Tempe Board of Adjustment Regular Meeting – June 22, 2022
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Tempe Board of Adjustment Regular Meeting – June 22, 2022
The Tempe Board of Adjustment met on June 22, 2022, to consider two agenda items: postponement of the July 28, 2021 meeting minutes due to insufficient board attendance, and a variance request from the City of Scottsdale for a building height increase from 35 feet to 50 feet at the Thomas A. Hontz Police and Fire Training Facility located at 911 North Stadem Drive. The board unanimously approved the variance after hearing presentations from the applicant and staff.
Minutes
- Consideration of Meeting Minutes (July 28, 2021): The board could not proceed with approval because not enough members who attended that meeting were present. A motion to postpone the minutes to the next scheduled meeting (July 2022) was made, seconded, and passed unanimously (4-0).
Discussion Items
- Variance Request (PL220066): The applicant, Steve Fucello of Fucello Architects, representing the City of Scottsdale, requested a 15-foot height variance (from 35 ft to 50 ft) for a new fire training academy building and two fire training prop structures. The primary need for additional height was for railings, rappelling bars, and mechanical equipment screening that could not be accommodated within the existing height limit. The existing site has 30-year-old training facilities, and the new structures are needed to train first responders on taller buildings (up to 60 feet) being built in Tempe and Scottsdale. The site is in a General Industrial district and is adjacent to SRP power lines (approx. 50 ft tall), a freeway, and the Indian Bend Wash. Staff (Diane Kamitsky, Senior Planner) presented the variance criteria, noting the property's unique conditions (shape, topography, adjacent uses) and that the variance does not grant special privileges because it is needed for public safety training. The applicant noted a neighborhood meeting on May 11 with no attendees and no public comments. Board members questioned the precedent for granting variances, the availability of Planned Area Development (PAD) as an alternative, and the relationship with Tempe Fire (which uses the facility for training). The board discussed that the variance does not create a special privilege because it serves a critical public safety need and is not self-imposed; the circumstances (freeway, substation, topography) are inherent to the site.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Approve Variance (PL220066): The board voted unanimously (7-0) to approve the request for a 15-foot building height increase (from 35 to 50 feet) for the Thomas A. Hontz Police and Fire Training Facility, subject to staff recommended conditions. The motion was made by a board member and seconded, with all present members voting aye. The approval covers all structures on site, including the new fire training academy (needs 2.5 ft for mechanical screening) and two fire training props (FTS 6 and 7) that require railings and rappelling bars above 35 ft.
- Meeting Adjourned: Following the vote, the meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent.
Meeting Transcript
So this is the Board of Adjustments regular meeting for Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022. And I'm going to read the preamble. Welcome to the City of Tempe Board of Adjustments meeting. The City of Tempe Board of Adjustments is authorized by the Arizona Revised Statute and the City of Tempe Zoning Ordinance. This function is to grant relief where a literal enforcement of the zoning ordinance would result in an unnecessary property hardship to interpret provisions of the zoning ordinance or variances and to hear appeals from any person or city official aggrieved the decision of a person responsible for the enforcement of the zoning ordinance or zoning ordinance, administrator, and hearing officer abatements. The board has the City of Tempe Community Development Staff Summary Report on the item being considered at this meeting, and will use this report in their deliberations. All applicants and interested citizens when request is called or when you wish to address the board, please make sure you fill out the citizens' request forms. Then step to the microphone and state your name and city of residence. Please submit the form to a staff member before you begin speaking at the microphone. Right now I'd like to do staff introductions. First, we have Jeff Tamlovich, Director of Community Development. Steve Abramson, Principal Planner. Diane Kamitsky, Senior Planner, Joanna Barry, administrative assistant assistant. And now we'll do a roll call to announce the board members that are present. Jack Confur is present. Richard Watson. Brett Siegel. And Ron Kegis present. And I'm Jim Frazy, acting chairperson. So our the first item on the agenda was to be the consideration of the meeting minutes for the study session and formal meeting for July 28th, 2021. But since we do not have enough board members present that actually attended that meeting either live or by WebEx, uh we're going to vote to move those minutes until the next meeting, which should be the end of July 2022. Correct. Mr. Chairman, would you like me to make a motion to that effect? I would, thank you. I'd like to move that the minutes from our last meeting, which was July 23rd, 2021, be postponed until the next uh scheduled adjustment board of adjustment meeting. I'll second. Any discussions, questions? All in favor? Say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Motion passes. So the next item on the agenda, item number two is a request for a variance for a building height increase from 15 feet for the allowed 35 feet to 50 feet for the city of Scottsdale, Thomas A. Honz Police and Fire Training Facility, which is located at 911 North Statham Drive. The applicant is Steve Frasillo with Frasillo Architects. And we have that as uh I believe planning case 22066. Good evening. My name is Steve Fasello, Fusello Architects. Also joining me is assistant fire chief Ryan Freeberg with City of Scottsdale, as well as uh Nate Kroll, who's there. I think your microphones on my microphone. Yeah, it should be. Is it okay? Is that okay? Does it working now? Okay, it's local close. Thank you. So I'll start over.
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