Background/Summary:
Introduction:
The applicant, VLC Enterprises LLC, is proposing to establish a limited commercial and single family residential development program on a vacant infill site consisting of 12.2 acres, generally located northwest of the northwest corner of 85th Avenue and Northern Avenue. The site is immediately south of the SRP power line corridor and east of the Brighton Charter School. Additionally, a City of Peoria drainage basin is located to the south and east of the subject property which provides further separation from adjacent uses.
In this request, the applicant is requesting to rezone the property from Convenience Commercial (C-1) and General Agricultural (AG) zoning districts to 8600 W. Northern Planned Area Development (PAD) District. The commercial portion of the development (approximately 7.5 acres) would allow for mini-storage, and screened boat and RV storage.
This request establishes a development program for a site that combines a long, narrow parcel (approx. 156 ft x 1,270 ft -- 4.6 acres) adjacent to the Brighton School and a newly acquired parcel formerly held by the Maricopa County Flood Control District (7.8 acres) adjacent to the SRP overhead power easement. The PAD facilitates the western portion of the site ("Parcel A": 7.53 acres) to be developed as a self-storage/screened RV parking facility; the eastern portion of the site ("Parcel B": 4.71 acres) to be developed as a future 12-lot single-family residential community. The PAD would develop as two (2) phases. The storage component would be developed by Assured Self-Storage as part of Phase 1. The residential component would develop as part of a future Phase 2 when a builder is identified.
The PAD Standards and Guidelines Report identifies site-specific development standards which are customized to the development in order to appropriately accommodate the context of the surrounding environment. There are specific development standard adjustments to enhance compatibility including heightened street frontage landscaping adjacent to 85th Avenue, landscape buffer on the south side of the storage portion of the development, an increased landscaped open space area between the single-family residential portion and the storage portion of the development, along with enhanced design standards identified within the PAD.
Related History:
On October 23, 1984 the Mayor and City Council approved a rezoning request for approximately 7.5 acres of the subject site in addition to adjacent properties immediately west of the subject site. The rezoning request changed the zoning from General Agricultural (AG) to Convenience Commercial (C-1).
General Plan Conformance:
This request does not meet the current land use designation of Low Density Residential on the General Plan. As a result, the applicant has submitted an associated General Plan Amendment that would modify the existing designation for the commercial portion of the development to the Neighborhood Commercial land use designation. The proposed Neighborhood Commercial land use is reflective of the existing Convenience Commercial (C-1) zoning and allows for uses similar to the one requested by the subject Planned Area Development (PAD) District. The staff report for case GPA16-0003 provides further detail regarding the justification for the General Plan Amendment.
Analysis of Request:
The proposed standards for the PAD identify context appropriate enhancements to the landscaping and border conditions for the proposed development that are focused on ensuring compatibility with the surrounding existing and proposed environment.
Parcel A containing the storage component of the development would typically require a fifteen (15) foot street frontage landscape area along the Northern Avenue frontage planted at one (1) tree and five (5) shrubs for every twenty-five (25) feet of street frontage. The applicant has chosen to plant this street frontage to consist of dense, larger-scale landscaping to provide for a lush entry and visual along the Northern Avenue frontage.
The portion of Parcel A abutting the City retention basin will contain landscaping well in excess of typical requirements. This area would not otherwise require landscaping within standard zoning district development standards, but will require a fifty (50) foot landscape buffer running east/west planted at three (3) trees and five (5) shrubs per 1,000 square feet. The north/south extent abutting the City retention basin will contain an eight foot (8) landscaped area. This in addition to the aforementioned fifty (50) landscape buffer will be visible from Northern Avenue resulting in a heavily landscaped visual for those individuals driving by on Northern rather than the typical wall border found at the boundary of a storage facility.
The minimum landscape buffer between single family residential and Convenience Commercial (C-1) Zoning Districts is twenty (20) feet. The proposed development would provide an eighty (80) foot wide open space area for the residents of the single family residential development to use as a common open space area and buffer between the uses. The precise layout of the subdivision, including ensuring appropriate physical and visual access to the open space buffer, will be reviewed through the subsequent Preliminary Plat process.
The 85th Avenue frontage of Parcel B would contain a thirty (30) foot street frontage landscaping area. This represents a significant increase beyond the typical eight (8) foot street frontage landscaping requirement for single family residential abutting local and collector streets. This will again present a well landscaped visual screen between the one-acre county properties across 85th Avenue and the proposed single family residential portion of the development.
In order to avoid a potentially dangerous border conditions due to wall undulation requirements otherwise required by the Zoning Ordinance, the PAD removes these requirements so that potential dead spaces will not exist between property lines. This was particularly relevant on the border adjacent to the existing Brighton School to the west, and the SRP power line that exists immediately north of the proposed development.
Coordination with the applicant has resulted in a limited use listing to ensure compatibility with surrounding uses.
The list of permitted uses are as follows for Parcel A (Storage):
- Principally Permitted Uses:
- Mini Storage and Screened RV/Boat Storage
- Conditionally Permitted Uses:
- Permitted Accessory Uses:
- Associated Manager’s Apartment for the Mini-Storage and Screened RV/Boat Storage on Parcel A
The list of permitted uses are as follows for Parcel B (Single Family Residential):
- Principally Permitted Uses:
- As identified within the Single Family Residential (R1-10) Zoning District within the City of Peoria Zoning Ordinance.
- Conditionally Permitted Uses:
- As identified within the Single Family Residential (R1-10) Zoning District within the City of Peoria Zoning Ordinance.
- Accessorily Permitted Uses:
- As identified within the Single Family Residential (R1-10) Zoning District within the City of Peoria Zoning Ordinance.
It is staff’s assessment that the proposed PAD creates a development form that is appropriate for the context of the area. The proposed potential mini-storage facility as well as the single family residential will complement the existing development in the area, while the elevated design standards and increased landscape buffers will enhance the aesthetics of the area.
The proposed uses within the PAD would complement the existing development in the area while providing a lower intensity transition; while the elevated design standards and increased landscape buffers will enhance the aesthetics of the area.
Public Participation:
As a requirement of the General Plan Amendment and Rezoning application processes, the applicant conducted a neighborhood meeting and provided a Citizen Participation Report detailing the results of the meeting (Exhibit 2).
The applicant notified all property owners within a 600 foot radius of the site and all registered Homeowner’s Associations within one (1) mile for the required neighborhood meeting. The meeting was held for this request on November 3, 2016 at 6:00pm held at the Peoria Community Center.
There were seven (7) neighbors in attendance at the neighborhood meeting. The applicant presented the details of the proposed project to the attendees.
Attendees voiced concerns primarily focused on the lot sizes of the residential component of the development. The attendees identified that they would like to see one acre lots for the residential portion of the development on Parcel B to match the County lots across 85th Avenue and across Northern Avenue. The attendees requested a minimum lot size of 1/2 acre for each single family residential lot.
- The applicant has identified that in order to make the project feasible a minimum of 12 lots would be needed.
- To provide space for the 12 lots as well as necessary open space, amenities, and buffer between Parcel A (storage) and Parcel B (single family) the largest lot size that could be accommodated was a minimum of 10,000 square feet.
Other concerns identified at the meeting were focused on traffic to and from the property as well as plans for future roadway improvements for Northern Avenue and 85th Avenue.
- It was identified that for the next 10 years the only improvements planned for Northern Avenue would be intersection widening at the arterial intersections which would not affect this site.
- Questions about 85th Avenue future improvements were responded to via follow up communication from the City to the inquiring parties.
- It was clarified that 85th Avenue would be paved for the portion of the half street that abuts the proposed residential portion. This would limit potential dust from traffic on 85th Avenue due to the traffic generated by the residential development.