New Auto Dealership Proposed for Phoenix

By Tasha Anderson for AZBEX 
Withey Morris, PLC, on behalf of owner, Howard A. Keyes with Keyes Automotive, recently submitted plans to the City of phoenix for the development of a new automotive dealership to be located just north of the NEC of 21st Avenue and Bell Road. 
The 2.15-acre site is currently zoned R-5 for multifamily residential. The California-based auto dealer wishes to rezone the property to C-2 for intermediate commercial and is requesting a Special Use Permit to allow for automobile sales. 
The 21st Avenue and Bell Road Automotive Dealership is proposed to be approximately 63.5KSF and will include a new showroom/sales building, parts storage area, service shop and car wash tunnel. The site currently houses a 2.8KSF structure that will be demolished to make way for this development. 
The proposed dealership will be a single-story building with a maximum height of 29.6 feet and is proposed to include, “a variety of materials including masonry, corrugated metal panels, aluminum composite metal panels, and roll-up garage doors,” according to the city staff report. A stipulation has also been added to the documents to ensure the use of a mix of materials and architectural embellishments. 
Vehicular access to the site will be from 21st Avenue as well as Bell Road. The dealership will include a total of 700 parking spaces including employee parking on site. According to the project documents, “there will be enhanced landscaping along the northern property boundary and throughout the parking areas to act as a buffer to the existing single-family residential homes to the north.” 
The project is set to go before the City of Phoenix Deer Valley Village Planning Committee meeting on June 18th. It will then go to the Phoenix Planning Commission meeting on August 6th. A date has not yet been set for City Council.