Goodyear Planning Commission unanimously approves Celebration Plaza mixed-use rezone, overrules staff office-only restriction

Commission Overrules Staff, Approves Mixed-Use Goodyear Celebration Plaza with 24-Month Hybrid Restriction

The Goodyear Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously on March 8, 2023, to recommend approval of the Goodyear Celebration Plaza rezone—but only after removing a staff-imposed stipulation that would have permanently restricted a 10-acre "hybrid" parcel to commercial-office uses. The move represents a significant validation for applicant Jeff Lyle and signals the Commission's confidence in market-driven development over staff guidance on the property's highest-and-best use.

The property, located south of I-10 along Litchfield Road and immediately surrounding City of Hope (formerly Cancer Treatment Center of America), had already earned a 6-0 Commission approval in January 2023. However, City Council raised concerns at its January 23 meeting about the volume of multi-family units, the initial 18-month restriction on the hybrid parcel, and potential impacts to City of Hope. Rather than abandon the project, Lyle returned to Commission with substantive modifications: an extended 24-month commercial-office restriction on the hybrid parcel (six months longer than originally proposed), enhanced design guidelines, and critically, letters of support from City of Hope itself—eliminating the chief objection that had sent the application back.

Key Speeches

"We had negotiated this case for two years with staff. It wasn't our idea to come up with the hybrid parcel. We felt that was a multi-family parcel to begin with." — Jeff Lyle, applicant and principal

"I've seen properties that have sat for 20 years fronting Route 66 and over those 20 years it started out as commercial than office and finally developed as multi-family. So ultimately it's the market that's going to drive what happens here." — Commissioner Hamilton

"I like the option that they could go either way but I'm willing to go with the 24 months and I know Katie one of the slides Katie showed was that Council had a concern about City of Hope. The original City of Hope in Duarte California is surrounded by a neighborhood it has single-family homes on the North side and has infilled over the years around there with multi-family. It the concept started in 1913 the development started in 1914. There's no problems so I don't see a conflict at all." — Commissioner Hamilton

Timeline

• Staff presentation: Staff planner (filling in for Steve Krachia, out sick) reviewed the property's current zoning (PAD), designation (Business and Commerce), and the proposed mix: MF-24, MF-12, commercial, office, and a 10-acre hybrid parcel. Staff highlighted the 24-month hybrid restriction (extended from 18 months) and noted that Stipulation 2 of the draft ordinance would require the hybrid parcel to remain commercial-office only, precluding any future multi-family development without a new rezone application.

• Applicant presentation: Jeff Lyle (701 North 44th Street) argued that an economic analysis by Elliot Pollock and Company (a firm used by the city) determined the region could support 50,000 square feet of office and office-condo space, while the full 15.5-acre parcel C alone could accommodate 300,000 square feet—six times market demand. He noted that staff and Council never made a formal directive to remove the hybrid parcel; instead, Council flagged concerns about the 18-month window and design quality, both of which the applicant addressed. Most significantly, Lyle revealed that City of Hope had provided two letters of support—one before the prior Planning Commission meeting and another after the Council meeting—endorsing the multi-family component because it would provide housing for City of Hope employees, including nurses.

• Public comment: No speaker cards received; no public opposition.

• Council discussion and vote mechanics: Commissioner Hegedus questioned current office occupancy rates and the logic of restricting the hybrid parcel. Commissioner Hamilton, Vice Chair Clymer, and Commissioner Sambito expressed support for the 24-month restriction with market-driven flexibility, citing examples of properties that evolved from office to multi-family and noting that City of Hope itself (in Duarte, California) operates successfully in a mixed-income residential environment. Commission President Kish moved to vote on a motion to amend and delete Stipulation 2 (the staff-imposed commercial-office-only requirement). The amended motion passed unanimously. The Commission then voted on the full rezone recommendation with Stipulation 2 removed—also unanimous approval. The item advances to City Council on April 10, 2023, at 5 p.m.

• Vote: Unanimous (6-0) on both the amendment to remove Stipulation 2 and the final rezone recommendation.

Opposition

No organized opposition was present. However, staff's formal position—embedded in Stipulation 2—advocated for permanently restricting the hybrid parcel to commercial-office use. Staff's rationale: the city has an abundance of multi-family units in development (approximately 10,000 units in the review pipeline) and should protect the property's highest-and-best use as medical office adjacent to City of Hope, especially given the scarcity of office absorption in Goodyear's market.

Main staff concerns:

1. Large volume of multi-family housing already in development pipeline (~10,000 units).
2. Loss of Interstate-frontage office opportunity once multi-family is built (development is permanent and irreversible).
3. City of Hope adjacency: potential synergy with medical office uses.
4. Office scarcity: staff noted that only 50,000 square feet of regional office demand exists, despite earlier optimism.

Most compelling argument: Staff planner Katie (last name not fully stated in transcript) observed that "once it's developed as multi-family that opportunity for Interstate Frontage commercial office especially medical office opportunities is gone." Commissioner Hegedus questioned whether the city has other parcels available for multi-family development, implying that housing was not scarce—only office space.

Support

Public support:

• City of Hope: Two written letters of support—one pre-dating the Planning Commission reconsideration and a second following the City Council meeting. City of Hope cited the development's multi-family component as beneficial for housing employees, particularly nursing staff, in close proximity to the facility.

Commission support:

• Commissioner Hamilton: Delivered the most forceful endorsement, drawing a historical parallel to the original City of Hope campus in Duarte, California (founded 1913, developed 1914), which is surrounded by single-family and multi-family residential and has "infilled over the years" without conflict. He concluded, "I don't see a conflict at all" and favored allowing the market to determine the parcel's ultimate use.
• Vice Chair Clymer: Agreed that the 24-month extension was reasonable and that the large adjacent commercial parcels (15.5 acres on parcel C) provided sufficient opportunity for office development.
• Commissioner Sambito: Supported the 24-month hybrid approach.

Applicant support:

• Lyle emphasized two years of staff negotiation and noted that the hybrid concept itself originated from staff suggestions, not the applicant's initial proposal.
• The economic analysis (Elliot Pollock) undermined the office-scarcity argument by showing severe overbuilding relative to market demand.

Project Details

• Case number: Not explicitly stated in transcript.
• Applicant / developer: Jeff Lyle (address: 701 North 44th Street).
• Attorney: Not identified in transcript; applicant appeared pro se.
• Location / address: South of I-10 along Litchfield Road, surrounding City of Hope (formerly Cancer Treatment Center of America). The property is enclosed by I-10, Litchfield Road, and other commercial parcels.
• APN: Not stated in transcript.
• Current zoning → Proposed zoning: PAD (Planned Area Development) in two sub-areas—Airport Gateway at Goodyear PAD (West half, allowing business-park uses) and Goodyear Palms Plaza PAD (East half, allowing general commercial)—to Mixed-Use Planned Area Development comprising:
  • MF-24 (multi-family, up to 24 dwelling units per acre, 56 feet height)
  • MF-12 (multi-family, up to 12 dwelling units per acre, modified standards)
  • C2 (General Commercial, 56 feet height)
  • Commercial office
  • Hybrid parcel (10 acres): commercial-office use restricted for 24 months; thereafter, market-driven.
• Density / units / square footage: Not explicitly stated; staff referenced 15.5 acres on parcel C capable of 300,000 square feet of office.
• Changes from previous version (if reconsideration):
  • Original hybrid restriction: 18 months.
  • Revised hybrid restriction: 24 months (extended per Council concerns).
  • Enhanced design guidelines, including expanded color palette (reduced use of grays and whites) and increased lock coverage on MF-12 units.
  • Stipulation 2 removed (staff's permanent commercial-office-only requirement).

Vote Breakdown

• Motion to amend (remove Stipulation 2): Unanimous (6-0).

  • Moved: Commissioner Hamilton.
  • Seconded: Commissioner Sambito.

• Final rezone recommendation: Unanimous (6-0).

  • Motion: Commissioner Hegedus.
  • Second: Vice Chair Clymer.
  • All commissioners voted yes.

Individual votes not stated by name in transcript.

Outcome & Next Steps

The Commission recommended approval of the Goodyear Celebration Plaza rezone to City Council, with Stipulation 2 removed. This allows the hybrid parcel to transition from commercial-office-only (for 24 months) to market-driven development thereafter, including potential multi-family use. City Council will consider the item on April 10, 2023, at 5 p.m. at Goodyear City Hall Council Chambers. No conditions or time limits were imposed by the Commission beyond the 24-month hybrid restriction already proposed by the applicant.

Controversies & Context

The rezone highlights a tension between staff's desire to preserve office development opportunity and the Commission's confidence in market forces. Staff's position—that multi-family development is already oversupplied (10,000 units in the pipeline) and that office scarcity warrants permanent protection of this property—was directly countered by:

1. Applicant's economic analysis: Elliot Pollock's study suggested Goodyear's market could absorb only 50,000 square feet of office regionally, making the 300,000-square-foot potential on parcel C a vast oversupply.

2. City of Hope's endorsement: The original objection—that multi-family development would harm City of Hope—was demolished by City of Hope's own letters of support, which framed residential housing as a workforce benefit.

3. Precedent: Commissioner Hamilton's reference to the original City of Hope campus in Duarte, California, operating successfully in a mixed-income residential environment for over a century, neutralized concerns about incompatibility.

4. Market philosophy: The Commission adopted a market-driven approach over staff's prescriptive one, betting that if office demand exists, it will materialize; if not, the city benefits from housing.

The extended 24-month hybrid window was a compromise: it gives the applicant and the city time to test whether office tenants can be secured, but it does not permanently foreclose multi-family development. If the applicant chooses to develop multi-family after 24 months without a new rezone, it avoids a costly second application and further delays—a reality staff acknowledged when noting that a future commercial-only stipulation would force the applicant to return for an entirely new rezone application.

---

Other Notable Items (Brief)

Lux Locker Self Storage Special Use Permit (Agenda Item 3): Unanimous approval of an 8.17-acre self-storage facility (I-2 industrial zoning) with individually-owned condo units for RVs, boats, and vehicles. Developer Brad Pitt (representing applicant Adam Beau) emphasized the personal-ownership model and market demand from HOA-restricted communities. Staff recommended approval without hours-of-operation restrictions given the industrial location. No public opposition.

10 Goodyear Comprehensive Sign Program (Agenda Item 4): Unanimous approval of a comprehensive sign program for a 2.2-million-square-foot commerce park at I-10/Loop 303, including 40-foot freeway-style pylon monument signs. Commissioner Sambito objected to the 40-foot height as excessive, arguing that 12 feet is standard and that a 56-foot future building would obstruct the sign anyway. Applicant's counsel Barry Riddell countered that the site is 35 feet below freeway grade, a one-way ADOT frontage road means missed drivers must travel 3.5 miles to re-enter, and the corner will be obstructed by future retail development. Staff and the majority of commissioners agreed that the signature signage was justified given the site's unique geography and strategic importance to Goodyear's growth.

La Privada at West Goodyear Preliminary Plat (Agenda Item 5): Unanimous approval of a 153.5-acre preliminary plat creating 601 lots, 55 tracts, and a half-school site for Liberty Elementary School District. The development is phased and includes amenity areas and a conveyance channel. Conditions include a 25-percent traffic signal payment at Lilac and Perryville and half-street improvements on Perryville Road. Applicant Aubry Schumacher (represented by engineer Chris Pad, Rick Engineering) received approval after staff found no major concerns.

Duration

• This item (Goodyear Celebration Plaza): Approximately 35–40 minutes (including staff presentation, applicant statement, Commission discussion, and voting procedures).
• Total meeting: Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes (including all four agenda items and procedural matters).