By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
A mostly vacant 3.4-acre infill site near the NEC of 67th Avenue and Paradise Lane in Glendale could soon become a 57-unit specialized apartment community catering to the intellectually or developmentally disabled.
The non-profit One Step Beyond, Inc. is requesting a minor General Plan amendment and rezoning to enable construction of Nikki’s Next Step.
The project narrative’s introduction says, “One Step Beyond, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Arizona nonprofit corporation founded in 2003 with a mission to provide dynamic programs to individuals who have intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families so they may achieve full participation in their community. For most adults, the choice to move out and live on one’s own is a natural progression toward independence. Choice, especially in the realm of safe housing that meets their needs, is rarely an option for people with IDD. Barriers to housing options for people with disabilities include affordability, lack of options, complex support systems, and the aging population of parents and caregivers.”
IDD is the abbreviation for “intellectual or developmental disabilities.”
According to the submitted narrative, “The General Plan Amendment requests to change the current future land use designation of the Property from ‘Medium-High Density Residential: 8.0 – 12.0 Dwelling Units per Acre’ to ‘High Density Residential 12.0 – 20.0 Dwelling Units per Acre.’ The rezoning request seeks to rezone the Property from Single Residence (‘R1-6’) to Planned Area Development (‘PAD’) to support the development of the Project. The General Plan Amendment and rezoning application will allow the Project to be able to meet the needs of individuals with IDD, while also complementing the surrounding neighborhood.”
The property currently has one single-family residence and minor outbuildings, which makes it an infill site in the context of the surrounding neighborhood. A Foundation for Senior Living/AllThrive 365 senior adult daycare is situated to the west. To the west lies a recently built 27-unit multifamily property. There are four single-family homes to the north and two mobile homes to the south.
According to the conceptual site plan, the unit mix calls for 10 one-bedroom, 39 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom apartments. The 57-unit total is calculated to ensure Nikki’s Next Step financially justifies the development and construction costs and is large enough to provide a “community within a community” for its IDD residents. The plan includes both for-sale and for-rent units.
Planned amenities include a community garden, a dog run and a community building space for classes, recreation and events. The site plan also shows a putting green, outdoor seating areas and smaller garden spaces.
The community is planned with single-story buildings on the north side and two-story buildings on the other three. Maximum height will be 30 feet. The single-story plan for the north side is intended to maximize conformity with the neighboring single-family dwellings. Enhanced landscaping is also planned to create an additional buffering component.
A neighborhood meeting was held at the AllThrive 365 center in late September. A total of 636 notices were sent, with four residents choosing to attend. Questions and comments were generally supportive, including comments that the project is well-designed and will be an improvement for the area. Another said it will complement AllThrive 365’s services well.
OSBI is the owner. The architect is Alan M. Kravitz. AFORA Design is the landscape planner. CivTech is the traffic engineer, and Snell & Wilmer, LLP is the law firm representing the project. The requests are scheduled to go before the Glendale Planning Commission on Feb. 26. Staff has recommended approval.
