By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
The Glendale Planning Commission has recommended approval for a rezoning request from Dignity Health to amend the planned area development zoning for 32 acres the company owns at the NWC of 99th and Myrtle avenues—to better facilitate healthcare-related development on the site.
There were no votes against the measure in the March 27 hearing, and the request will now go to City Council for consideration.
The initial Desert River PAD rezoning was implemented in 2008, changing the land entitlement for 110 acres from agricultural to PAD. There is currently a 67.5KSF hospital/medical office building on the property: Dignity Westgate Medical Center. The requested PAD rezoning covers parcels C-F of the overall site, according to the City staff report.
The report says, “The Desert River Land Use Master Plan designates the property for both Mixed-Use/Commercial and Office/Employment land uses. The existing medical building was erected in 2013 and was extended in 2016. The medical complex is approximately 67,470 square feet in building area. The existing Dignity Westgate Medical Center is a facility that offers many services, including surgical, orthopedics, and emergency room/services.”
It goes on to say, “The intent of the request is to establish a new PAD to reaffirm the existing medical land uses that were previously allowed as analogous to those land uses permitted in the Desert River PAD. The intent of the PAD is also to continue the focus of site development towards medical services by providing a broader range of healthcare/medical uses as part of the site entitlements including rehabilitation hospital, ambulatory surgery centers and behavioral health facilities. The request will provide more flexibility to the site development standards to accommodate potential future expansions of the medical campus.”
The revision will also allow Dignity to better align development of the site by consolidating the Desert River PAD into a single, cohesive document to serve its plans for the property. The original Desert River PAD allowed for and envisioned medical uses such as medical and dental offices, lab space and urgent care facilities. The narrative and presentation argued the revision request is in keeping with the original development vision.
While no specific development documents have been prepared yet, according to the project narrative, the supporting uses Dignity envisions include the addition of a rehabilitation hospital to provide focused care for patients recovering from illness or injuries, ambulatory surgerycenters for same-day procedures, and a behavioral health facility for the treatment of mental illness and substance abuse disorders.
Future uses will be developed according to market demand.
Surrounding uses include multifamily residences, general office, and vacant land planned for development with senior living, hotel, retail and commercial uses. Staff reported no statements of resident opposition either during the notification period or in advance of the Commission meeting.
A City Council hearing date had not been announced as of press time. Common Spirit Health, an entity created by the 2019 merger of Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives, is the owner. The proposal was represented by Gammage & Burnham, PLC.
