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Why vote no on Z-119-07-4, 7th Street and Earll:
This is the first PUD in Phoenix. It is Spot Zoning. It sets the precedent for all PUDs. PUDs remove neighborhood-zoning protections and give the developer a blank check: "ANY PERMITTED USE WHICH IS DESCRIBED IN THE PHOENIX ZONING ORDINANCE..."
This PUD is an Urban Castle. Its open space is above ground parking structures surrounded by big box towers.
This PUD violates PUD zoning requirement: "APPROPRIATE LIMITATIONS WILL BE PLACED ON THE CHARACTER AND INTENSITY OF PERMITTED USES TO PROMOTE NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY"
This PUD violates the PUD zoning requirement: "STANDARDS WILL BE ESTABLISHED THAT COMPLIMENT THE DIMENSIONS AND PHYSICAL FEATURES OF A SITE AND THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD."
This PUD violates the City Planning Department's claim that: "PUD zoning encourages the preservation of neighborhood character."
This PUD violates the City Planning Department's claim that: "Compatibility... refers to the sensitivity of development proposals in maintaining the character of existing development"
This PUD violates the City Planning Department's claim that: "The design... sufficiently consistent in scale, character, siting, coloring, or materials with other buildings or elements in the area so as to avoid abrupt or severe differences."
This PUD's height and density belong in the Transit Oriented District. Phoenix spent over a billion dollars on light rail, which needs a dense central core to succeed. The TOD core, with density and intensity incentives, needs to develop. To allow 7-story sprawl outside the TOD, destroys both the existing neighborhoods and the TOD.
This PUD's out of state developer, Mr. Hill, never once met with neighbors. There was no neighborhood collaboration in creating this project.
This PUD is based on past zoning where that zoning still has not been fully utilized.
This PUD obtained City Planning approval based on staff "Findings" that the Project is:
- "Adjacent to a major-arterial street." So virtually every historic district and single family home in Phoenix is ok for PUD 7 story zoning next door.
- "Less than 1/3 of a mile away from a light rail station." In fact it is more than double that. Their claimed 5-minute walk, takes about 14 minutes.
This PUD provides inappropriate commercial development next to single-family homes. These high parking, high noise, high impact uses include a motel: ("Conference Center--Corporate Suites (furnished residential apartments leased for less than 30 days)--Health and fitness studio --Place of worship--Professional offices or studios--Restaurants with outdoor dining, outdoor alcoholic consumption, live entertainment, and patron dancing as accessory uses.")
This PUD provides "commercial uses which operate any time between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. or which require a liquor license will be subject to obtaining a use permit"
This PUD's 4 and 5 story buildings are immediately adjacent to homes in La Hacienda Historic District. It is invasive, looking directly into backyards and windows. It destroys privacy and home values.
This PUD allows on street "Surface parking" to satisfy minimum residential AND Commercial parking requirements which will also be "at a substantially lower ratio than stand-alone retail/commercial uses."
This PUD provides "A Comprehensive Sign Plan to achieve greater area and height shall be submitted" and while the developer and City Staff claim commercial will only be on the ground floor, the PUD provides "Second-story businesses fronting the public right-of-way may only use a sign in a second-story window or use a wall sign. Awning signs are not permitted on second story windows."
This PUD's developer refuses compromise on having apx. 430 apartment units in about 400,000 residential square feet plus 15,000 to 22,000 sq. ft. (or more undefined) commercial.
This PUD's biggest excuse for rezoning is the current property is described as blight. The neighbors would love to see the property developed with a plan appropriate in density and scale to the existing neighborhoods with appropriate scaling and set backs. The neighbors have made such offers to the developer's attorney, but Mr. Hill invested at the top of the market (flipped and tripled in price over the past several years). A Phoenix zoning change government bailout should not be at the expense of existing neighborhoods.
This PUD's design provides intrusive views into its neighbors' open space, while blocking their views.
All quotes are from the City of Phoenix Staff Report dated April 1, 2008 supporting adoption of PUD zoning, the City of Phoenix Staff Report recommending the rezoning and the Developer's PUD narrative. E-copies available on our ADDITIONAL INFO page.
Mailing addresses for the Mayor & Council are all the same:
City of Phoenix
200 W. Washington, 11th floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003
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