I'd like to call the special meeting of Monday, June 26, 2023 to order.

Marcella, do you mind doing roll call?

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm going to have our Abby Temp from the City Clerk's Office, Savannah, do roll call tonight.

Savannah is with our department for the summer through the neighborhood and family services program.

Marcel, is Savannah doing roll call for special and for regular?

Correct, Mayor.

Councilmember Condy.

Councilmember Malone.

Councilmember Nielsen.

Councilmember Solario.

Councilmember White.

Here.

Vice Mayor Pineda.

Mayor Weiss.

Thank you, Savannah.

Item number two, employee introductions.

Ron.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

We have our first presentation by our the honorable Judge Craig Jennings.

I was going to present a new employee.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council.

Abril and I'll brill is coming up.

With uh Beatrice Tahada.

She just recently completed the AGTS Supervisors Academy.

She is a valued member of our court team.

She's been with us since July of 2017.

She has almost 20 years experience in the judicial branch.

She has served in a couple of different courts, but been with us since 2017.

She is our court clerk specialist at the court, which was our new position that we were fortunate to receive from the council last year, and she took over those duties in October.

So we wanted to recognize her for completing that supervisors academy.

So tell us kind of kind of tell us about your little your day.

Just tell give us a little insight into your day every day.

Oh, it's you.

It's you.

Come on.

Okay.

Well, um, today today um task is dealing with the public.

Um I I issue tons of warrants.

Um yeah, I do.

It's actually quite exciting.

No, I'm just kidding, it's not.

Um, but I help staff with whatever questions they may have regarding their job duties, and um I just I just love it.

I love it.

I work with an amazing group of people.

You can tell your smile says it all.

Thanks for being here tonight.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thanks, Abril.

Thank you, Mayor, Council.

Ron.

Next up, uh, Mr.

Mayor is we have a uh new employee presentation by Fire Chief Larry Rooney.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council.

It's my pleasure and privilege to introduce you to our newest firefighters.

They graduated from the fire academy on June 2nd, and that was after 15 weeks of grueling uh training and and exercise.

And so these people were very proud of them.

I think we're gonna show a couple other pictures up here, the two that weren't able to be here this evening.

But I'll go ahead and get started.

First one I want to introduce you to is Chelsea Sign.

Firefighter Sign was raised in Buckeye.

Um she previously worked as a firefighter in Copper Canyon up by Camp Verde, up by Camp Verde.

And um she's pursuing an associates in emergency operations and looks forward to continuing area education here in Avondale and being an asset to the city.

She is married to a Glendale firefighter.

We do not hold that against her.

But they enjoy training together and getting involved with family and uh they especially like Swift Water Rescue.

So please uh help me welcome Chelsea.

Welcome aboard.

Thank you.

Happy to be here.

What is your husband say about you working for the best fire department in the state?

Is he jealous?

Yes, sir.

All right, good.

There's those great answers too.

I love them.

All right.

Uh next up we have Joshua Tomptons.

He's right up there.

Um he they're wearing red shirts there because that's when they were in the academy, but they're all on the streets now wearing blue shirts, uh doing the best work for us.

Joshua was raised in Georgia.

He moved to Arizona in 2017.

A previously worked as a paramedic in Bana University Medical Center in Phoenix, and as a reserve firefighter and mayor.

Um he currently has two associates' degrees, one in fire operations, the other in paramedicine.

The interesting story about Joshua is we did his precepting here, our paramedics.

When they when they go to school, they come to different departments and we uh we were lucky enough to precept him.

He was so impressed with the department he put in for the department and we hired we were so impressed with him, we hired him.

So that's a that's a that's a win-win for both of us.

Next we have Zachary.

Uh Zachary uh was raised in San Jose, California.

He moved to Chandler in 2015.

He's um he previously worked as a specialist in the Air Force in Hazmat uh as a hazmat technician.

He's also pursuing his bachelor's degree in Homeland Security uh through the American Military University.

So very welcome him.

And last but not least, is Simon Liu.

Um Firefighter Liu was raised in China.

Firefighter Liu previously worked as an EMT on the M in on the ambulance in the town of Gilbert, has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Arizona Christian University, wants to pursue fire science and emergency operations.

And here's the thing.

He played professional ping pong in China from the age of seven to fifteen.

Wow.

So I won't be playing him.

But I think if the police department wants to set, you know, have a little competition, I may have a ringer.

Well, see, Larry, if you're gonna do that, you may not want to mention that he was a professional ping pong player.

Just oh, it's all bets are off.

So, Simon, I have a question for you.

So, your degree is in business administration from ACU, why fire fighting?

What changed?

Come on up.

Oh, it wasn't like the thing I want to do.

I realized that as the um degree is so broad, I don't know what to go into.

I did not want to like I want to do something for the people and help the people.

That's what changed me.

Perfect.

And work for the best fire department in the state of Arizona.

Good for you.

It's awesome.

Thanks.

Glad you're both here.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Ron Adam Records.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Next is our Gateway and Wayfinding Sign Master Plan Status Update presented by Rick Carr, CIP Division Manager of Engineering Department.

Hey, Rick.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Councilmembers.

Okay.

So I'm going to provide an update on the gateway program and wayfinding signing CIP projects.

This update is specific to entry monuments and vehicular directional signage.

Other proposed signage, such as banners and pedestrian and bicycle directional signage in the master plan are not in the scope of these projects.

Has background for this update.

In 2015, the city developed the Avondale Wayfinding System Master Plan.

The master plan included the new citywide brand identity, aspiring, achieving accelerating slogan, themes unique to Avondale, cotton, racing, and education, a proposed phasing plan, and signage placement.

The master plan's core wayfinding principles of connect places, be predictable, and keep it simple, are based on best practices for creating a clear wayfinding experience.

Both projects are funded from general fund and the half percent dedicated sales tax.

For the gateway program, the scope includes the entry monument shown in the center of the map and landscaping as needed and feasible.

To date, two phases are complete with three monuments installed at the locations listed and shown on the map.

The monuments are located at key entry points in the northern part of the city, where significant traffic flow into the city occurs, and where important destinations are located, such as Australia Mountain Community College, shopping and dining, our medical corridor, and the boulevard.

For the Wayfinding Signage Project, the scope includes post-mounted blade signage as shown in the image on the map.

To date, phase one and part of phase two has been completed with 16 signs being installed.

Six signs north of I-10 are listed and shown on the map.

The remaining 10 vehicular directionals are installed south of I-10 and are listed and shown on this in the next slide.

They reflect our citywide brand at the city perimeter and interior and direct visitors to our priority destinations in the southern portion of our city, such as historic Avondale, as it was called at that time, Festival Fields, and the Civic Center.

In the master plan, a hierarchy of prioritized destinations was overlaid with vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian circulation patterns to determine a framework for route selection.

This framework helps categorize important decision points along routes for wayfinding signage placement and identifies our city's points of pride.

Listed here are the destinations identified north of I-10.

And listed here are the destinations identified south of I 10.

As we have implemented the Avondale Wayfinding System Master Plan, we have encountered some challenges that we have addressed and now guide us as we compete, complete the remaining signage and plan future signage.

Those lessons are listed here.

Two examples are shown in the images to the left.

The left image at Dysart Road and Van Buren Street shows a Roosevelt Improvement District well site on the southwest corner where an entry monument was proposed.

Unfortunately, the well site left us no right of way at the corner to install the monument.

The right image is at 99th Avenue and Van Buren Street looking west from the intersection and shows that while we have right of way just west of the traffic signal pole, a monument that at that location would block the commercial developments pylon sign.

And to be a good neighbor, we are proposing to the install the entry monument further to the west.

From today going forward to complete the master plan, we have both projects funded and are planning in fiscal years 23 through 24 to complete the proposed entry monuments in the master plan.

One monument is located at the northeast corner of Dysart Road and Buckeye Road, which will replace the existing signage shown in the top image.

This will be with a new monument jointly designed by the city and Alga Freya High School.

We have some we have had some preliminary meetings with the school staff and students, some of who are in attendance tonight.

If I have a moment to make some introductions, we have one of their instructors, Allie Ray, if you would like to stand, Allie.

And one of the students, Kathleen Awau.

She's a um junior this year.

We look forward to completing that monument in the upcoming school year.

The other monument will be our standard monument shown in prior slides at the northwest corner of 99th Avenue and Van Buren Street.

This will complete the gateway program included in the master plan.

For the wayfinding signage in fiscal years 23 and 24, we are projected to complete 10 more vehicular directional signs.

Two of the six signs north of I-10 are listed and shown on the map.

The other four north of I-10 are shown and listed here.

Then four signs south of I-10 are shown here, completing the fiscal year 23-24 wayfinding signage scope.

For wayfinding signage in fiscal year 25, we are projected to install five more signs in the most southern portion of the city, extending our wayfinding system in preparation for future development.

This scope includes the five signs listed and shown here, and then this will complete the wayfinding signage indicated in the master plan.

This concludes concludes my presentation, and I'm now ready for any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I really appreciate this.

I appreciate the fact that you put in lessons that were learned.

I remember we did the wayfinding signs 15 years ago, however long ago it was.

It was new for us, and we just weren't sure how to go about doing it, where to put it, kind of what they should look like.

And we've kind of modified these over time.

Out of all the things that we learned, you talk about being a good neighbor, you talk about not having right of way.

What was the next biggest thing that you look at and you say this is what we run into more than we thought we would?

Is it running electricity to the signs?

What is it?

Um that would be probably the next one, and then probably even after that would be just utility coordination.

There's a lot of utilities at the intersections that we have to work around, and some of them have some easements and and that we have to abide by and work through.

So perfect.

Council, any questions?

Uh Councilmember Malone.

Thank you for the presentation, Rick.

I appreciate it.

Um I did not see one coming in from east on Western Avenue, showing that you're coming in from Goodyear into Avondale.

Do we have one already?

And do we have one planned?

Um we do have one at Third Avenue in Western, right there on the south side by um Abondale Element Elementary School.

Okay.

I'll have to that's a vehicular directional.

Okay.

Perfect.

So, Mr.

Mayor, Councilmember, if I can confirm.

Were you asking about a wayfinding or a monument entry sign?

I'm sorry, a monument entry sign.

Thank you for c um clarifying.

So just um this would be a great time for council to give us direction on what they want changed, added, those kinds of things, so we can relook at this.

So if I understand it correctly, we don't have a uh uh um monument sign planned for that area.

Correct.

So are you asking for us to consider putting one in that area?

Yes, that's correct.

Yeah.

When we leave outside on Western, going into Goodyear, it does tell us welcome to Goodyear.

I'd like that to have that entry point um walking welcoming our um community into Avondel one day, switch over from uh Goodyear on Western Avenue.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you.

Tina and then Curtis and then Max.

And we'll figure it out.

Thanks, sorry.

What?

No, no, I said I had a question too, but we'll go how you just said.

Tina.

Sorry, I always get to the vice mayor for last.

Don't you want the last word?

Oh no, that's fine.

Okay, we're fine.

Thank you for the show.

You're welcome.

Um so with all the development that's happening.

I know that some of these signs had been put up put been put up a while ago.

And you know, it looked great when there was nothing around it, when it was just kind of standing alone.

Um my ask would be something um bigger that says welcome to Avondale.

And specifically in on like Dysart in Indian School Road, so coming in like from Goodyear Lichfield Park on that corner.

We have a small kind of one that's just standing there.

Um, I would like to see something bigger again saying welcome to Avondell.

And then another area specifically is the one that's um on Avondel Boulevard south of the 10.

So it's on the west side of the street as you come.

So it's right, and it's just kind of standing there.

And I know with all the development happening down there, you know, we have the boulevard there.

You know, I would love to see something, you know, a little more bigger, and that says welcome to Avondale in that area.

Okay.

We'll take a look at it.

Thank you.

Curtis.

Thank you.

I just would like to add to the rest of what's been said, just driving around uh the new developments and everything else coming from Phoenix as well.

On Indian school, Thomas, and I don't remember McDowell, there's a small one at McDowell, but you come that way.

There used to be a big plywood sign there on Thomas and Thomas 99th that said welcome to Avondale.

And I think we're missing an opportunity to let our neighbors know where Avondale starts so that they can start looking and seeing and visualizing.

I know that wasn't considered in 2014-15 when the original work was done here, but I think we as a council want to look at what we can do to promote Avondale and whatever else, whether it's on Dysart or whether it's on 99th, just coming in from both directions, uh entry ones, whether they're monuments or whatever.

There's a new one there on the corner of 107th and Ben for Tullison.

It's just a bunch of bricks there with welcome to Tullison.

I don't know what we'd want yet that big, but you you know, you know where what Tolison starts there.

Right.

And and and we'd like to look at some doing something similar to that as well in I don't know, five or six different areas.

I guess we could give you the list.

But it's just coming in from Indian School Thomas and McDowell, and then in from the Goodyear side of it as well.

I think even over on does it go as far as Lichfield and Thomas, right there by the church, uh, the Aquinas Church, coming in by the Yeah.

So there's just I guess five or six other ones.

We'd like to see a little bit more pizzazz, is that what I could say?

Thank you.

Or fireworks, if you will.

Ooh, I like that.

Thank you, Councilmember.

We'll take a look at that.

I just have one other question.

These overhead signs, the green ones, as they become sun warped or sunfaded or something.

Who replaces those?

Um we're just starting to get into that maintenance.

Um we're looking at doing that with our traffic um coming in on MC ninety-five, eighty-five.

Uh no, it's not.

It's up on Van Buren and Van Buren and Dyser.

And I think the one up above has been one faded, and you can see it sometime of the time, sometime when the lights on, and sometimes you can't.

So just look at that one.

Yes, Councilmember Mayor, Vice Mayor.

We're we're looking into that.

We've just got some recent input from city management to uh of our traffic staff uh get involved in making sure that signs are maintained.

Max?

Thank you so much, uh Mayor.

I appreciate your presentation.

I really think I'm gonna piggyback off of uh what council member Nilsen said.

I think coming into Avondale on Van Buren in 107th, when you're going east, you know it's Tullison when you're going west.

I first want to go back to the city manager and thank um City Manager Corbin because that corner looked way different before you got here, and I'll just say that.

But now hopefully we could do something different and make you know you're coming into Avondale.

Wanted to also acknowledge um the student and the teacher here who are gonna work on refurbishing and doing a new entry area on Western.

I think it's so important to really get the community involved.

We need to see more students out and involve.

So I just want to I want to let you know we see you, we acknowledge you.

Um I know that that's probably not a very beautiful thing, but I also want to recycle it.

I love the little A.

So let's not throw it away.

Let's find a way to repurpose it somewhere in the community, not to interfere with what they're doing.

But we want more signage somewhere else.

Maybe it's pink or kind of faded pink, and it should have been like that, Avondale purple and you know, green.

So let's repurpose it and probably not waste that.

And then the other area, um, I'm gonna take it back to 99th and um Van Buren because that's the corridor I drive.

So I I noticed that you said lessons learned.

That sign I believe is in Avondale, but it says Tullison on it.

So I don't know if we can ask them to um I I don't know how the it works because it's actually on is Burger King in Avondale?

Okay.

That's our corners.

So that sign should say Avondale, not Tellicent.

So if we even push back our you know, greetings and entryways a little further off of that corner, that sign should not say Tellison when you're going west.

That's just it.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, uh Councilmember a couple things.

The south side of Mburen in that area is Tullison.

We're on the northwest corner.

Yeah, the north.

And that was the sign he had a picture of if you go back to the next one.

That one is gonna be ours.

Yes, that'll be welcome to Avondale.

So we would want to take the street sign, it says Tullison when you're going that direction.

He actually put that up there.

Go back three slides.

I think it's there.

Right there.

It says Tullison.

That's Avondale.

Correct.

I thought that was the lesson learned.

I didn't hear you say it, but it's uh it's the lesson learned.

I have I wore my glasses instead of contacts today.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

We'll we'll look at that.

They may maintain that intersection, is and which is why they put up their their signs, but we'll look at that because it's not Tulson.

And we are looking for yards to put that sign in because nobody wants it.

So uh we'll talk after the meeting about that.

Maybe Pepto Bismo sign.

Okay, we can repaint.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rick, for your presentation.

Um I do have to say it would be nicer just to see something bigger and bolder.

Um we just don't want to be like you showed one lonely sign at some place.

I think in one of your slides, it was kind of by itself.

And it kind of reminds me of that lonely sign that sits at 99th that says, Welcome to Maryvale.

So, you know, it's uh a little pizzazz, like he said, something bigger and better so that you know people know like, damn, I'm here now.

You know, this isn't Phoenix, this isn't Goodyear, but it's Avondale, so we can work on it today.

Yeah.

We want big signs that say you're here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Rick, for the presentation.

Um so and uh Councilman Nielsen uh stole my thunder.

I was looking at 99th and Indian school as well.

And for me, uh really capturing the cornerstones of our city uh as it relates to you know, Dysert and and Indian School 99th, all the way down south, so that the corners, 99th and um Van Buren, is just making sure uh the consistency is there.

For example, if we're looking at size, maybe the big ones would be at the corners of the capstones and internal um would be whatever the consistent sign would be in terms of signage, not just the wayfinding, but um the other the monument signs.

Uh and then I wouldn't want to uh impose as well on what Alwafria in the city are working in terms of collaboration.

So whatever that is, whatever the output or the outcome would be, um I'm sure that that's gonna provide a a real nice touch uh for the community in that area that may not be the same as the others, but that's the point, right?

To make it their own as well.

One thing that I've heard continuously and consistently, um both being uh down on Western Avenue or with residents is especially businesses, is a monument sign for Western that not only allows you to know when you're entering Goodyear from the West, but more importantly from Dysert to the East.

When the wayfinding signs south of I 10 on Dysert bring you south to the historic corridor, what many have shared with me is the ability.

I know this has come up in the past, um, but having a monument sign of some sort to let you know you've landed there on the historic corridor or uh on Western Avenue for the restaurants that are there.

Um, whether it be just the monument sign that says, you know, welcome to historic corridor, whatever it may be, and I'm sure you can gather most of the folks down there in Western that are business owners that'll provide that because I've heard different names.

Um, but that's for them to put to provide, but also maybe uh in room for insignia if those businesses want to purchase little placards to put the name of their business on that signers, but just most importantly, uh a landing spot, so to speak, for guests and visitors to know they are now on Western, which is our historic corridor.

So thank you.

Veronica?

Um I'll I'll kind of touch on that.

Before COVID, we were having um meetings with all of our historic areas, which was Historic Avondale, Las Legos, and um Cash and so that we could kind of come up with uh uh monument sign that they've arrived.

I don't know what happened to those talks or if we've ever picked back up, but those designs and the conversations that we had with those um uh all three of those uh communities were already in the talks.

I know it was with Pierre, Sandy and Sandy's back corner.

Oh, yeah.

I don't know what happened to those talks, but we've talked about that.

We had um our community come in.

I believe Abril was even there because we were there for last like Las Vegas, and we had a bunch of uh input from our communities of what uh Vice Mayor is saying that um like that entry point.

Maybe we can kind of find those notes or kind of go back to Pierre and Sandy.

Mr.

Mayor Council, we have those notes.

Uh we've been through them.

Um you've seen if you go further up Dysert, there's welcome to Historic Avondale, there's some brown signs up there.

So here's what we're gonna do if it's all right with council, and uh uh we get a nod, is we'll update our master plan because really we want to work and what the vice mayor said about consistency.

So we'll um see what we can get short of the fireworks um for our our signage, bring something bigger, more vibrant back, and um let council let us know if we're on mark or not.

Um and we'll uh add something for historic Avondel as well that that still um lets you know you're in Avondale, but uh you know calls out uh Western and and Old Town there.

And then uh the Vice Mayor was very correct.

The sign at Dysert and MC 85 will be a little different, but they still have our guidelines with our colors and those kinds of things, so they're working well with us.

But I think that um we'll look at those notes, we'll update the master plan and bring it back for council before we add any more signage.

I have another question.

Will we be taking that palm tree down?

Um, that's not the plan right now.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Anyone else?

Can I get a motion to adjourn the uh special meeting?

I have a motion from Councilmember White, a second from Councilmember Nielsen.

Any further discussion?

Seeing and hearing none, please vote 7-0.

Folks, let's come back at 6 05.

Uh, those online will be back at 6 05.

Um and let's be prompt.

I'd like to call the regular meeting of June 26, 2023 to order.

Would you please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Savannah?

And a moment of reflection I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God.

Thank you, everyone.

Savannah, thank you.

Savannah, do you mind doing roll call, please?

Yes, Mr.

Mayor.

Councilmember Condi here.

Councilmember Malone.

Councilmember Nielsen.

Councilmember Solario.

Councilmember White.

Here.

Vice Mayor Pineda.

Mayor Weiss.

Here.

Savannah, thank you very much for being here tonight.

Marcella, do you want to do the um comments on unscheduled public appearances?

Thank you, Mayor.

We did play the video.

But if anyone was unable to hear the video, if you would like to speak under unscheduled public appearance, this is your opportunity if you or if you want to speak on any of the additional items.

You can fill out a blue card that is located in the back of the council chamber and bring it up to the front.

As of right now, Mayor, we have not received any requests to speak for the unscheduled public appearance.

Thank you, Marcella.

Um, I do want to take a moment of mayor's privilege and before we get into consent agenda.

Um Wednesday ends my one-year chairmanship of Maricopa Association of Governments.

And I will tell you it's been uh an incredible ride.

Um we're still not accomplished with what we want to get done with as it pertains to the Prop 400E, but we've gotten a lot of other things done in the Valley.

Uh working on the 911 system right now.

I know Chief Espinoza has been uh very involved with that.

Uh the homeless project that we're working on on the Valley, um, we've actually reduced homelessness in a lot of areas.

Success on that front.

But allowing me to be able to do that chairmanship and go down to the Capitol sometimes three or four times a week and testify and be before the Senate.

There's a lot of people at MAG who helped with that, but there's a lot of people who picked up the Slack here.

Uh Vice Mayor Malone and Vice Mayor Panetta, when I couldn't do meetings, you folks stepped in and did it willingly, and I appreciate that.

Liz was is and has been awesome in this.

Uh coming into this role brand new and not knowing my personality, not knowing the city, but uh became a leading voice for intergovs and a trusted voice for intergovs throughout the entire valley.

And people look to Liz for that leadership and and and guidance and then council members and and staff leadership who reached out and just when we were going through some downtimes with the Senate and the House, just making sure that everything was going okay.

So it really is a team effort.

So I just want to say thank you to all of you for being a part of this journey that we've been on through the last year.

Um that being said, item number three is consent agenda.

Are there any counselors who wish to have an item removed for separate consideration?

Seeing and hearing none, can I get a motion on the consent agenda?

I have a motion from Councilmember Solario, a second from Councilmember Nielsen.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Thank you, Council.

It passes 7-0.

Ron, item 4A, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Next up is a presentation by Marcella Carrillo, our city clerk.

It's a public hearing on the Series 10 beer and wine store liquor license.

Awesome convenience and more.

I want to get this out of the way beforehand.

So bad.

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council.

I'm here to present a new liquor license application, as Mr.

Corbin stated, for awesome convenience and more.

The purpose of this agenda item is to consider the application, hear public comments, and take appropriate action.

As you may know, our liquor license items are typically on the consent agenda.

However, this application has received seven letters of protest so far and several requests to speak.

Those letters of protest have been included inside your agenda packet.

The business is located at 107th Avenue and Indian School Road.

It is not within the Fry's parking lot area, but it's just west of that in a separate parking lot.

Or sorry, I'm east of that.

All required public notices have been completed, and we've received letter seven letters of protest.

Originally, the business submitted an application for awesome liquor and smoke shop.

The use of this site as a liquor store and smoke shop would require a conditional use permit, which has not been obtained.

However, about a week later, the application was amended with a new name of Awesome Convenience and more.

As of June 21st, the business does not have a certificate of occupancy from the development services to occupy the space, and they have not yet obtained a business license through the finance and budget department.

For those two reasons, we are recommending denial of the application to the Arizona Department of Liquor License and Control of the Series 10 beer and wine store application.

And I'm happy to answer any questions.

And mayor, we should open the public hearing.

Marcella, thank you.

And this is a public hearing.

Mr.

Miller.

Mr.

Miller, it's good seeing you again.

Thank you.

My name is Jeff Miller, mayor, vice mayor, and counsel.

I work with a company called Arizona Liquor Industry Consultants, and we serve as the agent on liquor licenses throughout the state of Arizona.

Mr.

Manish had come to us and asked us to file his application.

And yeah, there was some uh original name that was gonna be um the liquor and smoke shop, but their intention was always to be a Series 10 beer and wine store, i.e.

convenience license.

And I read a lot of the protests, some of the protests are saying it's within 300 feet of a church.

Well, 4207, which addresses the 300 foot rule, remove churches from being uh in that.

It's only with 300 feet of a school at this time.

And part of that was because many of the churches being nonprofits were obtaining their own special event liquor licenses, and some of the uh Knights of Columbus being right next to it, wanted to get permanent licenses, so uh that was just taken off uh about a year and a half ago off the statutes.

So the the churches you can now be you know share a common wall with the church and and understandable.

This was really designed to be a convenience store, not uh liquor store, and I see a lot of people in their complaints saying, Oh, this is gonna be a place selling liquor.

It's strictly beer and wine convenience.

So if I'm on my way home from work construction, my wife calls and says, Hey, we're out of milk, they can pull in and grab a gallon of milk and a six-pack of beer, um, some chips for the kids.

Uh, we're looking at the CCRs, and and one of the complaints said it's got to stay under 30 percent in tobacco sales as a convenience store.

Yeah, tobacco is somewhat important for a quick convenience store.

So it was designed to stay less than 30 percent tobacco with focus on maybe 50 percent for beer and wine.

A lot of the Arizona craft beers, so you can swing in after worker on on your way out to the uh the parks and be able to jump in and grab uh uh some craft beer as opposed to love the big box stores, but you know, going through, standing in line with all the people buying large baskets full of groceries and then uh coming through or checking yourself out.

So this is just really done as a convenience for for parents and the community.

Um business license, they're a little nervous with the uh protests going on.

They just recently, as of yesterday, got approved for another Series 10 in the city of Mesa, and in fact, just picked up the check from them to pay their final fees where they're getting issued a Series 10 liquor license or beer and wine store convenience license in the city of Mesa, showing that they are capable, reliable, and qualified.

I understand the concerns with the the business license.

There was just some confusion and nervousness with uh coming in front of council today and seeing that uh there were some uh people protesting.

And I see one of the protesters has a competing business across the way that is a full-on 100% smoke shop, not to compete.

This is you know, a convenience store, beer wine only, um, just done for the convenience of the community.

The owners here, uh uh Manish, who is successfully ran um multiple businesses in the state of Arizona.

I think he's had 18 in the last 12 years.

Moses, who operates as a manager for him at his other location, has 15 years working in an uh business with age-restricted items where they have received accolades from uh tobacco stings that they just randomly do up and down the road.

So, and then their last they have a manager here from your community, uh Raymond, who has 10 years in the business.

Mr.

Miller, did all did were you speaking for all of them, or did they want to speak individually?

They're all here uh available to speak.

They would like to speak.

Um and I'm I'm sorry, I'm gonna butcher a name.

Manish.

I don't know how to say your last name, sir.

Pushay, thank you, sir.

You'll have three minutes.

Hi, um Manish Pouchet, and um I'm the owner of this business.

And um our intent is to do beer wine, number 10, a convenience store.

And uh I have done other businesses in the past, including gas station convenience stores, motels, hotels.

So I know um this is not my first rodeo, and I've done this business before.

And the protest, they are talking mainly about liquor license or liquor stores.

I mean, we are not full-fledged liquor, it's a beer and wine.

So um honestly I'm not sure what the protest is all about.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Moses?

Yes, sir.

How do you say your last name?

Mickle.

Thank you.

It's Moses Mickable.

Good evening, guys.

I'm here just to say that I've been running that business in Mesa for 15 years.

And we started that business only with me and another person.

Now we have twelve people under payroll.

We go uh we open businesses to create new jobs, and I've been dealing with restricted item like tobacco and all of these kind of items for like almost 10 years, and we always getting thanks letters from the attorney general.

So our main target is to create more jobs in any city we go to, and we are trying to like be useful in the community.

We're not going there to destroy any community.

We are more like convenience store.

And we went when we get a lot of people protesting about liquor shop, we were like literally wondering why that protesting.

Like we are more like family.

So when we started in Mesa, it was a little bit like this.

People they don't know us, but with time, they know us.

Now we have Mesa PD come to us as a customers.

Members, they come and they purchase from us, and it's we make it as a family-owned business, small business.

We're not there to make to create any issue.

We're not there to create any fuss, you know.

Our main target is to be like a very good uh what do you call it?

A member of this community.

And we hope we're gonna do we're gonna do that.

Thank you so much.

Raymond?

Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Good evening.

Um we're hoping to establish about 11 positions for this uh establishment, as well as um there's a lot of complaints of violence and you know shootings going on in the area.

Um we do have cameras set up around the whole perimeter, and we would like to help law enforcement out if need be.

That's it.

Thank you, sir.

I appreciate you being here.

Anyone else?

I'm gonna go ahead and close the public hearing and open the comments up to council.

Um Chief Espinoza, can you make yourself available if need be?

And you if you could do it there, that's fine.

I just don't know what the microphone situation is like.

Let's go down the line.

Uh Councilmember Condi, any comments.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Marcella.

Um the comments I have, I guess it's just mostly that um the seven the seven letters of protest from the community.

You know, I don't take those lightly.

These are families that live um in our city that have addressed um concerns about um a store uh being put there, um, selling beer, wine, um, alcohol.

And so I just want to just take those complaints seriously and can take those in consideration.

Um, but our staff is recommending denial based on um building submittals and incomplete inspections.

Is that correct?

So as of today, they do not have a certificate of occupancy um to occupy the facility, and they do not have a business license.

Okay.

That's it.

That's all I have, Mayor.

Oh, thank you.

Did you folks want to speak on this issue?

Come on up, folks.

Marcel, can you clarify something for us?

The business license and the certificate certificate of occupancy.

Are they occupying the building and operating it as a business currently?

The they are not operating as a business as of today.

Okay, thank you.

And sir, do you mind saying your name for the record?

You'll have to give your address, just your name.

Yes, Alec Young.

Felfree, sir.

And you'll have three minutes, sir.

Okay.

Um yeah, I just want to say that um, you know, when you look at the city of Avondale and you look at the development going on in the area, you see so many um brand new facilities going up, and you see so many housing developments.

This city is absolutely going in the right direction.

You're looking to bring in families and you're looking to just build this area up, and it's it's it's it's spectacular to see everything that's going on in Avondale right now.

Opening up a store like this in that in that little mall is gonna be a step in the wrong direction.

There have been multiple shootings in that exact parking lot.

There's a daycare in there, there's a church in there, there's a bakery in there.

There was a Starbucks in the exact location that they're looking to put this business in.

It got robbed so many times that they stopped letting the doors be open and they only had the drive-thru open.

So, as a person with children and just taking a general interest in the area, I believe that this truly will be a step in the wrong direction.

And you know, everything's going in the right direction.

I just truly believe that this is not gonna be um, you know, this is a good space.

It can attract something other than what they're trying to put in there.

That's it.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Manda do you want to speak also, or was that it?

Come on up.

Just take your name for the record, man.

Crystal Norris.

Okay.

I would like to say as well the same thing to follow up with what he did.

Um there's a church, there's a pediatrician's office in there, and being a mother, you go and you take your kids to these places and they see what's around them and they notice these things, and I feel like them seeing this sort of business there and the people that it attracts, it's going to start to really hurt the businesses that are in that complex now.

You go in there.

Um, I don't know if you're familiar with it.

Champions has great cookies, great everything, it's so good.

And you go in in there and you're stepping over um beer cans, you're stepping over packs of cigarettes, you're stepping over all of these things.

And I mean, this cannot help that situation.

I don't, so I just think it's a very, I think it's a mistake to do.

And the safety there, you know, you can't go there at night.

I mean, being a woman with kids, you don't want to go there at night.

You want to go there during the day and you feel okay.

But I just don't think it's the I don't think it's the great location for this place.

I hope they could find another place and be successful there.

Thank you for coming up here tonight.

Thank you, ma'am.

Chief, you've heard the comments on this, and it may not pertain to this business.

Um, but what are what are the what has been happening in that area?

I know there's been some shootings in the parking lot.

What's happened in that area over the last year, six months.

Mayor, vice mayor, uh good afternoon.

Can you hear me okay?

Yep.

Marcella, can you hear me?

Margaret?

Okay.

It would be hard for me to give you uh an idea as to what's going on without really looking at the stats.

I try to look at them uh as quickly as I could, but uh it it would be uh unfair for me to give you some stats just off the top of my head if that's okay.

Would you mind getting those stats to council when you can by tomorrow or Wednesday if you could do that?

I know we're gonna make a decision tonight, but I just think uh it helps us for future discussions like these.

Mayor, I will get you those stats uh as soon as possible.

Thank you, Chief.

Veronica?

Max?

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Thank you, Marcella, for the presentation.

Um concerned um, as uh council member Condius uh already said, seven complaints is a lot.

I mean, normally we don't have people that speak out on anything here.

And I love 11 jobs, I love prior ownership, I love established business owners.

So the fact that you have a business in Mesa, you own hotels, motels.

I have total confidence that you would be able to operate a business in Avondale.

So I I don't want to make it all doom and gloom.

I have a problem with the permit process.

I need a certificate of occupancy, I need a business license.

If you're doing anything in the city of Avondale before going through the city of Avondale, you're defeating that family ethic.

Like we come to each other first before we do anything, even if it's oh, am I supposed to do this that way?

And so that's kind of like blindsiding us, so we can't even get out there in front of you and advocate on your behalf.

It's already like we're trying to fight back hill to try and get this, you know, up a mountain, whereas if you went through the front door, you would have got the process, right?

So that's problem one, two, and three for me.

Um, and and you know, we expect code compliance.

I think it's challenging, right?

We have a couple of other age-restricted items on our agenda this evening, so you know, I don't want to be anti-business in Avondale.

We may have businesses that sell alcohol, tobacco, marijuana in Avondale adult materials.

Yes, that's something that we do in Avondale.

But if you're talking about shootings that can happen in any part of our city, I'm sure the nicest places in Avondale have violent crimes that happen.

Um we want to label our neighborhoods as bad as places where we go don't go at night, but I totally get offended hearing that because I'll go anywhere in Avondale at night, but you know, I'm not scared of anything, I'll jump off a cliff.

So it's a whole nother discussion for a different day, but I'm not afraid to go in that neighborhood at night by myself and I'll be on foot.

And I'm I'm not bothered by that.

So I want to also say that about Avondale because I'm here.

Um, but uh I'm just concerned.

Um if if it's gonna bring eleven more jobs, but there are seven people who don't like it, those are the seven people who are gonna get on your eleven employees' nerves.

So I don't know, I don't see the value in that.

Thank you, guys.

Chris.

Gloria.

Um thank you, Marcella, for the presentation.

Um, I do believe that if you want things done the right way, you start the right way and you follow those rules and go about them that way rather than I I completely understand it's great.

We all like to hear when we have new businesses come to our area that they're gonna bring jobs and stuff, but guys, you gotta work with us too.

You know, we got to set examples for other businesses that are coming.

We'd love to have you, but let's start the right way first and then let's come back and review it all together and see what it's like.

Thank you.

Uh Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, and thank you, Marcella, for the presentation.

I mean, I think at this point in time, uh, I think we can all concur that we're all pro-business and we we love for individuals to invest in our in our city.

Um, and really at the end of the day, for me, this is more just about the state ultimately gets say in regards to the to the to the liquor license.

Um, our our word, what we send over there means something, but at the end of the day, the state will make their decision.

What what we're looking at, what I'm looking at here is just more in line with the uh inability to serve a customer at this moment in time without a certificate of occupancy, without the business license situation being fulfilled.

Uh that is a barrier to your success.

And in regards to the products uh that are being sold there, you know that's a that's uh another conversation tonight.

I'm really just looking at the denial based on not clearing even the first hurdle yet.

So that's where I stand.

And Marcel, I'm gonna ask you for clarification when I get down with my comments on this.

Um as long as I've been council and mayor, seven people commenting, going out of their way to comment, two people showing up to voice their opinion is a big deal.

Normally these kind of just sell through.

There's a reputation in the community, it's someone who wants to grow a business or has been part of this.

But when I hear Mr.

Millar, please please don't take this the wrong way.

But when I hear that it was nerves that caused these mistakes to happen, but I hear a person say 18 years owning stores and not my first rodeo.

I have to ask the question.

I I think that's disingenuous.

I'm sorry, but I think it is 15 years in the industry, and we don't know that we have to go to the city for uh for paperwork and for business licenses.

I find that disingenuous.

Um I know that parking lot very well.

I know those businesses very well.

I'm there a couple times a week.

Um there's a great restaurant right there, uh, the fries is right there.

There's a lot that happens in that parking lot, and what happens in that parking lot concerns me, irrespective of what your business is.

Um I think it's one of those areas that um I think Max, I think people are afraid to go in there at nighttime.

I think, especially with kids.

Uh I'm kind of like you, I I go anywhere I want.

I'm not going to be held back by that, but I understand how a family would go.

I'm gonna avoid that bakery because I don't want to step over beer cans and cigarette packets and the things that I see.

There's other places to go.

It's not reflective of your business at all.

But I think when you trip coming out of the gate and then you ask the city to like help you back up, we're not gonna do that.

You you you've you've made a mockery of our process, and I'm not gonna support that.

So Marcel, my question to you is this is a denial.

So a yes vote from council means what?

So the motion will be a motion for denial.

So it'll be we recommend that the state of Arizona denies this liquor license.

Which would be in the affirmative.

Correct.

Any council member who was in favor of us issuing a liquor license would be in the negative.

Correct.

So I would ask that whoever whoever makes the motion reads the full motion so it's clarified for the record.

And then Mayor, um, I may have missed it, but I'm not positive if you close the public hearing.

Thank you.

Uh that being said, I'm gonna go ahead and close the public hearing.

Can I get a motion on this item and please read the motion?

I I have a motion from Councilmember Shallard Motion from Councilmember Malone.

Councilman Malone, will you read the motion, please?

Motion to recommend denial to the Arizona Department of Liquor License and control of an application for a Series 10 beer and wine store.

Liquor license submitted by Jeffrey Miller for the sales and alcohol sell of alcohol at awesome convenient more located at 10585 West Indian School Road, suite 102 in Avondale, and authorizes a city clerk to execute the necessary documents.

Thank you, Councilmember.

I also have a motion from Councilmember Solario as a reminder: a yes is affirming the denial, a nay is approving the liquor license.

Any further discussions?

Any questions for Marcella?

Please vote.

It has been rejected 7-0.

Thank you, Council members.

Thank you.

Ron Item 4B, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Next up is a public hearing on a conditional use permit for a drive-through coffee shop presented by Catherine Lorbeer, our deputy director of the planning division.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members.

So item 4B is a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit to operate a drive-thru coffee shop.

The subject property is vacant.

It's about half acre in size, and it's located at the northwest corner of Van Buren and 99th Avenue.

There is currently to the north a cobblestone car wash under construction.

And to the south on an acre piece is the existing Burger King restaurant.

Beyond the car wash to the north is the 99th Avenue Business Center, and it contains multi-tenant buildings with offices and light industrial uses.

And then to the east across Avondale Boulevard is the city of Tollison, and that area is zoned commercial, and it currently has a fast food restaurant under construction.

Then to the west is the 99th Avenue Business Park, and again it has multi-tenant uses with offices and automotive uses.

So in the general plan, the land is designated as local commercial, and that is a land use intended to provide the daily needs for goods and services to area residents.

The zoning of the property is Interstate Commerce Center Planned Area Development.

And this planned area development has an established custom list of uses, and drive-through facilities are shown as a conditional use in this particular PAD.

The coffee shop will be about 850 square feet in size, and it'll feature two pickup windows, one on the north side and one on the south side of the building, and they'll each have their own vehicle queuing lanes.

Combined, the queuing lanes will accommodate about 19 vehicles.

There is a hundred and twenty-five square foot outdoor patio area on the west side of the building, but the public won't be going inside the building.

The hours of operation are anticipated to be from 6 to 11 p.m.

This is the larger site plan showing the coffee shop in relation to the car wash and to Burger King.

There is no direct vehicle access to 99th, but you can see the existing shared driveway to the south, and there's also an entry up on the north side from 99th.

And you can also exit through the Burger King lot onto Van Buren.

So there is cross-access agreements for all three sites.

And here's a blow-up of the coffee shop with the two vehicle queuing lanes.

So on the north side, you can accommodate about 13 cars, and on the south, about six.

And you'll see that the queuing lanes are far enough away from the arterial streets, so we shouldn't have any backing up onto our streets.

There's screen walls as part of the design screening the queuing lanes from the arterials.

And the site plan includes three parking spaces, some barking, uh some bicycle parking, and about 38% of the site will be landscaped, which includes a 30-foot uh setback, landscape setback from 99th.

Here are the conceptual building elevations, and the architecture and site landscaping will be further designed as part of the site plan design review process to integrate the building with the adjacent uses, and they will also need to comply with our commercial design manual.

So to grant a conditional use permit, the project must meet five findings.

As proposed, the project is consistent with our general plan.

It is compatible with the existing uses.

It's a suitable size to accommodate the coffee shop and to meet all of our required development standards.

It has adequate access to public streets, and uh staff and the planning commission are recommending four conditions of approval.

We did complete all the required notifications.

There was a neighborhood meeting back in March of 2020.

The Planning Commission meeting public hearing was held on May 17th, 2023.

The applicant did share at the meeting that the anticipated user will be Gravity Coffee.

So the Planning Commission is recommending approval subject to four conditions for the reasons set forth in your staff report.

And I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for that.

Let me go ahead and open up the public hearing.

Is there anybody in the audience who'd like to speak on this issue?

Mayor, I have not received any requests to speak.

Hearing that, I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearing and open up any questions to council.

Any comments on this issue?

Councilmember Conde, please.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for the presentation.

Can you have help me have a better understanding of the traffic flow in there?

Um just because it shows two, like one drive up heading east, one west.

Like where is everybody going to enter to get into those two driveways?

Drive-throughs, if not from 99th Avenue.

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmember Condi.

Um the the uh a customer will have several options.

They'll be able to come in off of Van Buren through the uh entrance from Burger King.

They would go could go up into this drive aisle over here, and then either pull into this one or into the northern one.

Say if they came in off of 99th here, they would come around through the Burger King parking lot and again come to this shared drive aisle along the side.

Or if they were coming north and they wanted to turn sooner, they would come in off of 99th and then come all the way down this drive while to be able to enter.

Okay.

And so I'm sure we talked to fire.

Is there any problems with them getting in there navigating in that little section?

Uh thank you, Mayor, uh, Vice Mayor and Councilmember.

Um, all of the plans are reviewed by fire and traffic divisions, and they do comply with standards.

Okay, thank you.

That's all I have.

Councilmember Malone.

Yes, thank you for the presentation.

Okay, so you have just I'm clear.

I had a couple of questions just like Councilwoman Condy.

So the um cars that are going eastbound, how do they exit out?

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmember Malone.

Um, going eastbound on Van Buren or like your their queuing, right?

When they come in into um through Van Buren and they're queuing, and they're they're all facing eastbound.

Not the no not those cars, but the other ones.

So the south one line.

Is that the southbound lane?

Okay.

This bound, yes, the southbound lane, south side of it.

Yeah, where are they exiting out?

They're exiting out of here.

They're entering here.

So they're both all both drive aisles.

You're entering from the west and heading east.

Okay.

And then you come out here and you can go out onto 99th.

And so on the northern lane as well.

The north lane, they'd come around, they come back to this shared aisle here, and then they can come out and either exit onto Van Buren or back onto 99th, or if they wanted, they could go back up north and come out here.

Do um does gravity coffee exist anywhere in the state of Arizona?

Is this the first business open?

Uh thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmember.

Uh, I do believe they have other locations, um, but the applicant would need to share with you.

I believe there are other locations in Arizona.

And that queues exactly like um the way we are queuing here.

I think the applicant here.

I'm sorry, it's only sure.

Is the applicant here out?

I don't see the app.

Okay.

Okay.

Um I think it's a great uh a great addition to that area.

It's all commercial.

I think they don't have probably have Wendy's and probably uh QT and Burger King up in that area.

So coffee shop is good.

I just want to make sure that the queuing is correct.

And if I um fire has taken care of it and made sure that we're okay, um, this is a good project.

Thank you.

And Veronica to answer your question.

It looks like one, two, three, four, five, six.

Thir thirteen.

Thirteen on one and six on the others.

Yeah.

Yep.

So very good.

Sorry.

I was like, looks like uh looks like they're out of Washington State, and it looks like there's one location in Arizona in Gilbert.

So maybe we have to take a road trip to Gilbert, probably not before the vote.

In Phoenix.

Yeah.

Good.

Anyone else?

Mr.

Mayor.

If I can clarify, there's gonna be three exits, two on 99th, one on Van Buren.

That's more than a lot of our places.

There's no chance that this will back up on either one of our main streets if it backs up at all anywhere, kind of like Dutch Brothers backs way up.

Um it would be into that uh drive aisle, the shared drive aisle.

So we don't anticipate any traffic issues on our main streets.

Max.

Thanks so much, Mayor.

Thank you so much for the presentation.

I'm just concerned with the exit way that is facing west where you can go north or south.

I just want to make sure there's nothing that's gonna block somebody from getting out of there, like if people queueing, uh, because I could see where the southbound um entry could tail back and head up north, or I I don't know how that will work, but that middle lane exiting.

I I don't know what we could do with signage or anything to make sure nobody blocks the exit.

That's my only concern.

And and I will and I will tell you and I will tell you that I'm this sounds really bad, but it's a really good Burger King right there.

Okay, so I stop off at that Burger King once or twice a week.

I know you're looking at me because I eat so healthy.

But I can understand where in the morning or in the afternoon where that would bulk back up and block um traffic, especially if you're gonna have a cornerstone uh you're gonna have a car wash there.

There's other businesses that are there.

I'm okay with this, I'm good with this.

I would ask maybe Ron for future presentations, and and this is a unique one.

This is probably as unique of a drive aisle as we've seen in a while, but maybe have the arrows that indicate flow entrance and flow.

Um it just I think helps council understand that a little bit better, especially as we're looking at our documents going forward.

Um because it looks like on north side, it looks like they're entering west, cars are queuing, and then they're heading, they're exiting back west.

And then the South Drive, it looks like they're coming in and they're pointing east.

And I just I can understand how that fire lane, how all that would back up a little bit, and that's a concern.

I think we can keep an eye on it.

But I love it.

We'll uh do a better job of making sure the arrows in addition, Eric's here, our city engineer.

Um we can make sure that they have good signage.

I mean, the last thing they want is someone going to that wrong spot, right, and backing up traffic.

Right.

So we'll make sure that uh we have signage and pavement marking.

It's 7 o'clock in the morning.

It's a great location for a coffee shop.

So I'm glad they're coming to Avondale.

Um public hearing is closed.

Any other comments, questions?

Can I get a motion on this item, please?

I have a motion from Councilmember Malone, a second from Councilmember White.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Passes 70.

Thank you, Council.

Ron, item 4C, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

We're now gonna have a public hearing on ordinance uh 2042-0623 zoning ordinance text amendments.

Article 13, medical marijuana dispensary and marijuana establishment hours of operations, application 23-0017.

Um we have Michelle presenting today, our senior planner of the planning division.

Hello.

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members.

Tonight I'm presenting item for C, Article 13, Medical Marijuana Dispensary and Marijuana Establishment, hours of operation, zoning ordinance text amendment, application PL 23-0017.

So the purpose of this item is to review a proposed zoning ordinance text amendment, conduct a public hearing, and take action on the item.

So Harvest True Leaf on behalf of the Harvest House of Cannabis, which operates as a dual licensee as both a medical marijuana dispensary and a marijuana establishment.

Request the following changes.

The first is a change to Chapter 28, Article 13, 28-316B, a medical marijuana dispensary shall have operating hours not earlier than 9 a.m.

and not later than 10 p.m.

instead of 8 p.m.

And the second change is a change to Chapter 28, Article 13, 28-317B, a marijuana establishment shall have operating hours not earlier than 9 a.m.

and not later than 10 p.m.

instead of 8 p.m.

So to clarify, this is just a change to extend the closing hours only.

So now we'll give you some background on some laws and some city regulations regarding marijuana uses.

So in November 20, excuse me, 2010.

Um the voters in Arizona approved Prop 203, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.

The following year, council approved the City of Avondale Medical Marijuana regulations.

So that included the location requirements and the limits of operation.

In 2014, council approved an amendment to the zoning ordinance.

Article 13 allowing dispensaries to operate on the weekends.

In September 2019, Council approved various amendments to the zoning ordinance, which did include extending the hours of operation for dispensaries by two hours in January of 2021.

Council approved a staff initiated zoning ordinance text amendment to Article 1 and Article 13, which address an approved ballot measure related to marijuana establishments and clarified excuse me, clarified uses and restrictions for marijuana related uses and operations.

And then lastly, in February of 2021, council approved changes to Article 4, which is the employment district section of the zoning ordinance, which did include marijuana establishments as a permitted use with conditions.

So this is a list of the nearby cities and their hours of operation for either medical marijuana dispensaries or for marijuana establishments.

So as you can see, their closing hours do range from 7 p.m.

to 10 p.m.

Staff is in support of the text amendment for the following reasons.

The first is that the expanded hours will accommodate the diverse needs of patients of medical marijuana dispensaries and marijuana establishments, many of whom are service workers who are unable to visit the dispensary prior to 8 p.m.

The amendment will largely be in line with the regulations of other nearby municipalities, unless we have we have consulted with the um Avondale Police Department who did not identify any concerns.

So all required public notifications were completed for this project, which included advertising in the newspaper.

We have not received any comments on our Avondale Connect platform or received any other public comments to date.

And so for that for item 4C, staff recommends approval of application PL 23-0217 zoning ordinance text amendment, Article 13, medical marijuana dispensary and marijuana establishments hours of operation.

And then as a reminder, um these are the two changes right here, and I'm available for any questions.

I'll thank you for that.

I'm gonna go ahead and open up the public hearing on this item.

Is there anybody who'd like to speak on this issue?

Mayor, I have not received any requests to speak.

Thank you, Marcel.

That being said, I'm gonna go and close the public hearing.

Let me let me be the first to comment on this.

I think when a business comes into the city of Avondale, they understand the rules, the regulations.

We just saw liquor license where someone didn't understand the regulation and rules.

That's our hope.

Hope there's nothing else there.

Um but a business comes in and they understand what our rules are and they abide by those rules.

And we set a standard that says this is your operating parameters.

This is where you can operate depending on what the business is.

These are the hours that you can operate, these are the products that you can sell depending on what those products are.

And we hope that that business is successful but lives within those parameters.

In 2014, can you go back to the 2014 times 2014?

We amended Article 13 to operate on weekends as a response to their needs of saying people work on during the week.

We need to let them work on the weekends.

We need to have access on the weekends.

Understand that.

Extending hours by two hours.

February 2021.

Change the employment districts to allow dispensaries.

I think we've done enough.

I look at what other cities are doing.

I look at our neighbors.

I know Phoenix is 10 o'clock, but Goodyear is seven.

Uh, there's some cities that are nine.

Um I'm not in favor of extending hours on this at all.

You accepted the rules when you came into the city of Avondale.

These are the rules we've we've accommodated your requests three times now, and I'm not angry with the with the applicant.

I understand trying to run a successful business, but I think at some point you just draw a line in the sand and say we're not going to do this any longer.

And I think having service workers, not being able to get there at 8 o'clock.

Um I think there's plenty of time for them to come in.

And I never like going against what planning and zoning does.

So you know we do that very rarely, but there's times where council has to make that statement.

And I may be standing on a hill by myself here, but I just kind of wanted to put it out there.

So let me go down the line, just as we have been.

Councilmember Conde, any comments on this?

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, you're not standing on a hill by yourself.

Um I'm actually in agreement with you what you said.

And looking at our neighboring cities, there they're we're already open an hour.

We're already open an hour later than Lichville Park and Goodyear.

And I know it's meta medicinal, it's like pharmacy like pharmacy hours.

I know my pharmacy, I know I need to get there by a certain time, or I'm gonna have to go on the weekend.

And so for me, um, you know, again, we look at the neighboring cities, seven, we're open an hour later.

I know Phoenix is open till ten o'clock and Glendale's open till ten o'clock.

But you're absolutely right.

I think we have made um some adjustments and listened to them and kind of made those changes for them in 2014, 2019.

Um, and I just think that eight o'clock is is what we have now is reasonable.

And I love your comparison with a regular pharmacy.

I know I have to get to Walgreens or CBS by a certain time, and I have to work within their parameters.

Councilmember Malone.

Mayor, you're not alone.

Thank you for the presentation.

Um I also agree that um we've um adjusted and we've um amended articles to help the business.

At this point, um, I believe that eight o'clock.

Um I have to be at my pharmacist uh no later than eight o'clock or I say I I don't get our prescriptions.

So I'm also with you as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Max.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Thank you so much for the presentation.

I think uh and I'm thankful you left this slide up.

Um I had tons and tons of questions.

The city manager's office knows I probably ran your ear.

Thank you for all the answers.

I'm just concerned why aren't we in alignment with the opening time?

I I guess the all the other cities are open at 8.

I don't know why we're opening at 9, and it sounds like if a service worker needs to work until 10, I guess you would start work what around noon.

So maybe opening earlier might be what we look at, but but I I I had a ton of questions staying open later, so I I think I'll vote my conscience, but I think we should be in alignment with the opening hours of the other cities just because they're all at 8 a.m.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Nielsen.

I agree with you, Mayor.

It it's not the business that needs the help, it's the people.

You and I can plan and we know when we need to go to the towal grants to wherever we need to go.

If these people are working 412s, well, that gives them three days they can do what they need to do to pick up, make arrangements and go to I think we're catering to to mankind and letting them just I want this now, I want this now, rather than saying, okay, these are the times that it opened, you need to put your schedule to the point where it fits with what we've drawn in the in the stand.

I I just came back from from uh Idaho with a friend that I had up there.

She was a young girl and uh her dad said, you know, I don't want you to go outside the fence line.

And she went outside and said, Dad, there's no fence out there, and he took a stick and drew a line in the sand.

And I appreciate that.

I kind of dad.

Okay, you're kind of dad.

And she'd wait till it rained or the snow would come or till the wind rain would come, and she'd go out there and say, Dad, I don't see the fence out there anymore.

She'd go back, he'd go back out there and draw it around.

And she said, by the time she was 14 or 15, she didn't ask anymore.

She knew where the line had been drawn in the sand, and she didn't go over that line.

So I think we've got to stand by that way.

I appreciate what you've said and all the rest of us.

You know, I would have had you had your friends speak to my youngest daughter who just got married, but I think this one.

Thank you for your presentation on this.

Um I like Max and everybody else.

Um, you're not alone.

Um, but like Max, pretty much um had quite a bit to share with Ron this morning as well.

Um I see the hours and I'm looking at the comparisons, and I I work in a service industry where it matters on reviews and different things.

And I went to Facebook reviews, I did Yelp reviews, I did Google reviews.

Not one review says you should be open earlier or open later.

So in that, with that alone, I mean if that's you know, sometimes we want to cater to more people, but as a service worker or whatnot, if you need that, you need that.

You're gonna make the time, whether you go on your lunch, you say you need to come in later, you get off work a little bit earlier, but you're gonna make that um designation to make sure that you have whatever's gonna help you feel good.

And after looking at reviews and different things coming from an industry that depends on reviews, I don't really see that as a big factor saying like you're not open late enough, or you're not open, you know, early enough.

Um alone with just saying, you know, in looking at the other locations, some look like they're in a warehouse, some look like they're in a strip mall.

I think I'd feel different if it was in a strip mall or if it was in a warehouse industry, like I had mentioned to Ron.

But given this area, I I don't see the need for it.

I really don't to be open till 10 to be even open till nine.

I would just say leave it as it is.

Thank you, Mark.

Vice Mayor.

Well, um thank you for the presentation.

Ironically, I'm gonna sound on a hill by myself.

I you know, I look at the at the business, um, I understand this business may have somewhat of a negative connotation, but in my mind uh it's a it's a legal business, like any other business that we have in the city.

And right now they're adhering to all the the rules and procedures and things of that nature, as any other business in the city should.

Um and so, in my opinion, them extending their hours and and not allowing to them kind of prohibits them being able to conduct business, and I think a lot of it has to do with what the business is that they're in and what product they sell.

That's how I'm looking at this.

I'm looking at this more about is this truly are we really upset or don't want to extend ours because we've given them many opportunities and have amended things along the way.

I would look at it at a different angle and said because we've done those kind of amendments and and worked with them, there hasn't really anything happened in terms of negative activity throughout that time.

We've worked with them, they've worked with us, and I think they've been a good um business in the community and provided a product that maybe none of us on the on uh I don't want to speak for anybody, but maybe none of us uh will be shopping in their business, but there's plenty who do, and extending their hours to me is nothing no different than extending the hours for any other business outside of maybe the negative connotation that comes along with the product.

So I'll stand out here on the heel.

I'm not making a statement or a stand.

I'm just saying this is a business who's been a good uh resident, a good business partner in the community looking to increase our hours, and I have no problem doing that.

So and I when I when I was going through this, I don't have an issue with marijuana.

I I I and I and I know but some people do, not on this council, but I know some people do.

But I think Tina's comment about a pharmacy, I consider this a pharmaceutical use.

I would have the same issue if it was a bar looking to extend their hours past a certain time.

I would look at the needs of the community with the needs of that bar and say, okay, does it fit what's going on there?

I don't really have an issue, and I think Max, you bring up a great point.

I don't really have an issue of letting them open up an hour earlier.

Because I think there is some validation in that, but they've got to come forth and do that.

So that's kind of where I'm at, but I appreciate what you're saying.

I and honestly, it's a successful business.

They're extending their hours because they're a successful business.

Councilmember White.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Thank you so much for adding the business aspect.

I don't want to discourage an Avondale business.

That's what I'm afraid of.

I think if we don't show that we want to support them, they might get discouraged.

Another thing is what happens if we open up the boulevard and somebody wants to based on our and can come in compliance and they want to have a dispensary and a walking space, and then we extend it, then it looks like we're shady here.

But I I mean I think we look we can't no okay.

So if we have it in a more populated area, or can we only have it in one space in Avondale?

Mr.

Mayor Council, I'll defer to Tracy, but the way I understand it, this is probably our only dispensary that we can have the way our zoning is set up.

Yes, um, Mayor, Councilmember White.

Um, based on the zoning district and the text amendment, there really isn't another opportunity for this type of use in the city.

So this will be it for us.

I want to be cautious.

Right.

If I have an I if I can um add to the record that I too, that was an awesome comment in regards to um because I too, if I want to go to the pharmacy, I know I have to make it by a certain time.

But they operate under a different standard.

There's a there's an there's multiple reasons as to why their hours are the way they are.

The state allows for this sort of business to be open until 10 o'clock.

And so the to the point of maybe a bar saying what if a bar wanted extended, well, by law they couldn't.

Two o'clock is the cutoff, and for this sort of a business, 10 o'clock would be the cutoff.

So again, I I don't want to, you know, take a major stand here, but I just want to reiterate the fact that it's a business doing good things for their clients, their customers.

We want to be competitive too.

So these are all the other cities you can go to.

You only have one place in Avondale you could go and get this service, and let's think about those people in Avondale who are gonna lose Zoom.

This is that, but you know, they're not gonna have access to a lot of transportation.

So if it's truly in our community and we're thinking about it, I asked a ton of questions because I I have the same concern with late night, and and I just think that we we don't want to discourage an Avondale business, and there can't be a competitor, so they're not gonna be competitive to all these surrounding cities, and it's still um, you know, it's revenue.

Um everyone gets a day off.

Do they not?

Nobody works consecutively.

You get some time on your way from here to there.

You guys know what I'm saying, right?

Everybody gets a day off.

I'm sure you can make it.

Some people get two days off.

You have the time to go here.

We shouldn't have to rearrange everything like we've done.

We've been more than compliant in the rules and stuff, and yes, we do want to encourage business and stuff, but we also have to think about what other businesses can come to us and ask us to do this many things.

We've done it for them.

We've you know gone ahead, they've been compliant.

It's great that they want to be here.

Um, but everybody, let's be honest, everybody gets a day off.

You get a maybe not everybody gets a lunch break, but we all don't work seven days a week, you know, not to be able to at one point or another go in and make a purchase.

I I I would I would put it this way, and I understand what you're saying, and I don't want to belabor the point.

Our hope is that the boulevard becomes a destination for entertainment, restaurants, bars, we we have the housing going in.

Our hope is that there's people who come there and there's gonna be live music and there's gonna be outdoor activities and there's gonna be those things that you see in other cities.

At some point, this council, maybe not me, but this council is going to have to decide what are the proper operating hours for a uh bar establishment on the boulevard.

What is traffic look like?

What is noise look like?

What do all those things look like?

And it's gonna be one of those hard and fast rules, and I look at this kind of the same way.

And we don't have to agree on this.

I I I know we don't, but I look at that and say it's kind of the same thing.

What's best for the community, what's best for the area at that point.

That being said, can I get a motion on this item, please?

I have a motion from Councilmember Malone, a second from Councilmember White.

Any further discussion?

Just to be clear, a no vote declines the applicant's request, a yes vote affirms the yes.

Applicant's request, approves it.

Um all those in uh please vote.

Sorry, Marcel, I just threw you for a loop.

Hold on.

It uh it it is not past six one.

Thank you, council.

So I I feel bad.

There's a there's an applicant in the crowd who is coming before us on a 45-acre thing, and they have seen this council be as feisty as they have been and I can see the looks going back and forth.

Yeah, this is a this is a really good discussion.

It's a healthy discussion.

Um item four D, please.

Thank you.

Again, Michelle's gonna make our next presentation, which is a public hearing uh on a reasonable request for Crystal Springs planned area development to the district at Crystal Springs Pad application.

Okay, so this is item 4D, the district at Crystal Springs rezone application PL22-0217.

The purpose of this item is to review a proposed rezone for the district at Crystal Springs, conduct a public hearing, and take action on the item.

So taking a look at the site, it's at the southwest corner of McDowell Road and Avondale Boulevard, shown in red.

It's about 45 acres and was annexed into the city limits in 1999.

And it's also currently being used for farming.

So the general plan designation of the site is mixed use, which is a land use designation for a mixture of residential and commercial uses that encourages innovatively designed developments with a village concept where residents can live, work, and recreate within the same development or close by.

So this is the general plan map, and this purple color is the mixed use designation.

And then in terms of the surrounding zoning districts and land uses on the right here, uh to the north of McDowell Road.

Um, this is the Avondale Commons PAD, which allows for a mix of uses, and then just west of that, this is land currently being used for farming, zoned agricultural.

And then east of Avondale Boulevard, there's a circle K and some land being used for farming, zone C2.

Then south of the site is the I-10 freeway, zoned agricultural west of the site.

Um these are the Crystal Springs apartments.

This is a charter school, and then just west of that, this will be a future uh multifamily development called McDowell 117.

So here are a couple of photos of the site.

The first is looking southwest from Avondale Boulevard, and the second is looking south from McDowell Road.

So the request is to rezone the site from the Crystal Springs PAD to a new one called the district at Crystal Springs PAD.

So this is a conceptual development plan.

So parcel A is planned for active adult apartments for ages 55 and up with 216 units with a maximum density of 33.5 dwelling units per acre.

Parcels B and C are planned for future commercial uses.

Parcel D is planned for a rehabilitation hospital.

And then parcel E is planned for a townhome development with 268 units with a maximum density of 11.5 dwelling units per acre.

So for the active adult apartments and the commercial parcels, the applicant is requesting the C2 uses with modifications.

So these include permitting pharmacies with drive-throughs.

Staff is in support of that use at this location to support medical uses in the McDowell Road corridor.

The second is to allow a gas station with conditions instead of needing a conditional use permit.

The existing PAD does allow for gas stations without CUPs, conditional use permits on the site, so staff is in support of that request.

And then the third is allowing an active adult apartment complex for ages 55 and up, and staff is in support of that use, allowing for use that is not currently in Avondale.

And then for the townhome parcel, the applicant is requesting the R4, which is multifamily residential uses.

So in terms of the proposed development standards for the townhomes, the applicant is requesting modifications to the R4 standards.

So I have them listed here.

A couple that I will point out is they're requesting to increase the distance between the freeway and the building side yard setback from a minimum of 15 feet to a minimum of 25 feet, as well as increasing the private outdoor space from a minimum of 80 square feet to a minimum of 180 square feet.

For the active adult apartments, the applicant is requesting modifications to the R4 standards as well that I have also listed here.

A couple that I will highlight is increasing the maximum density to 33.2 dwelling units per acre to allow for a more urban four-story project on a smaller footprint and reducing the minimum building and landscape setbacks in response to the mixed use and compact nature of the site.

And lastly, for the commercial portion, the applicant is requesting the C2 standards with the modifications I have listed below.

So this includes reducing the building, landscape and parking setbacks, as well as reducing the minimum landscape buffer between residential and commercial uses in order to accommodate a mixed use development.

The applicant is also requesting reductions to parking requirements, certain design line requirements, landscaping and open space requirements for the overall project, which are all outlined in the staff report as well as the narrative, along with both the applicant and the staff's justifications for each.

Many of these requests are due to the mixed use nature of the site in order to encourage a compactly built environment with smaller parking fields to encourage walkability.

And now I will walk you through the site plan.

So this is the townhome portion here.

The primary entry will be on 117th Avenue, and then the secondary entry can be accessed off McDowell Road.

There's the entry right here.

Emergency access will be located in the southwest corner of the site, connecting to the existing school site.

This project will be gated, does have a pool and clubhouse.

Garages are provided for each unit as well as a private backyard.

And there will also be some street parking for visitors.

There will be a future traffic signal at the corner of 117th and McDowell Road required by the build-out of parcel E.

The developer will also be responsible for constructing the pool in the mastarm at the signalized intersection located here that the developer for Avondale Commons, the project just to the north will construct.

Next we have parcel A.

This is the active adult apartments.

So access will be from both McDowell Road and Avondale Boulevard.

All of the apartment buildings will be connected with a centralized pool and then parking on the perimeter of the project.

These are the two future commercial pads for which we have no plans submitted.

They can be accessed from both McDowell Road and Avondale Boulevard.

And lastly, this is the rehabilitation hospital parcel.

So here are some renderings of the project.

The first, these are the townhomes.

They will be two stories.

And the second, these are the apartments which are proposed to be four stories.

And we do not have renderings of the commercial uses at this time.

So in terms of the analysis, the request will result in development that is compatible with and complementary to the existing uses in the area, which does include other mixed use projects, residential and commercial uses.

I went over.

So that includes diversifying Avondale by providing for varied residential types, locating medical support services along McDowell Road, as well as maintaining an upscale appearance of Avondale from the I-10 freeway.

The site is in the Littleton Elementary School District and the Tulison Union High School District.

So the form we received indicated that Littleton does not have adequate capacity.

However, the developers working with the school on an impact agreement.

And then for Tullison, they indicated that they do have sufficient capacity.

Planning Commission voted five to zero to recommend approval last month.

The commissioners did have some various questions about the heights of the commercial buildings, the need for an active adult use in Avondale, the mixing of the uses, the timing of the development of the commercial uses, as well as asking if the canals would be tiled.

And so with that for item 40, staff recommends approval of application PL22-0217, the district at Crystal Springs, subject to the three conditions of approval is listed in the staff report, and I'm available for any questions.

Michelle, thank you.

I'm gonna go ahead and open up the public hearing.

Are there any uh persons who wish to speak on this issue?

Thank you, Mayor.

I have not received any requests to speak.

So thank you.

I'm gonna go ahead and close the public hearing.

And let me make a general comment on this.

The adult living I want to thank uh Ken Choppa and his team.

Um this was I got I I received a phone call probably nine months ago uh from Mira, which is the company that's building this.

And I was aware of their work in surprise and then what was happening in Goodyear.

I asked uh Ken.

Uh Ken got in contact with the team from Mira, and um we're this is where we're at today.

So there's times where you wonder, okay, how long does this process take?

And this took almost not quite a year, Ken, but close.

So um I think the reputation of Avondale is getting out there, and I just wanted to put that out there that um Ken's team did an incredible job on bringing this forth.

So I do want to go down the line and see if there's any comments on this development.

Tina, any comments?

Yes, thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Michelle, for your presentation.

I have a lot of comments or questions.

So do you want me to go first?

I do.

I'm gonna ask uh Carolyn, are you uh speaking for everyone?

Do you mind coming down to the first row just in case we need you?

Hi, Carolyn.

Well, first of all, I just want to say that we needed a 55 plus community in Avondale.

I have someone uh a couple years ago that lived in Avondale for many, many years, and she told me I would she needed to move, she needed to downsize, and she said I would move to Avondale, but there's no place for me to go that's 55 plus.

So she moved to a neighboring city.

So I'm really glad to see the active adult community here.

Um I did have an opportunity to drive by the Mira in Goodyear.

And you know, one of the concerns for me was the reduction in parking.

And I don't know why you guys 55 and plus don't drive, or like why is there such a significant reduction in parking for 55 plus community?

And I don't think I like the way you said you people 55 and plus.

I'm gonna be 55.

I'm gonna be I'm gonna be sure you mean by that.

I meant me people, because I'll be 55.

Yeah.

I can still drive.

I just want you to know.

I was a little offended by that.

I was like, well.

Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members, great to be back before you.

Happy summer, Carolyn Oberholzer with Bergenfrake Smolly and Oberholtzer 4343's Camel back here on behalf of yes, this anxious team of people in the audience from Encompass Health, um, Sparrow, which is Mira, and Fife Field Development is partially here.

They're watching online.

They got their flights got canceled out of Chicago this morning.

And as well as our consultant team.

So uh on the parking.

So we submitted a parking study in support of our request to reduce the parking calculation to 1.25 uh cars per unit.

So how it works out in their communities, and they have a number of them to draw experience from, is that people when they downsize, they tend to share a vehicle.

Um their residents can obtain more parking spaces, and there are uh if you noticed at the Goodyear project, there are garages.

Yep, but they um just tend to have fewer vehicles and there's also fewer bedrooms.

Uh the bedroom count is vastly one bedrooms in these communities.

So there's it's not a high population.

And so um the parking study was submitted by a traffic engineer reviewed by staff, and they were comfortable with it, and I think with the experience um brought in these other projects, uh, and and they lease up fast, they're full, so it's not as though these are partially occupied projects.

Um their surprise project is uh almost full, their Goodyear projects almost full, having only been open for just over a year.

Their Chandler project is their clubhouse isn't even open yet, and they're already like at 42% occupancy.

So they know um how their communities live and have tailored this to provide for sufficient parking because tenants get frustrated if there's not a space for them to park.

So they are responding to tenant feedback, but also it allows them to maximize the outdoor spaces and the um the um the living experience, and they do like to be in these compact communities with access to health care in restaurants because in these communities they don't provide any services, they provide a lot of opportunity for their residents to interact, but there isn't a restaurant, there aren't medical facilities, so they're leaving to go do those things still.

Um so there is a ton of activity, and so you know, with that that that request of 1.25 spaces comes with that body of experience, the tenant knowledge, wanting their tenants to be happy.

Um and so uh and our traffic engineers also here and their team is here if you have any other questions.

Um so in addition to those parkings, there'll be handicap and guest parking available besides that.

That's correct.

Okay.

That's inclusive.

Perfect.

And then um, so when I drove by there, there was people on their balconies, kind of just hanging out this morning, and I just thought that that was just a great for them to kind of just be outdoors on their balcony in their patio, and they had a a great pool area.

So I hope that it's gonna be similar to Goodyear with all the amenities that are um in that community.

Uh so that's all I have for that.

But I did have a question in regards to um so the townhomes.

So I know the townhomes are gonna be closest to McDowell Road.

And I had a question because I talked to staff and I really wanted for me, it's important for it to be aesthetically pleasing from McDowell.

So as you're driving down McDowell, you know, I want to make sure that we have a wall, that we have trees, that it's not so cookie-cuttered, that it's aesthetically pleasing for the community.

Um and I was concerned about the setback, so I just wanted just to confirm.

So will that setback be 25 feet from McDowell?

Uh yes, and uh Councilman Condi, there is also a staggered wall, and it's very heavily landscaped.

So although we were asking for a deviation on the setback, it's not a continuous plane of deviation.

Our site plan is in for second review right now.

So all the engineering and documents that you know show here in a pretty rendered picture are actually the documents that are in review with the city right now.

And you'll see that um the side view orientation of the townhomes, it's not a long run, but you there's gonna be a lot of landscaping and a lot of building views and their four-sided architecture.

The front doors, if you can see um in in perspective one, the front doors are on the side.

So you might be thinking, well, what am I looking at on the side?

You're actually looking at the architecture on the side.

So um there is going to be a nice residential appearance from the street.

Okay.

And then also um, I know we're gonna be doing some street improvements, correct?

So sidewalks uh on Avendale Boulevard, which I'm very thankful for because community members have expressed concerns with um people the students that attend West Point High School, which is just north of Encanto, that live on south of the 10, having to walk, and there's no sidewalk and Dirk Road.

So that will be a welcomed addition to have those sidewalks there for the community.

But I just wanted to say thank you, Carolyn, um for your communication with staff and always getting the documents that we need and being ahead.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, I was just saying to Councilmember Solario, the fact that you know how to operate our system to go back and forth is great.

Oh, Councilman Malone.

She's at home.

Thank you for the presentation, Michelle.

Um thank you, Carolyn, for taking my phone call and ask answering my questions.

Um I did have a couple of questions on the parking, but staff has um sent me a message and told me about why we reduced it and how that worked, and then your explanation is perfect.

Um the one question I did have is we're gonna have uh my understanding is we're gonna have one, two, two additional signal lights on 117th Avenue and one on like 115th Avenue.

What is the what's the distance between them?

Because then we have one on 119th Avenue.

That's kind of concerning.

And when do we plan to put those signals in in um on on these entries?

Hi, Eric.

Uh good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council.

Um so the question is uh, as I understand it, what's the distance between the signals?

So from uh starting at Avondale Boulevard to the first signal um, which is uh right across from um Avondale Connect on the north.

That's a private access to the south.

And that signal is about 660 feet, so that's uh uh an eighth of a mile.

And then from there, from that new uh signal intersection to the uh further to the west of McDowell, it's another uh I want to say eight hundred and fifty feet.

And so it's just a little over a quarter mile from 117th Avenue to Avondale Boulevard.

Now the standard throughout the industry is a quarter mile between intersections.

In fact, uh the city of Goodyear is very strict about that if you uh pass through Goodyear.

Now in in the City of Avondale, we actually have allowances in that, like for instance, um 103rd Avenue and Park 10 on the same uh street are the uh one eighth of a mile in between each other.

Uh the thing that's different about uh us is we have this um advanced technology with our traffic signal equipment.

And so that allows us to actually synchronize signals to uh time them appropriately so that we have um on the arterial collectors, we have a uh a steady stream of traffic flow.

And so even though they are close to each other, we can um time them so that we can allow access to and from these sites as well as uh keep the flows going on the arterial collectors.

Perfect.

When do we expect to have uh the 117th one go in?

I know I I understand the one closest to Avondal Boulevard um because it's gonna connect with the the um new development across the street.

So I could see that going in.

But on 117th Avenue, when do we kind of anticipate that one going in?

Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members.

That is uh yet to be seen.

So the way we've stipulated it is that if it's warranted when the site opens.

And so there's a couple things that could happen here, and you know uh it's really hard to predict human nature, but the if the signal on the um the private drive uh between the apartments and the townhomes, if that's everyone's favorite, it may not be warranted on 117th.

But at this point, we're thinking it's gonna be um a 50 to 50 split.

And so until we see that, we can't make the decision.

Do we like traffic studies and whatnot?

And so once it's built out, we'll assess that.

And if uh if it's warranted, then we'll go through the mechanisms established with the developer to have that constructed.

Perfect.

I did drive by the site because I wanted to make sure that 117th Avenue, when we're coming out, um you're able to make a uh right-hand turn.

So we do have that already in place, so they can either go left or right, and it's not just one lane.

So that's good.

So thank you.

I appreciate it.

No other questions.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember White.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Thank you, Michelle.

Thank you so much for being here as well for us.

I'm just taking a look at the signals.

That was my concern as well.

Um I know that there's like maybe bots dots further um west on McDowell when you uh have the transition at the next stop light that's newer down there.

Um I was just wondering, is that something that we're thinking about for the additional traffic signal on 117th Avenue?

Because I think a lot of times people aren't slowing enough in that area, even though it goes from like 40 to 35.

I know there's a school not too far, West Points, not far from there and that new storage facility.

So I I guess I'm just concerned that it's gonna be a lot of traffic on 117th.

So if that's gonna be based on a study, what are we gonna do to have traffic slow so those people can exit and and enter there?

Because I've I've had to come out of 117th a lot.

My mom used to live right there on the back of that area, so um, I'm just concerned with that traffic.

Thank you.

Mayor and Vice Mayor and Council members.

I don't think I quite understand your question.

Is there a way to slow the traffic without a traffic signal until we have a need for a study?

I know there's bots dots, though the slowing dots on the road.

I I don't know what the right name is for them, but there's that feature as you come from Friendship Park going west and as you're going east.

I know what you're saying.

If you're coming east on McDowell Road, and you're going by the signal right there of what 1190?

It does.

It goes from 40 to 35, and even before even by Friendship Park, but you have people who are going 50 miles an hour at least.

So I think as we're adding development on both sides of the road, and traffic signal on 117th may not be in the immediate plans.

What is our mitigation or traffic out?

Is it lowering the speed or have we not gotten that to that?

Mayor and Vice Mayor and Council, thank you for um clarifying that question.

So this uh corridor there was a speech study conducted on this uh over five years ago.

Since then it's developed.

And so one of the our tasks this next year is to reanalyze this corridor for um what an appropriate speed limit is.

And so that is one of the features that is probably our our primary.

Uh and then secondary would be um signage and maybe other um radar feedback signs and things like that if we need uh greater compliance.

But I think our first measure uh uh in our commitment from the engineering department is to re-analyze that corridor uh just because it's developed as much as it has.

Thank you.

You're good next.

Curtis any comments?

Yeah, I think we need to get Chief Memo out there with some spikes to throw them on the road if they can slow it down.

You can slow them down.

These people just got nervous again.

Yeah, you said I don't know.

Just made Ron very nervous.

Like, oh, wait a minute.

I need to clarify the record.

All right, that is not what we use them for.

Poor Caroline's gonna be.

They're coming in hot clients after this.

Are the town homes rental homes, or are they going to be purchased uh will they be available for purchase if need be in the future, or is that you know, is it rental?

Mayor, vice mayor, council members.

Um yes, the question always is are we renting or are we owning?

So the way that this is structured is um it's all going to be on one owned parcel.

So because of that, that makes it multifamily.

All the townhomes will be on one property versus subdivided.

That is not to say that at some future date, and this is the case with just about any multifamily, um, that they couldn't be converted to a condo plat easily.

It could be subdivided later, but it was probably twelve or so years ago.

Um I was doing a lot of work converting what had been a lot of units on one parcel to a condo plat.

And so the current developer um who's going to build this is building it for ownership entirely as them managing out as a rental community.

That does not preclude that from changing in the future.

But the zoning, the zoning is either it's a lot of homes on one parcel or it's one home per one parcel.

When it's the the former, it makes it multifamily, and so that is the structure here for this from our from a zoning standpoint.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

I think that's all I've got, Mayor.

Laurie, any comments.

Uh Michelle, thank you for the presentation, as well as uh Carolyn.

Good to see you again.

I know that I'm always comfortable when you come in and you share the information because you have all your ducks in a row and everybody's here.

And thank you to the applicant for bringing something like this to Avondale.

Because I I'm gonna share with you guys that right after COVID and things started opening again.

Sometimes you want to go out and see things.

So I actually went to go see an adult.

I'm a little bit further from that age, but um I went to go see a community.

Um Robson Ranch.

Oh, yeah.

And I sat down and I took my folks with me.

And I was like seriously like convincing them to go there because you need places like this to for folks.

It's like it's like the Disneyland of seniors, and you know, and and then you just don't you can do different activities, you know, you're involved.

I'm like, I mean, I know on the other spectrum, I went with Councilmember Malone.

We went to go see an assisted living place.

No, but you know, the living spaces, and I'm like, this is cool.

They should start doing this for young folks and putting the money for the future to do these things.

And you know, these people are involved, they're talking about doing sports.

And after sitting in that presentation from Robson Ranch, I was sold I was ready to move in.

I mean, I'm not the right age, but if still, you know, so thank you for bringing something like this because we need it.

Well, and I'll just s say because I've been touring these.

I I right I asked them for a tour before um we came here tonight so I could answer the questions about it.

We did actually bring staff on the tour.

And it sounds like the New Year's Eve party at the Goodyear Mira was like off the charts.

Like and these residents do interact, and they and what um I heard from Goodyear and Surprise is they're very engaged with the chambers of commerce, they support local businesses.

They they bring it in there, they are active adults.

I went on a barbecue weekend, and I'm telling you, I'm like, can I be someone's grandkid, someone's niece, nephew, something, because it was really cool to see that environment.

Yeah, agree.

There are liver spots popping on my hand right now from your comments.

Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um a lot's been said, so I don't want to um relabel this any more than it has to be.

Uh I'm just really excited for the active adult components of this.

You know, one of the things that I think we've talked about for the last 12, maybe even longer months is uh is just how diverse um our product needs to be.

Um and even though uh we're I would like to pull back on some multifamily, this one truly makes sense in regards to that component that we do not have and which is active adults um living.

Also considering it's part of the um medical corridor, uh would uh makes a lot of sense to me.

And just to kind of beef up again the product that we have to offer um and then the size and the scope of this project.

My one ask, and it's I'm just throwing it out there because I might as well is along the perimeter of this project.

I would and I know um you know, costs are are are significant to putting in palm trees, but I would love to see palm trees now and some of our development as opposed to the Palo Verdes that make a lot of um uh you know mess for uh to be kind.

Um and so if that's a potential, I would love to see that.

Uh if not understood, but some mature palm trees to kind of go in line with Avondrill Boulevard and the palm trees that we installed there further south towards Friendship Park to just kind of make it look uh like a nice um capstone to that corner.

So mayor and vice mayor, um council members, the uh site plans have been submitted for both of these, they're f fully landscaped.

I'll have to look at what the tree species is.

I'm let Jen is yeah, like not yeah, right, no.

So I'll have to look and see if palm trees are in there and if not, if they can be incorporated.

Um at the corners.

Right.

Yeah, and and they're uh the final design is is not in uh in any way, shape or form on the Avondale Boulevard frontage, the commercial parcels.

So as those come in, um, which that would give you your continuity of theming, we'll certainly be able to focus on that there.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

So I'm gonna have an ask also.

Uh oh.

No, don't say uh-oh, what is that?

Um I love this project.

I I have I have some concerns.

I I had some concerns about the density of the townhomes, and you know we always push for purchase as entry-level homes for people who just may not have the ability to get into a single family.

But I love the look of this.

I love what we're trying to do here.

Uh Mira, great product.

I'm glad to see this come to fruition.

Um having another hospital in Avondale is huge to us.

I would ask for the commercial corners as you move forward with this and you're looking at tenants and and what the market supports.

You know, one of the things that sold me on this was the higher level of incomes for the people who are going to rent at Mira.

The people who are gonna rent at the townhomes.

You have Avondale Boulevard that's gonna have 2,000 units on there with a higher level of income for the people who live there.

For me, parcel B and is it parcel?

It's covered up by townhome secondary entry C.

I would love to have some restaurants that we don't have in Avondale, and even if it's locally owned, I know and I know Sam Fox isn't gonna build an Avondale.

I get what he does.

But I think there's other purveyors out there who may not know Avondale, may not understand Avondale.

But this project, I would just I would just like that promise that you're gonna look not you, your clients.

I'm looking at you.

Your clients are gonna look seriously at bringing in purveyors who may not have a presence in the Southwest Valley, but this development might help them to to come here.

So the gentleman in the green shirt is nodding at me.

I'm happy with that.

So that's Robert McGeorge, Stotz Farms.

Okay, he's for the record.

So any other questions for Carolyn?

Tina?

Thank you, Mayor.

One last question.

Carolyn, are we looking to put a pedestrian gate on the corner of 117th and McDowell Road?

Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members.

I do not know the answer if that is in the site plan.

That is not there's not a site, uh a gate within there.

However, it is a gated project.

So the main gate out onto 117th is where you see that blue arrow.

That is the gated sidewalk.

So that is where the pedestrian access out to 117th would occur.

And then you can get out to McDowell and Avondale through the other secondary entry.

That's where we're channeling all of the pedestrian through the project is from those two points.

It won't be open out to McDowell.

Thank you.

That being said, can I get a motion on this item, please?

And Carolyn, do you mind forwarding it to the motion part?

Thank you.

I have a motion from Councilmember Nielsen.

A second from Councilmember White and Marcel, just be sure I close the public hearing, correct?

Yes, Mayor.

Right.

Motion from Councilmember Nielsen, a second from Councilmember White.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

It passes 7-0.

Let me say, and I think you heard it from council.

Well, but while we're a unique council, thank you so much for investing in our city.

That's a huge deal for us.

Thank you so much.

Ron item Michelle, thank you for a great question.

Ron Item 4E, please.

Thank you.

Next you'll hear from Keith Falstrom, our assistant director of finance and budget.

Resolution setting the fiscal year 2024 primary and secondary property tax.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council.

This is the final step of the fiscal year 24 budget adoption.

So last council meeting on the fifth, there is a public hearing regarding the property tax levies.

The primary property tax levy in the amount of just over $3.7 million.

The secondary just over $4.8 million.

The combined property tax rate is $1.46 per $100 of net assessed valuation, which is less than the current rate for fiscal year 23.

This next slide gives a little bit of a history.

And with that, I am available for any questions.

We've seen the several times.

Are there any questions for Keith?

A reminder, this does require a roll call vote.

And there is no public hearing on this, so Marcella, um require a motion though.

Motion and a second.

Can I get a motion on this item, please?

I have a motion from Councilmember White, a second from our Vice Mayor.

Marcella, do you mind doing your voodoo?

Councilmember Conde.

Aye.

Councilmember Malone.

Aye.

Councilmember Nielsen.

Aye.

Councilmember Solario.

She stepped out.

I'm so sorry.

Councilmember White?

Vice Mayor Paneda.

Aye.

Mayor Weiss.

Aye.

Passes 60.

I'll put the Council Mr.

Solario stepped out for the vote.

Thank you.

60.

Thank you.

Ron, next next item, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Next we have a Norton's update, uh, Avondale City Code Amendment, Chapter 23 relating to the parking of trucks and trailers, presented by Chief Nanegie, Chief of Public Safety, and I believe our police chief is in attendance as well.

Thank you, Mr.

Corbin.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council.

We're here tonight to talk about our truck and trailer parking ordinance in Chapter 23.

If you remember, uh we provided an update or we had a work session back in uh April of this year where we discussed the current status of the ordinance.

Just kind of a uh summary of what's taken place over the years is that the last major revision of this ordinance was done back in 2007.

And in that uh presentation back in 2017, we we added uh a section in the ordinance where we had added uh the requirement of private property owners of retail, industrial office, and commercial establishments to post no parking signs for vehicles over the gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds.

Uh since that time, there's been two minor revisions.

We added uh exception for tow trucks that are under contract with the city for emergency services.

We created a permit system for them.

And also we allowed for uh the city manager to suspend enforcement of this section when there's designated special events.

So after the work session we had, we we had a team put together that included the police department, the planning uh department, as well as our city attorney's office where we reviewed the ordinance and some of the feedback we got that evening.

So the recommendation and modifications uh to the ordinance is um the recommendation to remove the requirement of the no parking signage for the retail industrial office and commercial establishments.

Um there are still several other codes that apply to enforcement of parking on private property, uh such as in the uh chapter 14 of the property maintenance code as well as several zoning ordinances that apply to that uh that situation.

The enforcement of that section was always been difficult for the police department to enforce.

Uh it also creates a burden for our businesses to uh have these signs made and put up, and it was always a challenge to work in that ordinance over the years.

Um the other recommendations include a permit process, as you will see in the ordinance that allows parking of semis and trailers on city streets that are in the vicinity of hotels and motels.

Uh this process is is created and worked through the uh police department through Chief Espinoza's office, and then they work with the city engineer to come up with designated spaces and a process by which they look at the situation and come up with recommendations to actually approve the permit or not.

Um if there's disagreements as to whether we approve or disapprove um the permit, there is an appeal process by which the businesses can appeal through the city clerk's office that eventually goes through the city manager's office for a decision.

One of the one of the uh situations we heard in the work session was the situation involving the possibility of semis disconnecting from their trailers and parking them in areas where you could have semis parking on the street.

So we really kind of created a section which specifically designated um that this could not be done in the situations that involve when it is permitted, what has to be followed.

So it really reinforced that section where trailers cannot be parked on city streets and disconnected from the semi-tractors.

Through through this process, the one thing this ordinance does do is that uh the you know the parking of oversight vehicles and trailers on city streets is is still not allowed.

So we did not change that.

It does not change the idling ordinance that we have in there for large trucks when they're on private property, the five-minute rule that they can they can idle after that, they are not permitted anywhere in the city in any parking lot.

And it still maintains the restriction of uh using parking lots for the temporary or permanent uh habitation in the lot.

So the staff recommends these changes and uh and amendments to the ordinance of chapter 23, but I'll be happy to answer any comments or questions you have.

Chief, thank you for that.

I I I think the discussion we had in April was a pretty lively discussion and an open and honest conversation.

Um I think it also shows the impact that people who are affected by our ordinances can have on the change.

Consul Marshalario.

Um I also appreciate the comments of people not being allowed to drop a trailer.

I uh we've talked about Fairway Drive and what that looks like down there.

I think it's an awful look.

I think it uh for me I I've never been a big fan of that.

But I think this for me walks that line of being fair but still having the city's interest at heart.

I guess I'm curious is if council decides that this is the way they want to go.

Um, you know, we always look at race weekend coming up.

We have race weekend in November.

How would the change go out to the uh race drivers, not the race drivers, but the haulers and everything else?

How do we get this message out to is it through the hotels?

Is it through Phoenix Raceway?

Is it through other ways?

Because the truckers aren't going to go look at our website, they're not going to look at RAVE, they're not going to go look at those things that we may post.

How do we get the information out?

Uh, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council.

As it works out through the race time, usually they they congregate in that area of our hotels.

So they've always been allowed to do that once we change the ordinance to allow the city manager to suspend enforcement of Chapter 23.

The the changes in this ordinance are really for those times outside the race.

I know the hotels are very proactive with NASCAR in the race.

Uh I think that information will be out there through our hotels and either our economic development, however, we can get that out.

But they've always been allowed to do that.

The city manager has always suspended the enforcement for that special event.

So it's it's more of parking in that area outside race time.

And I would ask, and maybe maybe Pierre and Ken's team can work on something that goes out that is just an official city letter that said per council ordinance, da.

This is the changes made to the parking ordinance, and then uh maybe police officers have that as they go out to the businesses.

I'd look at more of the industrial areas memo as officers are driving through there and they just see a driver and they're like, hey, by the way, did you know this?

So I would I would our best friend is getting the information out.

So are there any comments on this?

I'm assuming there are Tina anything, Veronica, anything, Mike, Max, Glory.

Do you want to have any comments on this?

This is kind of you were the loudest voice on this in a good way, but you were the loudest voice.

Thank you for um the what you have here uh you're presenting to us.

Um I personally I know that in the area where I work for my day job, this will be hugely appreciated.

And we definitely in the past have I I know that we did that um based on to the city manager's office for the race weekend, which is really helpful because I can't imagine having to enforce something that's not there for a race weekend because those people are definitely there with the haulers.

But I can tell you that at least in your hotel corridor, it will be much easier to manage folks that have come in and you know don't have to really worry about that.

I just had a gentleman say his truck.

I I worked on Saturday, I had a gentleman say that his truck broke down over um coming into Buckeye, and he had to have a tire changed.

And he said something about like a piece of like the hubcap or something broke on it too, and something and his truck was breaking down.

He's a smart and final worker coming from California.

He ended up at one of the truck stops up here.

They gave him a ride to the hotel, but they delivered his truck to him, and he's like, it's nice having this because I feel like my truck is secure because he goes, You have these hotels that are here in this tiny little street, so I don't mind staying here.

So it's nice to hear those things, and it'll be nicer to have that permit in place so that we don't just have people that drop a trailer or people that just park there to park there, and they don't they're not using the hotel amenities, they're just staying in their trailer.

So I can definitely tell you personally, I'm super excited.

I don't have to fight that battle anymore, but I can tell you that other businesses will be just as happy.

Uh that being said, would you like to make the motion?

Sure.

Yeah.

Well what would happen there?

I don't know.

How did Oh, there we go.

We have a motion from Councilmember Solario, a second from Councilmember Condi.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Oh, this is 7-0.

Gentlemen, thank you for that.

Yeah, look what can I get in motion to uh adjourn to executive session?

I have a motion from Councilmember White, a second from Councilmember Malone.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Linking yourself 7-0.

Thank you, folks.

Everyone, if you're not with executive, thank you for being here tonight, and please drive safely.

We are coming back out for the last item.

I'd like to reconvene the regular session.

Marcel, do you mind doing roll call?

Councilmember Condi.

Councilmember Malone.

Councilmember Nielsen.

Councilmember Solario.

Councilmember White?

Here.

Vice Mayor Paneda.

Mayor Weiss.

Here.

Uh item 4H.

Can I get a motion to improve an increase in the salaries of the city manager, city attorney, and city auditor equal to the percentage increase approved for all unrepresented employees?

I have a motion from Councilmember White, a second from Councilmember Malone.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

I say yes, I don't have any buttons on my buttons.

Can you just can you just there you go?

Can you let's try it?

Passes 7-0.

Congratulations, everyone who got a raise.

Awesome.

Um can I get a motion to adjourn?

I have a motion from Councilmember Malone, a second from Councilmember Conde.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none.

Oh you got it?

All right.

Passes 7 0.

We are adjourned.