It has been 17 years and 155 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.
As a registered “Interested Party” in Glendale I, along with other Glendale residents, receive notifications of zoning & rezoning applications, conditional use permits, variances, etc. You can be added to the Interested Parties list by contacting Glendale’s Planning Department. Today I received the following letter and I quote the letter in its entirety:
May 26, 2015
Tony Frye 6512 N. Sarival Ave. Litchfield Park, AZ 85340 Fax: 623-935-5377
Dear Neighbor:
This letter is to inform you that I am applying for a rezoning application with the City of Glendale. The property is at 6502 North Sarival Avenue in the Yucca District.
Our family property sits on 60 acres with ample exposure to the new Loop 303 freeway. The current zoning is rural due to the farming that has dominated this area for generations. The new freeways brings more uses in the realm of Possibility, which is why we are asking for a rezoning of our property to permit and M-1 (light industrial) zoning category. This zoning category provides us the most flexibility when it comes to potential uses. ADOT has estimated that 13,000 motorists use the Loop 303 today and that number is only going to rise exponentially over the next 20 years. Our aim is to acquire the property rights to construct two billboards along the Loop 303 frontage which will provide the opportunity for advertisers to highlight some of the upcoming commercial developments that are helping bring aware to the west valley cities (i.e. Vistancia, New Auto Mall and 1.3 million sqft (sic) retail development).
Please write, fax or call me at the contact information above. You may also contact Thomas Ritz with the City of Glendale at 623-930-2588.
Sincerely,
Tony Frye
The land in question sits at Glendale Avenue and the Loop 303 and is within Luke Air Force Base’s 65 LDN. The rezoning requested is appropriate for land within Luke’s noise contours. The problem is the applicant is not presenting a development package for the land. All the applicant wants is the right to plant billboards on the land now. It is presumed that the land will continue to be used for agriculture.
I don’t believe city council has had an opportunity to address the issue of billboards along the Loop 303. It may be appropriate in some spots along the freeway and not appropriate in other spots. Until Glendale adopts a design plan for the Loop 303 corridor this rezoning consideration and approval is premature.
It appears as if the Becker Billboards application will indeed be precedent setting if approved by city council on June 23, 2015. As a Glendale resident feel free to contact Thomas Ritz, Glendale’s Senior Planner at tritz@glendaleaz.com . Direct your comments not only to the Planning Department but to the citizen Planning & Zoning Commission as well.
© Joyce Clark, 2015
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I would like to warn everyone that people/businesses, just like Becker Boards in 2011-2012 wanted to fly in under the radar to get rezoning for billboards before anyone knew what had happened. Once that billboard zoning is in place, whether it be along the 101 or 303 – the value of that land goes way up. That is what this is REALLY all about. GLENDALE BEWARE OF THESE REZONING APPLICATIONS!!!!!! I have fought Becker Boards for 3 years now and they are desparate to get billboards along the 101 – and they don’t care if it is on the backs of Glendale and Peoria neighborhoods. Now it is the 303 the billboard companies are after – at what expense to Luke or the potential neighborhoods along the 303. Glendale – don’t get bullied or sold via power point presentations into rezoning for billboards until this has been WELL thought out and an overall Plan implemented by the City. Once the rezoning is in place there is no changing it. Becker woke a sleeping giant in the neighborhoods along the 101 – and he wasn’t able to fly in under the radar and get approval before anyone knew what had happened. I hope that Glendale will not FALL INTO THE SAME TRAP BEING SET ALONG THE 303 FOR BILLBOARDS. Maybe every freeway, with the exception of small areas, after a lot of public input and specifically designed by the City , should prohibit billboards completely. Let’s avoid another I-17 and the billboard clutter that exists there. Also, if you are encouraged to NOT text or be on your phone while driving – should you really be encouraged to read large digital Billboard signs while driving????? It seems it is really a matter of common sense – billboards are a distraction to drivers – period.
Probably need to look for legislative relief because beside all the years of cities getting rid of billboard because of visual clutter and reduced property values , your point re texting being exactly like reading the billboards is absolutely true. The section of 101 near the Stadium should be monitored and acessed by ADOT as I see folks alter their speed all the time to read what they think they might miss. It is also the worst section of that part of 101 for shifting lanes as drivers try to get past those slowing down to read.
Comment from a blog reader wishing not be be identified: “I agree and this is why we have a General Plan Committee in place to study and make long term land use recommendations to place on the ballot for voter approval of a General Plan. I just seems over and over again we have at least one council member that either does not know the procedures or laws in place or does not care to follow them.”
As someone who drives that corridor a lot…. the current electronic boards on L101 between Camelback and Glendale do not cause that much distraction IMO. Most of the traffic through that section is constant.
I’m more concerned with the ones in the south near the L101/I-10 interchange. That interchange is horribly out of date now and you do get consistent stacking of traffic looking to head west on the I-10 and/or getting off at McDowell.