By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
The Phoenix City Council is set to consider rezoning 12.4 acres at 19th and Montebello avenues, adding momentum to an ongoing effort to generate transit-oriented redevelopment near the expanded light rail.
In a request scheduled to be heard Nov. 6, the City of Phoenix Public Transit Department is seeking to rezone the property at the SEC of the intersection from Intermediate Commercial, Interim Transit-Oriented Zoning Overlay District One to Walkable Urban Code, Transect 5:6 District, Transit Solano Character Area to allow for mixed-use, commercial and residential redevelopment.
According to the staff report, “The site is owned by the City of Phoenix and contains a park and ride and bus transit facilities. Once the site is rezoned, the City of Phoenix will issue a Request for Proposal that will enable the site to be redeveloped in accordance with the Walkable Urban Code zoning district standards and supporting stipulations.”
Staff has determined the proposal is consistent with the General Plan land use map for the area. Surrounding uses include commercial and a mixture of residential uses.
The report details several goals and guidelines for the property, which sits approximately 130 feet from the Montebello Avenue/19th Avenue light rail station. Staff specifically recommended a stipulation requiring “a vertical mix of land uses and a minimum of 5KSF of nonresidential uses adjacent to the street frontage.”
As part of the TOD policy plan for the Solano area, staff also looked at housing, health and safety, and green systems elements as part of the considerations. The Solano area—bounded by Bethany Home and Camelback roads to the north and south and 15th and 19th avenues to the east and west—has been determined to need 2,328 new housing units by 2035.
Staff attached 24 stipulations to its recommendation of approval. These include:
- A maximum height of 56 feet. A variance to allow up to 80 feet is possible if the final plan includes designating at least 30% of the housing units as affordable;
- The inclusion of storefront, gallery or arcade frontage types in specific portions of the development;
- Bicycle infrastructure, including a repair area;
- Providing electric vehicle charging infrastructure in at least 5% of parking spaces;
- Shading for at least 25% of parking spaces, and
- Retention of the transit center at the north end of the property.
Once the rezoning is in place, the City will issue a request for proposals to find a developer to build out the site under Walkable Urban Code requirements and the associated stipulations.
New Plan Part of a Long Focus of Efforts
Redevelopment and revitalization of the region around the Northwest Extension of the light rail have been goals for both the City and private developers for years.
Those results had been largely individual projects generating mixed results for several years until the redevelopment of the Metrocenter Mall site moved from vision to reality and the light rail was extended first to 19th and Dunlap avenues and then to Metrocenter.
The greater Metrocenter area between 35th and 15th avenues has been particularly active, including a proposal very similar to the current request. Following initial activity in April and May of this year, Council approved a rezoning and General Plan amendment request for 12.37 acres of City-owned property at 19th and Dunlap avenues with the intent to transform an existing park & ride location “into a walkable urban mixed-use development focused on multifamily residential.” (AZBEX; May 30)
Those requests were approved in July. As with the Montebello request, the next expected step is for the City to issue a request for proposals for the site’s redevelopment.
