Goodyear Planning Commission unanimously approves four rezonings, 200+ acres mixed-use development
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA — January 12, 2023

Goodyear Planning Commission unanimously approves four rezonings, 200+ acres mixed-use development

Planning and Zoning Commission approved four major rezoning cases and two pre-plats, including the 70-acre mixed-use Goodyear Celebration Plaza, 44-acre Urban District 10 commerce park, 8.6-acre Ascent at Canyon Trails townhome community, and Fulton Homes/La Jolla Vista residential developments, with no public opposition and unanimous votes.

Four Rezonings and Two Pre-Plats Clear Planning Commission in Unanimous Votes; Celebration Plaza Rezone Faces Density-and-Parking Scrutiny

The Goodyear Planning and Zoning Commission approved four major rezoning cases and two pre-plats on January 11, 2023, in a meeting dominated by residential and mixed-use projects totaling over 200 acres. All votes were unanimous. No public opposition was recorded for any item. The approvals advance projects now bound for City Council review on January 23 at 5 p.m.—a meeting start time newly moved from its previous schedule.

The most significant and contentious of the four rezonings was the 70-acre Goodyear Celebration Plaza at I-10 and Litchfield Road, which would convert a long-depressed commercial area into a mixed-use district with 336+ residential units, commercial office, and general retail. A commissioner's pointed questions about parking adequacy under maximum density and building height highlighted a tension that will likely resurface at the site-planning stage: whether the applicant has truly accounted for all zoning setbacks and parking requirements when building to the 56-foot, 30-unit-per-acre limits.

Key Speeches

"We have a land plan that's moving forward and I think the 15-acre site frankly we've laid it out is over 200,000 square feet just the 15 Acre Site...we've worked with staff to limit it so it's not all fast food restaurants. I know we've talked with them there you'd like to see some sit-down restaurants and we think there's the opportunity for that." — Jeff Lally, applicant representative, Goodyear Celebration Plaza

"If we do go to the 56 feet we would have to meet whatever the setbacks are on the in the zoning code...certainly when we get to that point we'll be cognizant of all the zoning requirements and making sure we meet setbacks and parking requires. We're not asking for any deviations from anything." — Jeff Lally

"I mean that's that's kind of where I mean if you're gonna do this you need to draw it to the maximum and know that you've accounted for the setbacks and know that you've accounted for all the units so that we don't get stuck two years from now looking at gee we're kind of stuck we don't have enough units we don't have enough parking we'd really like to have a parking structure." — Commissioner Zambito, questioning site-plan assumptions

"We are so grateful to be here tonight it's been a long process working with staff and the many departments to get to where we're at tonight...the project that we started with and where we're at Now is better and that's that's absolutely a product of working hand in hand with staff." — Shane Allman, applicant and attorney, Urban District 10

Timeline

Goodyear Celebration Plaza Rezone

Urban District 10 Rezone

Ascent at Canyon Trails Rezone

Fulton Homes at Ballpark Village Rezone (Pad Amendment)

Fulton Homes at Ballpark Village Pre-plat

La Jolla Vista Pre-plat

Opposition

No public opposition was recorded for any of the four rezonings or two pre-plats. Staff noted that proper notice procedures were followed (postcard mailing, legal advertisements, property posting) for all items. One public inquiry was received on Urban District 10 (information only); one resident inquiry occurred at a public meeting for Goodyear Celebration Plaza (attendee worked at nearby Marriott hotel or was in adjacent meeting space). No organized groups raised objections.

Support

Goodyear Celebration Plaza: Support came implicitly from the applicant's account of 2+ years of collaborative work with city staff and from Commissioner comments praising the architectural designs and interconnectedness of the project.

Urban District 10: Support letter from neighboring CTCA (Cancer Treatment Centers of America) was received and noted by the applicant.

Ascent at Canyon Trails: Support from one commissioner who formerly lived in Canyon Trails development and expressed enthusiasm for activation of the long-vacant commercial site.

Fulton Homes at Ballpark Village (Rezone and Pre-plat): Support from commissioners who praised the product diversity (single-story option) and appreciated the applicant's earlier engagement with the trail connection concept. One commissioner noted the development is "really nice."

Project Details

Goodyear Celebration Plaza Rezone

Urban District 10 Rezone

Ascent at Canyon Trails Rezone

Fulton Homes at Ballpark Village Rezone (Pad Amendment)

Fulton Homes at Ballpark Village Pre-plat

La Jolla Vista Pre-plat

Vote Breakdown

All votes were unanimous on all eight items. Individual council member names were not recorded in the transcript vote call-outs.

Note: Individual votes by commissioner name not stated in transcript.

Outcome & Next Steps

All four rezonings and both pre-plats are now forwarded to City Council for final approval. City Council meeting scheduled for January 23, 2023, at 5 p.m. (newly changed start time from prior schedule) in the same Goodyear City Hall council chambers. All items are subject to stipulations detailed in respective staff reports and draft ordinances.

Ballpark Village Town Hall: City of Goodyear has announced a public town hall on January 24, 2023, at 6 p.m. at Goodyear Recreation campus (Harrison and Estrella Parkway) to present plans for recently purchased properties south of Goodyear Ballpark (adjacent to Fulton Homes project). Discussion to focus on restaurants, retail, residential, and community spaces.

Next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting: February 15, 2023, at 6 p.m.

Controversies & Context

Celebration Plaza: 15-Year Stagnation and Parking Scrutiny

The 70-acre Celebration Plaza site has been zoned for commercial/business park uses for approximately 15 years with minimal development activity. The applicant attributed this to poor market conditions following the 2008 recession and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America facility's failure to spur expected medical-office demand. Two grocery-anchored retail centers at nearby Litchfield and Van Buren corners have since closed and been converted to other uses (church, Goodwill), indicating the area's economic depression.

Commissioner Zambito's probing questions about whether the applicant had accounted for setback and parking requirements at maximum density (30 du/ac, 56-foot buildings) signaled ongoing concern that detailed site planning might reveal conflicts—specifically the potential that parking structures could become necessary post-approval, forcing a return to council. The applicant's response (stating no deviations requested and full compliance with zoning at design stage) did not entirely defuse the concern, as the applicant also acknowledged that detailed site planning has not yet occurred.

Canyon Trails Commercial Surplus

The Ascent at Canyon Trails rezoning represents a reversal of a 2011 decision to zone the property commercial. When Canyon Trails Town Center expanded from 91 acres to include multi-family uses in 2005, the overall development's commercial acreage jumped from 146 to 247 acres. The proposed Ascent rezone back to townhomes still leaves a 20-acre commercial surplus within Canyon Trails, indicating the market shift toward residential and suggesting the original commercial forecast was over-estimated.

Alley-Loaded Townhome Product Innovation

Ascent at Canyon Trails introduces an alley-loaded (garage-to-rear) product type to Goodyear's R1A single-family attached district, which does not typically contemplate such design. The narrower 20-foot lots and rear-loaded garages represent a departure from typical suburban townhome formats and require design guidelines and setback commitments to mitigate impacts on adjacent single-family residential (Canyon Trails phase one to the north).

Architectural Uniformity Along Bullard Corridor

Commission discussion during Urban District 10 review raised desire for architectural continuity between the two Ballard-adjacent projects (Urban District 10 and Celebration Plaza). Staff and applicant acknowledged the goal to complement (without mimicking) existing development. The Bullard Corridor itself has been recently enhanced with improved landscaping and architectural standards, which staff noted has created a higher-end appearance relative to other similar corridors in neighboring cities.

Density and Development Standards Modifications

The Celebration Plaza pad overlay requests a significant density increase in the MF-24 district (from 24 to 30 du/ac) and height increase (from 40 to 56 feet). The applicant justified the density as necessary to meet the general plan's 18 du/ac minimum for the Business and Commerce District. The 56-foot height increase is designed to align with adjacent uses (CTCA building is ~65 feet) and provide a more cohesive urban feel with multi-story residential. These modifications rely on the applicant's commitment to provide a private (but public-access) park and trail system as a trade-off.

Recent Market Flexibility (Fulton Homes Single-Story Option)

The Fulton Homes pad amendment reflects changing market demand: the applicant seeks to introduce single-story homes on the R45 lot size (previously all two-story). The applicant's market research suggests 40–50% of buyers on that lot size prefer single-story, while only ~15% of overall community lots are affected by the reduced 10-foot rear setback. This flexibility demonstrates responsive product design driven by sales inquiry.

Duration

Other Notable Items

City Council Meeting Time Change: Deputy Director of Planning Katie Wilkin announced that City Council meetings have been moved to 5 p.m. effective January 23, 2023 (previously held at a different time). Planning and Zoning Commission meetings remain at 6 p.m.

Ballpark Village Town Hall (January 24): City of Goodyear announced a public town hall to discuss recently purchased properties south of Goodyear Ballpark, focusing on restaurants, retail, residential, and community spaces. Scheduled for 6 p.m. at Goodyear Recreation campus (Harrison and Estrella Parkway).