Planning and Zoning Commission

Jim Harris, Chair Lake Havasu City Tiffany Wilson, Vice Chair Council Chambers Suzannah Ballard 92 Acoma Boulevard South Joan Dzuro Lake Havasu City, Arizona Paul Lehr 86403 Gabriele Medley www.lhcaz.gov JP Thornton Phil Annett, Alternate Mary Costa, Alternate Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting Lonnie Stevenson, Alternate Minutes - Final Wednesday, December 18, 2024 9:00 AM 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Harris called the meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chair Harris led the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Present: 7- Suzannah Ballard, Joan Dzuro, Paul Lehr, Jim Harris, Mary Costa, JP Thornton and Phil Annett Absent: 3- Tiffany Wilson, Lonnie Stevenson and Gabriele Medley With two vacancies, Alternate Commissioners Costa and Annett took a seat at the dais. 4. CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Planning Division Manager Chris Gilbert noted City Council approved the Development Code text amendments for protest petition calculations and zoning application time frames on December 10, 2024. 5. MINUTES ID 24-4586 Approval of the Minutes of the November 20, 2024, Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting (Shelby Hennigan) Commissioner Ballard moved to approve the Minutes of the November 20, 2024, Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting, seconded by Commissioner Thornton. The motion passed with the following vote: Aye: 7 - Ballard, Dzuro, Lehr, Harris, Costa, Thornton and Annett 6. PUBLIC HEARING Chair Harris provided an overview of the Public Hearing process. ID 24-4583 Request for a Rezone of Tract 2302, Block 1, Parcels A and C, 360 Lake Havasu City Page 1 Printed on 1/15/2025 Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes - Final December 18, 2024 Cypress Drive, 340 Mulberry Avenue and 1873 Walnut Drive, Approximately 21.4 Acres, from Single Family Residential District (R-1) to Public Lands and Facilities District (P-1) (Chris Gilbert) Mr. Gilbert stated this request is on behalf of the City and reviewed the Staff Report [displayed PowerPoint] highlighting the following: • The subject parcels are approximately 21 acres and owned by the City. • They are currently zoned Single Family Residential (R-1) District and are surrounded by R-1 uses. • Cypress Park is located to the north of the property. Mr. Gilbert explained the City is considered a full‐service City and provides a wide range of services that require public buildings and lands upon which these facilities can be placed and expanded as needed to continue serving the growing community. The Mulberry Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of these facilities and the need for a new water quality laboratory has been recognized and budgeted by the City Council. He stated a Zoning Map Amendment Rezone from R‐1 to Public Lands & Facilities (P‐1) District is necessary to help facilitate the needs of the City. This change will allow for the construction of a new water quality laboratory adjacent to the Mulberry Waste Treatment Plant and allow for future expansion as needs arise. Mr. Gilbert displayed the proposed Site Plan, noting the following: • The new building will be located on the north end of the site. It will permit the testing lab to move out of the existing building to the south. • A parking lot for the building and landscaping will be included. • The façade will incorporate a variety of elevation changes, materials, and colors to add interest to the project. Mr. Gilbert stated the rezone will allow the City to continue to use and develop the land to meet its needs and will also bring it into alignment with other City-owned properties that have been developed with public facilities. He concluded his presentation, noting Staff is available if there are questions specific to the treatment facility. Chair Harris opened the Public Hearing. Seeing no comments, he closed the Public Hearing. Commissioner Dzuro asked if the new laboratory will generate additional odors. Tim Kellett, Deputy Director of Public Works, explained the existing lab does not produce any odors and that will not change with the new facility. The new facility will have a state-of-the-art HVAC system. The wastewater treatment smells will be the only odor in Lake Havasu City Page 2 Printed on 1/15/2025 Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes - Final December 18, 2024 the area, but the City is actively working to mitigate odors. Commissioner Annett asked if there were any concerns expressed by the neighbors. Mr. Kellett explained there were no major concerns and they were able to answer most of the neighbors’ questions. Most were concerned about views being obstructed by a large building, but the architect was onsite and able to show that the building will actually sit lower than a house would, had that site been developed with a home. There was one question regarding the frequency of traffic. The lab itself does not see a high volume of daily traffic. Although it does contract work, traffic is limited to business hours and won’t be increased with the new facility. Mr. Gilbert noted one neighbor brought up concerns regarding overflow parking from Cypress Park, but that is a separate issue. Mr. Thuneman explained that rezoning this property to P-1 may help to alleviate Cypress Park parking issues in the future, as the zoning would permit a future parking lot. Commissioner Thornton inquired about the anticipated construction start date. Mr. Thuneman explained the Commission’s recommendation will be forward to the City Council for review in January. Staff has been working with a design team and they expect to start construction in February, if the request is approved. Commissioner Ballard moved recommend approval of Land Use Action No. 24-4583, rezoning Tract 2302, Block 1, Parcels A and C, 360 Cypress Dr., 340 Mulberry Ave., and 1873 Walnut Dr., approximately 21.4 acres, from Single Family Residential District (R-1) to Public Lands and Facilities District (P-1). The motion was seconded by Commissioner Lehr and passed with the following vote: Aye: 7 - Ballard, Dzuro, Lehr, Harris, Costa, Thornton and Annett 7. CALL TO PUBLIC Chair Harris provided an overview of Call to Public and opened Call to Public. Seeing no comments, he closed Call to Public. 8. FUTURE MEETING The regular meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission scheduled for Wednesday, January 1, 2025, has been cancelled. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Lake Havasu City Page 3 Printed on 1/15/2025 Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes - Final December 18, 2024 9. ADJOURNMENT Chair Harris adjourned the meeting at 9:17 a.m. _________________________________________ Jim Harris, Chair _________________________________________ Shelby Hennigan, Recording Secretary Lake Havasu City Page 4 Printed on 1/15/2025