um, via Wow.

our Zoom. But um this is a zone change request for approximately a little over eight acres of pro of land located near the souththeast corner of Bisnaga and panel 8.7 acres of that of this 8.77 acres 2.47 47 acres are zoned um there we go 2.47 acres are zoned B1 as you see in the light pink there and the remainder 6.3 acres are zoned urban ranch. The request is to revise all of the the B1 and urban ranch property within these 8.77 acres to B4 which is known as community services. Here's an aerial view of of the property in question with um panel there towards the bottom and Bisnaga towards the left side. The B4 zoning supports a variety of commercial uses as well as some other uses not supported in other commercial zones. It's colloquially known as a heavy commercial zone district in that it does support some very light type industrial uses such as a contractor or equipment storage yard. It also supports um self storage as a permitted use, feed stores, building material sales yards, but it also allows uses that are otherwise um allowed in other commercial zones such as restaurants, retail,

religious institutions, um animal hospitals, and indoor kennels. And then there are certain uses within the B4 that would be allowed per the approval of a conditional use permit, which would be a a separate process at a later time, such as automotive repair, drive-thru restaurants, car washes, or fuel stations with more than four pumps. The development standards that would be in place for a B4 zone are as follows. They're similar to other commercial zone districts where there would be a um front setback of 35 ft, a corner side setback of 25 ft. The most important setback to note is there's a 45- ft residential setback. So from any residential zone boundary um there would be a building setback of 45 ft and then there's a maximum height of 35. This map shows you the um surrounding zone districts. When reviewing this zone change request, the area that I think is the most sensitive is the property directly to the east um because it does share a property line and it's not divided by um a wash or another uh roadway. But as I go through this presentation, I'll talk about some recommended conditions that help um ensure compatibility not only with that property to the east, but the other surrounding properties. When looking at the review criteria for zone changes, it does have to meet um zone change criteria that are discussed more thoroughly within your staff

report. But um primarily it is about compliance with the general plan. As you see on the map to the right, our our general plan 2030 designates this area within the commerce and business land use category. And among that commerce and business general plan category, it suggests a number of appropriate zone districts, including B4, which is being requested. I do want to point out that neither the sites current B1 nor urban ranch zoning is listed among appropriate commerce and business zone districts. So to frame it another way, if if the property currently was not B1 in urban ranch like it is today and that was the requested zone district, it would not be supportable based on the current general plan designation. Another criteria that we look at is that the action is consistent with the city's general plan including the following goals, policies, and applicable elements. So there is a specific goal within the commerce and business category that talks about improving site design in commercial and industrial locations, particularly those along high value corridors. And an action step is to promote architectural details and site elevations that contribute to a unique sense of place and tie into a desert community. So, as a way to implement that action step of the general plan with respect to the zone change request, staff is looking at a recommended condition to this zoning that would um entail screening measures

for the site. Um, and when a site plan happens to come in, we can look for those screening measures such as um, block walls with decorative pillars versus a lesser substantial and less attractive fencing. Um, as part of one of those recommended conditions, any new buildings proposed for the site can be required to maintain foursided architecture with a variety of building materials, including brick, stucco, concrete panel system. Um, and I and I'll dive into this specific condition on a later slide, but essentially it would help achieve the design intent of the general plan um to achieve a attractive design and intent to buffer um from arterial roadways. And then there's another goal which talks about um promote more sustainable development to respond to environmental pressures in Kasa Grande. And the action step associated with that is to promote policies to minimize development impacts on surrounding properties and land uses including buffering between incompatible uses and design features to mitigate congestion, noise, and negative environmental impacts. So aspects related to this specific action step are the following. Development impact concerns on the surrounding residential property and the environmental impact with respect to the Santa Cruz River which is um made up of the southern portion of this parcel. And so there are two recommended conditions that would help implement this action step that I want to discuss with you. The first one is about the adjacency of

this property to the um other residential uses. So, as I mentioned on the earlier slide, we're most concerned about the property to the east. I know I keep changing the orientation of the map, but just to keep you on your toes. So, on this map, you're basically looking uh southwest is towards the top of the map. Bisnaga is on the south going from the right is to the west to the left is to the east. So um of course we have the most concern about the property on this screen to the left. Um but I do want to remind you that there is a 45- ft building set back from from residential zones. However um just because that means buildings can't be placed within that 45 ft. there is concern about well what else could maybe potentially occur within that first 45 ft of the property. So as a result staff is recommending a um condition that a minimum 15 landscape buffer along the eastern boundary of the proposed B4 zone um shall be provided with trees planted no further than every 30 feet. And I am specif specifying within the northernmost 500 feet of the site. The reason why I'm saying within the northernmost is the southern remainder is part of the Santa Cruz wash. So it doesn't have any benefit to require a landscape buffer there because the property becomes relatively unusable. And so what that 15 foot landscape buffer would look like um kind of conceptually is what's popped up there in green. And then the other aspect to this particular general plan action step is to mitigate negative environmental impacts. And with respect to that, the

southern portion of this area is is impacted by a flood plane. Um to use this area to any significant degree, engineering the site would likely have to occur through working with FEMA to modify the flood plane map. And this could be done um through a map revision, but that would likely a FEMA map revision, but that would likely be achieved through engineering work such as channeling historic flow areas and elevating portions of the site. Um this is a example of the flood plane map. Um, so if you could see the the entire property that is being um considered for a zone change is in impacted by flood designations, but it's the um area closer to the Santa Cruz wash that's in that lighter blue color that is um an actual flood way that would require mitigation to do much with. Um, so it it essentially affects probably about um a good four acres of the the site. And then this is another um perspective. You could actually see running water there in the Santa Cruz Wash. And then this is another perspective that shows you where exactly the southern property boundary of this site is. Um, basically all of the Santa Cruz wash is within this property and there's a uh yet another perspective. So a condition um to address that is that no development or disturbance shall occur within the 75 ft of of from the

southern parcel boundary other than habitat restoration, invasive species removal or flood control measures approved by the city of Kasa Grande that maintain as much riparian habitat as feasibly possible. So by applying a a distance of 75 feet, it takes you basically to the top of the north bank of the wash. Um so that helps ensure that the um primary portion of the river will be preserved. And I do want to point out that to the south of the site, as you see u there on the screen, uh is identified to be a future regional trail. The city does have um plans to uh develop a trail in that area. However, it's somewhat dependent upon the development plan south of the wash because they too will be doing a um some engineering work to make their property developable. And so any sort of trail is on hold until that earthwork has occurred so that um improvements aren't ripped out and put back in again. And then um lastly with regard to zone change review criteria, the proposed zone changes considered necessary and proper at this time to meet the land use needs of the residents of the city. B4 is considered appropriate here um based on the fact that its location is along a welltraveled corridor and yet not located at a prominent corner where there would probably be more of an expectation to see B2 type zone

districts and where you often find B2 zoning. It allows but secondly it allows the site to continue to develop types of uses that have exto that have historically occurred here. Um if you look at this site um keep in mind a portion of the site is not B1 it's urban ranch and yet uh a lot of it has has historically been used for B4 purposes. Um, prior the most recent use was Rock Works landscape supply. Um, and prior to that it was, I believe, greens and things. And I'm I'm not entirely certain of the history of the allowances for those uses, but it's essentially been a continuation of non-conforming uses on this property. Um the applicant who will be participating virtually will explain that his intent for this property although not completely known. He doesn't have a um conceptual plan as of yet. He ideally is seeking to develop this property with uses that have historically similarly been here such as a contractor storage yard. And it would be through the site plan process, which would be the next step should this zoning be approved, that the city would ensure that um items such as drainage, traffic mitigation, utility infrastructure are all adequate as part of that review. regarding the public notification efforts. Um there were two signs posted on this property and and which is above what is the minimum required and otherwise we met that which was required by code. And then of course this was all

renoticed due to the notification error um in December and that was that occurred during the the week of December 23rd. Um, as a result of the notification, there were a couple of emails as well as a phone call. Um I believe the um one of the adjacent property owners is here this evening um with regard to this request with concerns about the development of this property um and the sensitive nature of the fact that um as you as you go east off of Panel, you you go into a rural residential area and so there is sensitivity with regard to um what develops along the panel corridor. and and some of those concerns that were cited were increased traffic, noise, pollution, and potential rise in crime. Another perspective, however, is that um having the larger urban ranch zoned lots to the east are are a little bit more compatible to adjacent land uses as opposed to a traditional 6,000 square foot neighborhood where homes are much closer to one another. um as it is urban ranch zone properties allow agricultural uses more outbuildings and so there are some um protections in there as part of the urban ramp zoning um that does help with buffering between it and adjacent land uses and of course there is that 45 foot building setback and our recommended um 15t landscape buffer. Um, with that staff does recommend that planning commission forward to councel a recommendation to approve this zone change request from B1 and UR to B4 with

the following conditions of record. The first one is a a standard condition regarding dedication of rideway. If necessary, um, prior to development, the applicant would, um, agree to dedicate, um, a portion of property for public rideway, but that would predominantly just apply to Panel Avenue, um, because that's an arterial road. And then the second condition is um, regarding the landscape buffer I discussed, it would be the northernmost 500 feet of the easternmost 200 feet of this zone district. Um, and that would ensure that the landscape buffer be at least 15 feet wide, include at least one tree for every 30 feet of buffer length. All trees must be non-littering. Um, and the specifics of those trees would be reviewed for appropriate size and species during the landscape plan review that would be associated with the site plan. Um the third condition is any enclosed buildings over 120 square feet shall be constructed with specific architectural um standards that address massing and scaling and wall articulation. Um the fourth condition uh deals with outdoor storage areas that they shall be screened from view of adjacent properties to the north, east, and west and right ofway by a 6 foot tall concrete block wall. Um and then the fifth condition is that no development or disturbance shall occur within the southernmost 75 ft of the parcel as discussed. and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Commissioners, I have a question. Yep. Jim, the the 75- ft buffer for the wash, why wouldn't that read something about what the Clomar allows and what FEMA allows in the floodway rather than 75 ft? H

I I suppose there is an opportunity to revise the wording to specify that. Um I think we arrived at 75 because we we weren't thinking of something um fluid like you're suggesting. We we had a set number in mind, but it seemed too restrictive. And then when we when we looked at measuring from the south boundary to the top of the north bank, it was about 75 feet. But I I understand your point. Well, I think it the building, you know, they wouldn't be able to build legally. Um

given federal requirements, but you know, it's it's up to you. It's the first time I've seen it, so it's it's good that we're moving towards requiring it. But I feel like I'm hearing Commissioner Dugan, you know, he used to always bring up the Santa Cruz wash, right, and the flooding and um but you have the some requirement. Now, I'm just wondering if we should just finesse it a little bit to meet the Clomar that they're going to be required to do. Well, so I mean they're going to be required to do that regardless of what we say.

What's what crossed my mind is the 75 foot is not going to be his problem. Oh no, it's going to be way larger than that. A lot bigger than that regardless of what we say is is what my assumption was. Since I was the one that recommended that, I'll speak why. Oh well, I didn't want to I didn't want to say anything.

Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Uh uh but my my purpose for that was more so to prevent the ability for the property owner to channelize the wash. I do not want to see the wash channelized. And so they could channelize it and they could fill the property do the blurr and all that and then build on a portion of the wash because they've channelized it and narrowed it. And I do not want to see that happen. I want to see it natural. And so that's what the point of that is for. I see. That makes sense. Thank you, Garrett. Thank you. Okay. Well, now I understand the perspective. I can appreciate that.

Not that it's 100% beautiful right now, but it is very natural, right? It's very natural. So, with that point, Gary, are you looking for the water to drain into the Santa Cruz? I I'm not a hydraologist. That's not for me to decide. I just wanted to stay natural because I I'm just thinking if they build on that, if there is some unplanned rain, amount of rain, what happens to the water? Where does it drain? Does it drain into the street into the residential area? Does it go into the Santa Cruz here? Just pull and create a bigger mess.

And and the hydraologists when they go to develop will figure all of that out. And so I I just wanted it to remain as natural as possible. So, you know, if they in end up increasing the flow on that, that's something that one they also probably can't do, I believe, as far as what flows come onto your property and come off, you have to be within like a tenth of a percent, I believe. So, you you they will have to work through all of that. I just whatever solutions they come up with to work through that, I just want to make sure that it doesn't involve blowing out the Santa Cruz and channelizing it. Can now that you've done all that moving, can you move back? Sorry.

Move back to the pretty pictures. Do you want to see the photo? Any that one's fine. Any of them are okay. So, um um so in in in your conditions they don't your conditions do not limit them accessing um what is it? Yeah. Biznaga is that correct? Your conditions do not limit them in accessing to bis making access points on to Biznaga road there. There is no restriction right

regarding Bisnaga. Okay. uh likely when they go to propose development the you know would so the next step would be a site plan which would include some type of traffic statement and it would evaluate what type of traffic is proposed for that particular use right

um and any mitigation to ensure that the level of service is not brought to an unacceptable category would have to occur in order for that site plan to be approved. So if they if they are proposing outlets onto Bisna which is likely because panel is a state highway which is also heavily controlled with regard to types of driveways um there there'd have to be modifications potentially to Bisna um to it if necessary to adequately u mitigate the traffic impact. Okay. Any other questions for staff? No. Okay. All right. The applicant or his representative. All right. Let me unmute him. Poor guy's probably talking away. Okay. Hi, Ryan. I think you're unmuted.

Hello. Can you hear me? Yes.

All right. Um, apologize for not being able to uh attend in person uh with family some family commitments that restrained me on that, but I I appreciate and thank you for providing the the Zoom link uh to participate. Um I uh as was mentioned the uh the in the action um for this uh zone changes is consistent with the city's general plan and with the staff's recommend or recommended conditions. Uh it seems reasonable for you know the these with these conditions for all parties to to this stage in the process. Obviously, there's some some further concerns uh that that would come up and be addressed in the site planning as as has been discussed, but um as well as any other concerns that have been raised. um with this request, you know, it will allow for for use consistent with the historical um and past use whether that was consistent with uh zoning or not and with the conditions. I I believe it provides the city and and public desire for you know the aesthetic and pleasing beneficial use the public and and those requests. So, um, anyway, with I thank you for the opportunity and and happy to answer any any other questions you have for me.

All right. Very good. Commissioners, questions for the applicant.

All right. Very good. Uh, thank you. Thanks. Now, I'll open the public portion of the meeting. Anybody from the public that would like to address this issue, please come forward. Give us your name and address for the record.

Good evening. My name is Mike Ritter. I live at 2011 West Bisnaga Street. I am that guy to the east. Um met Ryan at our last meeting here. Uh unfortunately, we didn't have time to discuss uh in detail with him. I was hoping to see him here tonight. Nice guy. Heck of a guy. um whenever uh first came in had a disagreement or at least my opinion about what he wanted to do was different. Um but like any two civilized human beings, we came together and talked. Um brought up some things that he obviously was not aware of of with this particular property. The biggest one you guys pretty much touched on is the water issue. However, whenever we get any decent size storm, and I'm not talking major major rain event, but a decent storm, say we get a good half inch of rain in the area, that wash fills up very quickly. Um, if you go back to where you see the flood plane area, if you look on Panel right there, the bridge is the major choke point for that property. Um, and everything does back up. Now, back in 2017, we had a bigger rain event. Not necessarily so much here, but more north and east of us and all that water came down and actually we lost a few homes on that street because of the water. Now, the homes have been rebuilt. But if you go by or up and down Bisaga, any of the newer homes, you're going to see a pretty significant pad somewhere in three to four feet tall. They're pretty big. Um, I brought that concern to Mr. uh Goodlift's uh attention, just wanting him to be aware of what the potential impact to his neighbors would be. Um you know, say for example, if he did want to build something, some sort of building on that property, um there's going to be a significant amount of of fill have to be brought in. But by doing that, you reduce that again that area for that

flood to spread out. Um and it will get only deeper and affect the people primarily to the east and south. So, I know there's a potential for property development to the south of us. Um, with increased watershed with all the building and stuff like that here. Um, that is my main concern is what's going to happen in the future. And I'm not talking, you know, just right down here in the next few months, but when we start developing more properties in the area and everything else, what that's going to do for that wershed and what potentially mean for my family and and my neighbors on that street. um what's going to happen with our properties and homes because other than on the very end uh probably I think it's uh Kasak Grande Boulevard and yeah but Bis Naga um that right there um other than that those two homes that were been recently built there um pretty much going to wipe everybody out and that's basically what's going to happen. Um, so at least uh take some consideration when it comes to that and you know I I don't want any uh ill will toward Mr. Good Lift. He's a good guy. I hope he he does something with it, but I hope he takes that in consideration as well. So I appreciate it, guys. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Anybody else like to address this issue? Okay, seeing none, I'll close the public portion of the meeting, bring it back to the commission. Sure. I'd like to make a motion. You go, buddy. You're the man tonight. Sure. I'd like Can we have some discussion real quick before you motion away? Either way. Um, well, I'd like to just kind of talk about this 6 foot high tall block wall. Maybe something more substantial in case he does have large earthwork requirements because of the wash. Um, is there a potential there? Oh, you've raised the

raised the wall because the footer of this building that could be built will be real high. Okay. Yeah, because the wall will be down on current level. Yes. Building will start. What' you say? Three feet about there. You would probably remember you'd have to raise at least three just to bring it up to level

with excuse me just just to point out our code prohibits walls at residential zone boundaries to be taller than six feet except by if it's considered a special purpose fence which would have to come in under a conditional use permit. process, but greater than six feet would probably be okay on any other location other than on a zone boundary. Gotcha. Well, that's the we need to change our code. Oh my god.

Is it easy to describe the logic for that? If it's not, don't. Um because normally I think it's probably because um even though good fences make good neighbors, if someone because it was a zone boundary built say a 15 foot tall fence, it would be just as a compatibility issue with a massive structure on the property line than a six foot. Well, I think that's the I get that. that and can I can I speak? Go ahead. Yeah.

Sorry. I just I I do know I don't have a lot of history there, but I do know that the seller um that he uh reconstructed the current office and building that's there. And I I do know that he was required to to have the the base floor of that um a minimum of 1 in higher than the bridge on Panal Avenue. That was I believe maybe you guys some of you guys remember that or were part of that approval process. I don't know for sure, but I do know he he did the seller did tell me that that was a requirement. So, um, essentially obviously keeping the the building the phase four of the building out of the above the flood plane of the bridge on on Panal Avenue and um anyway, I just wanted to share that because I I I'd been told that by the seller.

I think it's one foot higher than panel, not one inch, but yes. So, it's going to tower. That's community services. Jim, tell me again what can be built in community services. So, it's it's a lot of the same uses that are allowed in the B2, but in addition permitted by Wright is equipment storage yard, contractor storage yards, which would otherwise be subject in some cases to a CUP in the B2.

Okay. Um, it'll also allows um animal clinics with indoor kennels. Um, so the what's on the screen here isn't the exhaustive list. These are the primary things. Okay. And I just want to preserve the urban ranch a little bit. Do Okay. Okay. Any others? Did you? No. I'll vote.

No, I just wanted to have that discussion. But every if everybody's good, we're good. Let's move it. Okay. I don't think we can amend the wall requirement. Okay. I would like to make a motion that the planning commission forward to city council a recommend recommendation to approve the zone change request DSA 2500127 from B1 and UR to B4 with following conditions of record. Second. Okay. Per the staff report. All right. We got a motion in a second. Any discussion further? Nope. Okay. Please call the RO. Member Ibraham. I. Member Kle. Yes.

Member Smith. Yes. Member Alret. I. Member Hubard. Yes. Vice Chair Garza. No. And Chairman Benedict. Oh, didn't um we gonna do Yes. Okay. That was passed. Carry on or we want to break a minute. Quick. This can be really quick, huh? But you guys carry. What's that? We don't need to take a break. Just keep going. I think we need to take a break.

Five minutes. We'll be fast. Sorry, guys. Better to

I'm back. All right, we're back. Thank you for the break. Appreciate it. We're at G6. Um, hold a public hearing. Consider forwarding recommendation to the city council for request from CG Hospitality LLC to amend 2.2 acres Cash Graham Marcato P A. I'm going skip to DSA 2500156. Jim, talk to us. So this uh request may look familiar to the planning commission. Um it is a request to amend a portion of the Kasa Grande Marcato planned area development zone. Um it would be to accommodate an extended stay hotel. And of course, this is a um a site that's located to the southeast of Florence Boulevard and Camino Marcato. The P Amendment would affect 2.2 acres and ultimately, like I mentioned, that the intent is to with the P Amendment to add a hotel use to ultimately come forward to develop a fourstory, 50- foot tall hotel. The original Kasa Grande Marcato planned area development zone had identified this area to allow retail and commercial uses at a maximum height of 24 feet. The only exception within that P A was for a hotel use to be 60 feet tall but located

upon lot nine where Cracker Barrel sits. The requested amendment would be for that area outlined in purple there um to allow a hotel use at a height of 50 ft with a floor area ratio of 0.59. The other aspects of the amendment would be to specify specific development standards such as minimum setbacks because those weren't included within the original P AD. So it will add some clarity and guidelines regarding setbacks and it would reflect lots four and five and the adjacent access tract as one parcel. A replplat is also currently under review to accomplish this the combination of four and five in the access parcel um pending the outcome of this P Amendment. This gives you kind of a a larger view of what the um current plat shows on file lots four five and then there's an area also under the same ownership known as common area B1 which was um designed as an access drive and the replat proposes to retain it as an access easement not only for vehic vehicles and pedestrians but also also for utilities. The reason why I said this might seem familiar to you because it was back in June of 25 where um the same applicant was in front of planning commission for not only a um similar PA amendment but also um the major site plan at that time. The um P AD amendment requested back in

June was similar but not the same. Um it was at the time it was requesting to amend the requirement for southwest design elements and to remove the P A restriction on composite style fencing. Planning Commission denied both requests due to a number of concerns, but specifically traffic and not satisfied with the proposal for composite fencing. Um there was a preference to see block wall fencing. And then there was also some um concern about the um proposal to stray from the southwest design elements and there was a preference to see any development within the PED go forward with the intention of the of the PAD's design requirements. So now um the applicant is not requesting to amend the southwest design elements um nor are they proposing to amend anything with regard to fencing requirements. The new request would simply be to add a hotel use at a height of 50 feet among the other retail and services uses already allowed in that area. um they would reflect the subject P80 as one development site and then also as I mentioned specify setbacks as the P80 is silent. No request to deviate from the southwest design elements um required of this P A nor any request to change fencing requirements are being considered. A new site plan once submitted will be required to meet the PA AD requirements as amended. Should this request to amend

the PD to allow a hotel be approved. When reviewing P Amendments, um we must uh address or or the requests must address uh certain code criteria and these are listed here on your screen. And of course, the staff report goes into each of these in in greater scope, but I want to talk about the highlighted items as they're the most important. Um, the first is the relationship of the plan to surrounding land uses. So, this amendment would allow for a 50- foot tall four-story hotel, which would be one of the taller buildings in the immediate area. However, the city is seeing the emergence of other fourstory buildings such as Sunlife, which is just a little bit to the west, and the Town Place Suites by Marriott, which you can actually see in the left picture if you if you look hard enough, it's it's on the other side of I 10. Um the placement of a proposed hotel at 50 feet uh height is well suited um as there are lower profile buildings between this site and Florence creating what's known as a stairst step effect which is a design element often used to soften areas with buildings of mixed heights. And of course you also have in the right picture um the recent completion of the u three-story multifamily development um on the west side of Camino Marcato south of this area. The other criteria we look at is conformance to the city's general plan. This area is within the city's community corridor general plan category category which supports development of diverse activities centers that incorporate that incorporate various

building sizes and land uses. So in the community corridor category um taller buildings are supportable but also more importantly a mixture of different building heights. The key objective also is for infill development. Um, this would help uh be an appropriate use in in somewhat of a hard to develop area because it's hard to attract retail since it doesn't have immediate visibility off of Florence Boulevard. Um, but a taller building would be seen by passers by and development as a hotel would also help fuel the um surrounding businesses. The maximum floor area ratio for the community corridor category is 0.5 and of course this P Amendment is requesting um a sightsp specific floor area ratio of 0.59. Um and the reason why this is okay with regard or with respect to the general plan um is explained on an upcoming slide. But before I get too deep into F or floor area ratio, I just want to give a quick explanation of what what is that because it can get get kind of confusing. It's similar to lot coverage, but it's not looking at one big um building irre or regardless of how many stories it has in terms of lot coverage percentage on a lot. It's taking each floor area and its contribution to lot coverage. So when you talk about a 0.5 floor area ratio, if you have a onestory building, there can be 50% lot coverage

because it's one story. But if it's two stories, there can only be 25% lot coverage and so forth. So when you end up with a fourstory building um in order to maintain a maximum or to not exceed a 0.5 floor area ratio your maximum lot coverage is just 12.5% and this site will be at 14.4%. The reason why um this still complies with the general plan is because the existing PA AD assigns an estimated floor area ratio for each lot within this phase one area of the Kasa Grande Marcato P A. The proposed amended P A changes the developing area, the area in purple, from 23 to 0.59. But when calculating the combined floor area ratio of each site within the PAD as a whole, including this proposed site at 0.59, it makes the overall floor area ratio of the PD.192 um well below the um general plan maximum floor area ratio of 0.5. um when applying when looking at all the undeveloped areas within this P A and giving them each a maximum 0.5 floor area ratio including this site at 0.59. Um it changes the overall PD's floor ratio to.24 still well below the 0.5 maximum. I feel like maybe I've lulled people to sleep so I'll be moving on here. Um the next criteria is the impact of the plan on the existing and anticipated

traffic as well as pedestrian access and concerns. So, a traffic statement was prepared with this PA AD amendment and with the previous um submitt of the site plan that had been denied. And it does show that there would be an estimation of 546 daily trips as a result of this hotel. 42 AM peak hour trips and 45 PM peak hour trips. I do want to point out that um the P A subdivision plat that is under review does show and propose and call for an access drive connecting Camino del Norte which is on the east side of the site to Camino Marcato on the west side of the site. That access drive currently is not there. it would be constructed. And so it would not only be a benefit to um this development that's proposed to channel traffic out to Commamino Marcato, but it would be a benefit to all of the existing development within the area because it does provide another means of access to get out to Camino Marcato. There's also a proposed pedestrian walkway um at least on their previously submitted site plan that would link the sidewalk on Camino Marcato on the west to a newly constructed sidewalk along Camino del Norte um east of the site. There is a future Florence Boulevard project planned which would modify Florence so that there would be no left

turns at Camino onto Camino del Norte or excuse me no left turns at Camino del Norte onto Florence. Um circulation is being provided between Camino del Norte and Camino Marcato through this development site and also through the existing outlet at Palm Center Plaza as you see with the yellow arrow. The traffic forecast follows it criteria. Um even with the increase of between 25% and 50% more trips, um it's been determined through the review that the additional traffic is not relatively is not significant when evaluating the area of impact. Um this is an additional graphic that we can discuss later um during the discussion period, but I just wanted to show this that it it does identify um the outlet proposed to Camino Marcato as well uh not only through this proposed site but also the existing one at Palm Center Plaza. Um, we are suggesting to the applicant that during the site plan review, we're going to encourage a um some speed cushions on the newly constructed access drive um so that uh it will slow down traffic with respect to the um business operations of the hotel site. This is an example of what a speed cushion looks like. Um I did mention earlier that architectural design is not being um proposed to be amended.

Uh it was a little bit ambiguous when you talk about southwest style architecture. And so um what I did provide for you in this presentation which I didn't provide back in June is the actual excerpt of the PAD that specifically talks about the what this what it's meant by Southwest. So the highlighted section explains it. It says a southwestern style is proposed because of its adaptability to large as well as small buildings. Though the use of contemp through the use of contemp complimentary neutral colors, a pronounced first floor and overscale detailing or a traditional or contemporary interpretation can be achieved and still be compatible. Incorporating a flattened arch motif as in the entry walls and first floor logs will further tie together the various buildings. So it's questionable if that's been fully achieved. Um it it likely was achieved somewhat with the red tile roof of the existing um shopping center that's on lot 10, which is known as Palm Center Plaza. the the proposed hotel for where Cracker Barrel now sits also incorporated similar elements where you could tell there was a tile roof and some um archways over the patios. But when you look at the other development that's built in there, I would say clearly Dutch Brothers doesn't check that box, nor Popeye's um nor Cracker Barrel. probably the closest is the oldest building outside of that that Palm Center Plaza which is the Arco. Um however uh it probably is a dated type of appearance and so this is all to say

that the elevations that were provided the first time um were not southwestern in style. It probably didn't meet that um criteria. And so I will tell you that there is not a new site plan under consideration, but um the elevations that are provided with that site plan would have to meet the tenants of the P A and would have to provide some elements that are either contemporary in nature or otherwise that are southwest in design. Another thing that changed between June and now is the code did change to where um any request to increase allowable building height is now a city council level amendment. Prior it was not. Um back in June it this was going to be a planning commissiononly type P Amendment but but now it is um considered a city council level type amendment because of the increase in allowable height from 24 to 50. Regarding the notification process, um we followed all that which is required by code and again we had to renotice over the week of Christmas due to the noticing error that caused this meeting to be rescheduled from the December planning commission meeting till now. Um there has been no correspondence received as a result of the multiple public notification efforts. Um staff does recommend that planning commission move to forward a recommendation to approve this P Amendment of the Kasa Grande Marcato P A and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

All right, commissioners. Questions for staff? I have one for Jim. Yes, sir. In regards to the uh sidewalk that was going in on a Camino del Norte, are you going to put that just on the west side of the street or are you going to go both west and east? So, um, Commissioner Smith, it would there would be a sidewalk on the west side of Camino del Norte immediately abuing that development

and then there would be a sidewalk along the north side of their access drive um that's going east west to tie in with an existing sidewalk that's along the east side of Camino Marcato. Okay. So with the pedestrian traffic leaving the hotel wanting to go to Cracker Bill, they would still have to walk where in the desert.

They they would there are probably limited sections of sidewalk, but our development requirements usually just beholdens developers to develop that infrastructure immediately abuing their property. I I agree that it would become more of a challenge in areas off their property where there aren't sidewalks, but fortunately there is a sidewalk that they can tie into, at least on the west side of Camino del Norte, so it's easier to get to the businesses like Popeye's and Burger King. Um, but you're right, as you go um east over to Cracker Barrel becomes more of a challenge.

Okay, thank you. Anything else for staff? Yes. Um, we can wait for the applicant and then maybe we have the traffic discussion. Very good. All right. Anything else? Okay. So, the applicant or their representative, please come up to address the commission. So, I should note that we do have um the representative from the uh Y2K traffic engineering and then I also have the other applicant and owner virtually participating. Okay.

So, I don't know if you if you would like to hear from So, yes. Let let me start with some background. Well, so do you want to start with the the engineer or the owner? Right. Is that that was your that was the question? Who are we going to start with? Who would you like to start with? I don't think the owner is here. Oh, okay.

Okay. Who's here?

No. I guess it's just me. Okay. Um, I'm Denise Baker. So, be sure we can hear you on the microphone. Hi. There you go. Thank you. I'm Denise Baker. I'm a traffic engineer that I worked with the team developing this traffic impact study. You need an address, right? Um, yes. 1921 South Alma School, sweet 204 in Mesa, Arizona, zip code 85210. Thank you. So, I'm here to answer your traffic concerns.

Thank you, Denise. So, I on the traffic impact study that was done, did you assume any lefthand turn movements coming from Camino del Norte onto Florence Boulevard? No. The traffic impact statement assumes that there is a restriction. Okay. So the site itself is meeting standards as long as the raised median is in place. A raised median or some sort of left turn restricting movement. Yes.

Thank you. That answers all I need to that's all I needed to ask because I don't understand why we have a traffic impact statement that says that it needs to be there but we're not going to abide by it in the interim. So that's where I'm at. Thank you. Okay. Any other questions for the traffic engineer? Thank you for waiting all night to answer one question. I'm glad there was at least one question. Well, yeah. At least she didn't come for nothing. Yeah. Appreciate that. I I'll stay to hear the rest. So, I know she You're welcome to stay as long as we're here.

Okay. So owner representative is not here. There is someone online virtually. Very good. Okay, great. And it looks like they're unmuted. Oh, the there the applicant is attending virtually. I don't know if you heard me and he's unmuted so he can All right. Is that you, Nick? So, please introduce yourself and give us your address for the record. He's sleeping. He is sound asleep. Leave it on and go to bed. Wish we were too. I guess Nick doesn't care. Um, let's see if I don't think there was any.

Oh, no. Can you How are you? Is there a chat?

Ring ring ring. Well, how how bad is it for me to go out of order and have open the public hearing attorney and then come back? You didn't care. So, nobody there yet. Okay. So, in the interest of time, I'm going to open the public hearing. Anybody from the public who would like to address this issue, please come forward. Give us your name and address for the record. Seeing none, I'm going to close the public portion of the meeting and the commission would love to hear from the applicant. I don't they're not responding. So,

I get that, but we do have a representative for the project. You go, girl. Okay. to that point. Do we have any questions for if the applicant was here and maybe she can address? Maybe not. Do we would we have any questions for the applicant? Well, I have another question for staff actually. There you go. Go for it. I guess it's more of a you probably could just provide the reasoning, but I would guess we're not requiring them to put that mitigation in because we have plans to do the Florence Boulevard project in the near future. Correct.

So there there's two reasons. One, we feel and of of course Clark can can shout over me if I'm misstating anything. There's two reasons though. One is we feel that um the traffic concern at Camino del Norte in Florence is mitigated to a great degree by the fact that they are also constructing that connection between Camino del Norte and Camino Marcato. Um that's going to take a lot of the traffic movements from the Florence Camino del Norte intersection for this hotel and direct it to that other street. And as long as that mitigation is present, which is going in with the development, there is less concern about the mitigation at Camino del Norte in Florence during whatever gap of time between this development and when the um Florence Boulevard project occurs.

Oh, thank you. So, and I forgot to mention this. So, we shared I shared some emails with city staff last week and there's no time frame for the Florence Boulevard improvement construction. So, that's I I would love to see some sort of mitigation done by the development in the interim until the Florence Boulevard project comes to life. If I may. Yeah, please. Absolutely, Clark.

So, we're in the process of putting together our CIP proposals at this time. So, I know a CIP request has been made for Florence Boulevard. If we get a portion of what we've asked for, the CIP project, the island will be in place concurrent to or possib possibly even before the hotel is actually built out. So, it just depends on how um council goes ahead and approves of the budgets. So,

can I ask what was the estimate for Florence Boulevard in this location? What what your what was your request to council for? Well, the request the request we're making is actually to make improvements to Hennis. Okay. So, it's millions of dollars. Yes. Okay. Yes. Just perspective trying to give the public perspective of about we still haven't seen McCartney built, right?

I'm just I'm trying to to give some hope the big picture. Okay. I was thinking you might do one of your emergency projects and go slap that median in there real quick before this hotel builds. That is not the case at this point in time.

Okay. Thank you. So, so do am I right that I get the sense that that y'all, you know, the engineer people and all the profession, you professionals feel that although I mean that the road that's being added um it is going to is going to balance out so that we still have the same level of problem at the intersection. section of Del Norte and and Florence as we do now is I mean I mean that's my feeling. Tell me I'm wrong. Please tell me something.

Yes, that

I'm just there are just a couple things that I want to point out is that the hotel itself is a very small generator compared to all the other things that are there. And I just want to state this fact and I also want to highlight that the 40 peak hour trips trips that are estimated they will likely interact with the current land land uses to the north of the parcel. So some of those trips will be replaced by just walking to Cracker Barrow or just walking to Trader Joe's. So that is an estimate that could be even lower of what is the num the numbers there. I just want to give this context that that connection will help but there will also be interactions with the parcel and the other parcels are much heavier traffic.

Thank you for that. Okay. I wish we had a Trader

Joe. I'm like where is it? Um, so and and and I'm I'm my memory and the minute the copy of the minutes that that were that were in there um did not but did not express it. But I I hope that I expressed in the last meeting or or or that somebody expressed not only my concern with um the style being so much different and and as you know that particular style is not one of my I don't like it. Garrett as usual likes it. Um, but what was not in there was my concern of the size and and we're, you know, we it it just and I'm sorry Gloria left. Um, but just to go the four stories, 50 ft is it's a lot and and and I appreciate very much your your explanation of the FAR and and that that idea and that gives me a a little more perspective. I still can't get myself over that edge. Well, oh, maybe like

No, I was just going to say the I drove by the Marriott. I drove through this intersection at 5:30. Yes, I wouldn't make that lefthand turn, but it the Marriott looks like huge. It just sticks out like a sword, but and this is just insane. But well, I'm not saying it shouldn't be there. I'm just saying. So, I get that that you know this about that it is set back. I mean, you know, and and and I appreciate that. whereas the hotel on the other side is not. I mean, it's it's it's the closest to the highway. And and but I'm not hip on that one either, but that's Well, if I could just give my perspective,

I would appreciate it. As a young person who's lived here my entire life, I would say when I was younger seeing what's in Cagran, I was often more enamored by what you would see when you go to Chandler and Gilbert and Mesa and Tempe and Phoenix when I would go to Chase Field and things like that, right? You know, you you start seeing that kind of development and it it kind of is you you go, "Wow, that's really cool. I want to see more of that." And so as a young person here, and I think many other young people, especially the people I know I graduated high school with, they've left Cassagrand. They do not want to be here. And they don't want to be here because we don't often have a lot of the amenities other cities have. And part of having those amenities is also allowing height. And so when and and I think I said this a few months back uh when we were going to the rec center, you know, I was I was in that parking lot and I was looking at all of the apartments being built around there and I was very excited about it. It made me feel a lot of pride in our community because I was seeing development happen. I was seeing good development happen. I was seeing attractive development happen. and more as the Sunlife building has come together, I start saying, "Wow, that looks great." And it's a great building to have on Florence Boulevard. So when people come into the community, this is what they're getting a picture of. This is what Cassag Grand can be. And so now that we also see the four-story hotel on the other side, that's being complete. It looks great as well. And so all of that kind of development, it brings a lot of pride to me and it makes me feel really good about the direction of the city of Cassagrand because it seems like it's trying to be what it has been trying to be for the past 30 40 years probably. Obviously recessions take their toll on us, but it's it's coming together finally and part of coming together is allowing for that height because it is

necessary in a city and we are a city. We are a fast growing city. I know a lot of people want to say we are still rural and there are rural aspects of our city that we will maintain. They are in the appropriate locations. I know we even denied a a three-story senior department for because it was urban ranch across the street from other urban ranch. You know, there's been opportunities where we've taken those and urban ranches has been remained. And so I I know there's a lot of love for the rural character. I I love it, too. I mean, I often spent my time just in the desert because that's all we had around here. Um, but that's that's that's kind of what what I've been seeing over the past few years. And what's been brought me a lot of pride is the fact that we are starting to look more like a city, not just a dispersed neighborhoods with few and far between commercial opportunities that are singlestory drive-throughs and things like that. we are finally putting buildings together that are attractive that can attract more development that give us something to show to others and say this is the city of Cagran and so that's where I see a lot of benefit in providing another four-story building that is going to be an attractive right there at I 10 and Florence Boulevard that is a welcoming sign to a lot of people and I think that is that's a good thing even though I know some people may not like the height. I think it is a good thing and it's a good sign to show to everybody and it's a good flag to put up. And so that's that's my opinion on just the way development has been going in the city of Casan, especially as we look at height and things like that. So, so as the counter as you and I are, um, for the areas, particularly the area you and I were talking about over by the rec

center, that makes a lot of sense. That's an area where it it it matches, it goes, it blends. This to me is not. This area is is not that style. And and I think I think it's great to have multiple styles in in a community and multiple areas that that have those when you think about so your perspective when you drive in and you see those is real exciting. There's a whole set of people that go oh my god it's another you know monster city and they don't like it. So, so there's always different perspectives to that and and to me it's just the area and it was it was set up to be more of a southwestern style, not as tall. So, okay, we've been on that a couple longer than we might need to be. Anything else? Commissioners, what's your wish? Chair, I'd like to make a motion.

You go, buddy. To I'd like to make a motion to planning commission to forward to city council recommendation to approve DSA 2500156, a P Amendment for 2.18 acres of the Kasa Grande Marcato pad. Very good. I have a motion. Second. Second. Any discussion on the motion? We haven't discuss. Very good. Please call the role. Member Ibraham. I. Member Kle. Yes. Member Smith. Yes. Member Alderret. I. Member Huard. Yes. Vice Chair Garza. No. And Chairman Benedict. No.

Motion passes. Long night. Planning director. We have reports.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Happy New Year to you and the and your and the commission. Um just to clarify earlier uh when the public is before you and speaking um my request is that they be directed to address their questions to you. give them their full three minutes and then after their full three minutes, you can then get those answers either from staff or get those answers from even the applicant so the commission meeting doesn't turn into a neighborhood meeting and we're not denying that applicant their full three minutes to ask all the questions that need they need answered and make the statements they need to make.

Good point. Thank you. Um, other than that, um, our presentations will probably get a little bit more boring, uh, come April because of ADA accessibility requirements of the city's web page and anything that's available to the public. Um, and that's all I have. Thank you. It's been a long night. All right, commissioner. Yeah. Yes. Wait, no. What What site plan was approved? Planning director. A controversial one. Sorry. Um, help me out, Jim. Site plans.

Comments. Which one? Which one? The development north of the prominad.

Correct. So there was um a litec housing project north of the prooad that resubmitted um their site plan and um administratively we reviewed that. We took some of the concerns of the commission to the applicant addressing the and the public um addressing the concerns of walkability of of that project. So the applicant is going to be installing some more sidewalk in the prominade to make those connections. They may be required to install a crosswalk um if it's warranted by engineering. So that's the piece to the north of Prominade. Correct. Okay.

Yeah, we did do a uh public notification as required by the the code the citizen review process. Um letting them know I wrote them a letter letting them know that it was resubmitted, why it was resubmitted, the change in the state law. And we received no comments from any of the surrounding property owners except for the prominade I think that had a question but the the prominade village multif family had a question. Okay. Yeah. This is the one that we denied that they then approved. Thank you. Change guard here, right? Yeah. Yeah. No, thank you and thank you guys for bringing it up. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. No, that's that's great.

Hear about it. Anything else for the good of the order? All right. We Stand adjourned. Thank you all. Long night well done.