Goodyear Planning Commission unanimously backs Los Prius Corner 160-unit townhome rezoning project

Commission Approves Los Prius Corner Townhome Rezoning Amid Housing-Affordability Debate; Remote Location Concerns Rejected

The Goodyear Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously on November 16, 2023, to recommend approval of a 24.75-acre rezoning at the northeast corner of Perryville Road and Broadway, paving the way for approximately 160+ for-sale townhome units with a mixed-use commercial component on the southern portion. Despite one resident's objection citing location remoteness and blight risk, commissioners endorsed the project as an affordable-housing solution in a valley where only 18% of residents can afford median-priced homes, positioning the smaller-lot townhome product as an entry-level ownership opportunity for younger buyers and first-time homeowners.

The recommendation now heads to Goodyear City Council for a vote scheduled November 27, 2023.

Key Speeches

"I've spent about 14 months with staff working on this layout and a few things I wanted to point out is that the orientation of how we've done the buildings was to minimize the impact on the adjacent neighbors...we've put 10 two-story townhomes 30 feet away from the fence and it's the side yard, not the backyard, so we really did try to minimize the amount of impact we can have on the product." — Jeff Billy, applicant representative, Aarbus Scope MC Rorer

"This is an entry level for people and so it was kind of an eye opener what there is available and why a lot of people are saying there's too many apartments, too many of this, but there are affordability problems also throughout. If you want people to live here that work here, so a meeting in the middle would be something like this project." — Commission member (name not stated in transcript), citing housing affordability data

"The placement of the proposed condos is in a location that is a long ways away from any services. There is no shopping, there is nowhere to work. The school is overcrowded. It's generally inconvenient. Yet, in high interest rates for mortgages and the supposed premium asking price for these condos, we're left with a situation that leaves a high risk of turning into an unfinished development...allowing the rezoning plan to move forward is just asking for an unfinished or unoccupied condo to be built on the edge of town. This adds in safety concerns, issues with theft from the site, and greatly increases the risk of squatters." — Brian Seaman, Goodyear resident, Los Prius neighborhood

Timeline

• Staff presentation: Principal Planner Christian Williams outlined the rezoning from planned area development (PAD) with C2 commercial underlying zoning to PAD with R1A residential underlying zoning (19.24 acres) and C2 (5.512 acres). Noted 14-month applicant collaboration with staff; key design features include alley-loaded townhome units (20 ft. wide × 75 ft. deep), mandatory clubhouse, pool, child play area, and barbecue. Highlighted setback increases and restricted vehicular access on Los Prius Drive (emergency only) as post-neighborhood-meeting concessions. Described design standards requiring wraparound porches, West Goodyear farm-aesthetic theming, picket fencing, and 2.5 parking spaces per unit (vs. 2 for typical single-family). Noted PAD overlay restrictions on nine commercial uses (car washes, pawn shops, storage units, auto repair, etc.).

• Applicant presentation: Jeff Billy, representing the developer, emphasized 14 months of refinement with city staff to minimize impacts on northern and eastern neighbors. Stressed that units would be sited with side yards (not backs) facing adjacent single-family homes, reducing window exposure. Noted that single-family zoning would have permitted 18 two-story units; the townhome design limits that to 10. Emphasized for-sale product (not rental) and smaller commercial footprint, reasoning that a full C2 shopping center with grocery anchor would generate far more traffic. Stated developer had previously represented the prior owner when C2 rezoning occurred.

• Public comment: One registered speaker, Brian Seaman, a Los Prius resident opposed to the rezoning. Seaman acknowledged standard opposition arguments (traffic, crowding, crime, property values) but focused his primary concern on location remoteness—lack of services, shopping, employment, and schools—and the risk that unsold townhome units would become vacant, blighted, and attract theft/squatters. He advocated for single-family homes instead, citing existing single-family development and reduced density impact.

• Commission discussion: Commissioners asked clarifying questions: (1) height of existing two-story homes on east and north (30 feet, matching R1A standards); (2) confirmation of two-car garage per unit (applicant proposes two covered parking spaces; typical outcome is two-car garage under unit); (3) square footage of units (not specified; 20 ft. wide × 75 ft. deep lot with variable unit sizes, 1,300 to 2,300 sq. ft. possible); (4) adequacy of child play areas and clubhouse for 160+ units (staff confirmed zoning requires above-and-beyond amenities vs. typical R1A; child play area newly added per neighborhood comments); (5) West Goodyear farm aesthetic compliance (staff confirmed PAD overlay mandates picket fencing, monument signage, entry design, and wall materials consistent with Los Prius character). One commissioner expressed support for the project as housing diversity and entry-level ownership for younger buyers, noting state housing-affordability crisis (only 18% of valley residents can afford median home price). Another commissioner valued for-sale ownership over rentals as promoting investment and community stability.

• Vote: Motion by Commissioner Smith, second by Commissioner Wang. All four commissioners voted "yes" (unanimous recommendation of approval).

Opposition

Number of speakers: One (Brian Seaman, Los Prius resident).

Main concerns:

1. Location remoteness from services: No shopping, employment centers, or nearby amenities; inconvenient for residents, especially given high mortgage rates.
2. Risk of blight and vacancy: High interest rates and "premium asking price" create risk of unsold units, abandoned development, and associated safety hazards (theft, squatters).
3. School overcrowding: Los Prius Academy already overcrowded; additional residential units worsen capacity.
4. Density inconsistency: Townhomes add density inconsistent with neighboring single-family character; single-family homes would be more compatible.
5. Traffic and property-value impact: Implied traffic concerns and property-value decline (though Seaman acknowledged these are standard arguments).

Most compelling arguments:

Seaman's location-remoteness and vacancy-risk argument resonated as distinctive from typical density/traffic opposition. His point—that market conditions (high interest rates, premium pricing) create an unusually high risk of failed sales and resulting blight—was framed as a practical market risk rather than a subjective preference.

Organized groups: None identified in transcript.

Support

Number of speakers: None signed up to speak in support; all support came from commission members during deliberation.

Main arguments:

1. Housing affordability crisis: Commission cited state housing data: only 18% of valley residents can afford median-priced homes. Townhomes represent entry-level ownership for younger/first-time buyers.
2. For-sale ownership vs. rental: Developer proposes for-sale units (not apartments), promoting individual ownership, investment, and community stability compared to rental multifamily.
3. Housing diversity: Smaller lot size and alley-loaded design offer product diversity within Goodyear's residential mix.
4. Design mitigation: 14 months of refinement with staff, including 100-foot setbacks, restricted Los Prius access, child play areas, and West Goodyear farm aesthetic, demonstrate applicant responsiveness to neighborhood concerns.

Most compelling arguments:

The housing-affordability-data reference (18% of valley residents affording median price) and the distinction between for-sale townhomes and rental multifamily proved most persuasive to commissioners. One commissioner stated that ownership "promotes someone that is invested in the city...rather than someone that's just here renting."

Organized groups: None identified.

Project Details

• Case number: Not explicitly stated in transcript.
• Applicant / developer: Billy (represented by attorney Jeff Billy of Aarbus Scope MC Rorer); no developer company name stated in transcript.
• Attorney: Jeff Billy, Aarbus Scope MC Rorer.
• Location / address: Northeast corner of Perryville Road and Broadway, within Los Prius Phase 2 planned area development, Goodyear, Arizona.
• APN: Not stated in transcript.
• Current zoning: Planned area development (PAD) with C2 general commercial underlying zoning (entire 24.75 acres); property was originally C1-equivalent (2006), upgraded to C2-equivalent (2008) via stipulation.
• Proposed zoning: PAD overlay with R1A residential underlying zoning on northern 19.24 acres and C2 commercial underlying zoning on southern 5.512 acres.
• Density / units / square footage: Approximately 160+ for-sale townhome units (specific number not stated). Lot sizes: 20 ft. wide × 75 ft. deep (max 1,500 sq. ft. per lot). Unit square footage: 1,300 to 2,300 sq. ft. (variable, not fixed). Three- and four-bedroom units proposed. Mixed-use commercial component on southern portion (size/use mix not detailed).
• Changes from previous version: Developer made two major concessions post-neighborhood meeting: (1) increased setbacks from northern boundary from standard R1A to minimum 100 feet for two-story structures; (2) restricted vehicular access on Los Prius Drive to emergency vehicles only (no general traffic).

Vote Breakdown

• Final: Unanimous recommendation of approval (4–0).
• Yes: All four commissioners present (names in transcript: Chairman Kish, Vice Chairman Climber, Commissioners Smith, Wang).
• No: None.
• Abstentions / absences: None stated.

Outcome & Next Steps

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the Los Prius Corner rezoning to City Council. The recommendation will be presented to Goodyear City Council on November 27, 2023, for final decision. If approved by council, the applicant will proceed to preliminary and final plat approval, residential design review, and site-plan review for the commercial and community amenities (clubhouse, pool, child play area). The PAD overlay includes mandatory design standards, including West Goodyear farm-aesthetic theming, restricted commercial uses (nine prohibited), landscaped setbacks, wraparound porches (where buildings front streets), and 2.5 parking spaces per unit.

Controversies & Context

Housing affordability vs. location suitability: The central tension in this meeting is whether housing affordability justifies residential density in a location commissioners themselves acknowledged as remote from services, employment, and schools. Brian Seaman articulated a market-risk argument—that high interest rates and premium pricing make this location particularly vulnerable to failed sales and resulting blight—which commissioners did not directly rebut in discussion. Instead, they shifted focus to the statewide affordability crisis (18% of valley residents affording median price) and the distinction between for-sale ownership and rental multifamily as promoting community stability. Neither side engaged deeply with whether the location itself is suitable for the proposed product, given Seaman's assertion that "the school is overcrowded" at nearby Los Prius Academy and that there is "nowhere to work" nearby.

Neighborhood meeting concessions: The applicant spent 14 months refining the design post-neighborhood-meeting feedback. The in-person neighborhood meeting drew approximately 13 residents, who raised typical density/traffic/property-value concerns, plus traffic and access concerns specific to Los Prius Drive. The applicant and staff responded with 100-foot setbacks (exceeding standard R1A) and emergency-only access on Los Prius Drive, which staff presented as significant mitigation. However, the post-meeting narrative omits whether the applicant considered or rejected Seaman's core suggestion: abandoning the townhome product in favor of single-family homes. The transcript shows Seaman re-raising this during public comment, but commissioners did not address it during deliberation.

For-sale vs. rental framing: A subtle but notable rhetorical shift occurred when commissioners distinguished this project from "too many apartments." The applicant's attorney emphasized "for-sale product, not for-rent," and commissioners picked up on this distinction as promoting ownership and community investment. However, the PAD zoning does not restrict future developers from proposing rental units on the same lot; zoning "lives on forever," as staff noted. The current applicant's intent to build for-sale units is a narrative advantage, not a legal constraint.

West Goodyear farm aesthetic: Staff highlighted the PAD overlay requirement for picket fencing, monument signage, wraparound porches, and West Goodyear farm theming. This is relevant context for a location described as remote and on a "dead-end road" at the southern edge of Los Prius. The design standards attempt to anchor the project visually to existing neighborhood character, but the underlying density increase (10 two-story units vs. potential 18 single-family units) remains the fundamental departure.

Commercial component: The applicant scaled back commercial to a small footprint, reasoning that a full C2 shopping center (grocery-anchored, as previously proposed) would generate far more traffic. Staff restricted nine commercial uses (car washes, pawn shops, storage, auto repair, etc.), narrowing the commercial product mix. However, the specific commercial uses and square footage are not detailed in the transcript, leaving uncertainty about what retail/office will eventually be built.

Traffic analysis: The applicant stated that the townhome project generates "far less traffic than a built out commercial center," comparing it to a prior site plan for a grocery-anchored shopping center under C2 zoning. However, no comparative traffic-study numbers appear in the transcript. Seaman did not dispute this relative comparison but questioned the absolute suitability of the location for any development requiring longer drives than typical condo owners expect.

Duration

• This item (Los Prius Corner rezoning): Approximately 45–50 minutes (staff presentation ~15 min., applicant presentation ~10 min., public comment ~3 min., commission discussion ~15 min., vote ~2 min.).
• Total meeting: Approximately 70–80 minutes (including draft minutes approval, citizen comment period, public hearing, staff communications, and 2024 calendar approval).

Other Notable Items

2024 Planning and Zoning Commission Calendar: Commission unanimously approved the 2024 meeting-date calendar, with meetings held the second Wednesday of each month (with adjustments for city council meeting separation and holidays). A discussion arose regarding shifting meeting time from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (aligning with city council's move to 5:00 p.m.), but commissioners declined to pursue this further pending staff outreach to the development community and residents. February 2024 meeting falls on Valentine's Day, which commissioners acknowledged without objection.

City Council Approvals (October 30 Meeting): Staff reported that five items previously forwarded by Planning and Zoning Commission were approved by City Council on October 30: (1) Citrus Road and Indian School rezoning to Industrial; (2) Moose Lodge special use permit; (3) land-reclamation landfill continuation; (4) GMC rezoning for music school; (5) three-parcel rezoning (parcels 1225, 1236, 80). Additionally, City Council approved the General Plan, which will be presented to voters in a special election in May 2024.