2021 ENCANTO VILLAGE ANNUAL REPORT
ENCANTO VILLAGE
The Encanto Village has twenty-two historically designated neighborhoods, which makes it the greatest concentration of historic districts in all of Phoenix. Historic neighborhoods are mixed in with the Central Avenue high-rise corridor, abundant parks and local and national businesses that blend together to create Encanto’s unique character. The core of the Encanto Village is the Park Central Mall and surrounding mid-density area. The core also contains a portion of the Central Avenue Corridor where commercial, high-rise office, and high-rise residential development coexist. Palm trees and ornamental and decorative landscaping line the Central Avenue Corridor. The Valley Metro light rail system spans along the Central Avenue corridor within the Village, connecting many amenities, residential neighborhoods, employers, and points of pride.
More information about the character of the Encanto Village can be found here .
Mapping growth in the Encanto Village: 2001 vs. 2021
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Z-TA-5-15: Landscape Maintenance Text Amendment
In 2021, the City Council adopted Z-5-15 which responded to their approved Tier 1 Tree and Shade strategies which: 1) clarified and strengthen existing procedures, policies and standards, and 2) established new standards and procedures related removal / replacement of trees and maintenance.
The text amendment appeared before all 15 Urban Villages, first to solicit public input in Information Only presentations, and then for recommendations and direction. Throughout this process, many passionate conversations were had to ultimately produce a better understanding of landscape maintenance requirements and strengthened standards relating to the protections for existing trees.
The text amendment does the following:
Site Inspection and Issuance of Certificate of Occupancy: Clarifies that worked related to paving, grading, plant salvage, landscape and irrigation installation and associated site improvements must be done in accordance with approved development review documents prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
Validity of Approved Review Documents: Clarifies that approved development review documents remain valid and enforceable until revised or replacement documents for the project are approved.
Plant Materials and Maintenance Plan: Adds language that establishes a design presumption that addresses selection of appropriate plant materials that are appropriate for the site’s unique conditions (right tree / plant, right place). Couples this provision with another presumption that calls for the inclusion of a maintenance plan.
Landscape Removal Standards: Establishes requirements related to the removal or destruction of trees or cacti on any property (single-family homes exempt).
Required Landscape and Maintenance Plans: Outlines submittal requirements for landscape inventory, landscape salvage, landscape installation and landscape maintenance plans.
Grand Canalscape
The Grand Canalscape is a 12-mile continuous, multi-use recreational trail system along the Grand Canal in Phoenix – providing a unique opportunity for people to safely walk, run or bike along a dedicated off-street pathway.
The Grand Canalscape was completed in February 2020 and currently extends from Interstate 17 near Indian School Road east to the Tempe border near 56th Street north of Tempe Town Lake. Ultimately, plans call for the Grand Canalscape to extend west to the Glendale border.
The Grand Canalscape features a 10 to 12-foot-wide concrete pathway, dusk-to-dawn pedestrian lighting, seating, and signalized crossings at major intersections.
There are several pedestrian/bicycle bridge crossings along the route to provide access to the Canalscape pathway from the opposite side of the canal.
The Grand Canalscape improves pedestrian and bicycle access to neighborhood schools, churches and businesses through 25 neighborhood connections and helps integrate the canal into the surrounding communities by incorporating public art and landscaping.
The project was developed through a unique partnership between the city of Phoenix, Salt River Project (which operates the canal) and the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, through a TIGER grant.
The Grand Canalscape project was recognized by the Arizona Association of General Contractors as a 2020 recipient of a BUILD Arizona award.
A few fun facts:
Did you know the Phoenix metro area has 180 miles of canals? That's more miles of canals than Venice and Amsterdam combined: Venice has about 26 miles and Amsterdam has 60 miles.
The nine canals that make up the Valley's canal system were developed over the past 100 years, beginning in 1883.
MAPPING GROWTH
BUILDING PERMIT ACTIVITY
Approximately 412 building projects (valued at or above 50,000 dollars) were filed in the year 2021, contributing to a total estimated value of 605 million dollars of investment and growth.
Did you know?
A building permit is required for most non-residential construction, new homes, and when existing homes are remodeled or additions are made. The permit is issued when structures are designed in accordance with the building codes and all other applicable codes and ordinances, to ensure the safety of the structure. For more information visit here .
REZONING ACTIVITY
This Village Planning Committee heard and took action on ten (10) Rezoning requests and one (1) General Plan Amendment request during the year of 2021.
Of those ten (10) Rezoning requests, five (5) were rezoning requests to the Walkable Urban (WU) Code.
What is Rezoning?
Rezoning
For more information on Rezoning and Special Permit request please visit here .
For more information on General Plan Amendments (GPAs) please visit here .
For more information on Planning Hearing Officer (PHOs) please visit here .
ZONING ADJUSTMENT ACTIVITY
This Village had approximately seventy-one (71) Zoning Adjustment (ZA) requests during the year of 2021.
What is a Zoning Adjustment?
Zoning Adjustments
For more information on Zoning Adjustments please visit here .
TO DO LIST
Several Village "to do" items have been identified by this committee in alignment with the 2015 Phoenix General Plan's 7 strategic tools. This past year the committee had various opportunities to hear and discuss information items that further the committee's knowledge, partnerships, and collaboration towards accomplishing these "to do" items.
The following is a list of presentation and discussion topics were heard and discussed in 2021:
- City of Phoenix water rate increase
- Proposed Lane Changes to 3rd Avenue
- Updates to City of Phoenix Floodplain Management Plan
- Commercial Sign Regulations
- Climate Action Plan
- Update on City's Affordable Housing Iniative
- Updates on Active Transportation Projects
Celebrating 2021
2021 Members
- Brent Kleinman, Chair
- Drew Bryck, Vice Chair
- Paul Benjamin, member
- Katie Coates, member
- Ann Cothron, member
- G.G. George, member
- Matthew Jewett, member
- Rick Mahrle, member
- Jayson Matthews, member
- Jorge Picos*, member
- Steve Procaccini, member
- Nicole Rodriguez, member
- Aaron Searles, member
- Opal Wagner, member
- Layla Ressler, member
- Jake Adams, member
*New 2021 VPC Members
PERFECT ATTENDANCE
- Drew Bryck
- Nicole Rodriguez
VPC Planners
- Staff Village Planning Committee meetings ensuring the meeting stays on track and makes enforceable recommendations.
- Write reports and staff recommendations for for rezoning and general plan amendment requests.
- VPC Planners act as point of contact for citizens and applicants within the Village.
2021 Encanto VPC Planner:
Nick Klimek
ROLE OF THE VPC
Village Planning Committees (VPC) are appointed by the Mayor & City Council and must either live or work within the Village boundary that they are serving. The VPCs provide guidance on a wide range of city-wide and local issues. Village Planning Committees hear and discuss rezoning cases, general plan amendments, and text amendments and provide recommendations on these items to the Planning Commission. For more information on the role of the VPC please visit here .
VPC MEETINGS
The Encanto Village Planning Committee generally meets the 1st Monday of the month at 6:15 p.m. through a virtual meeting format via a Webex videoconferencing platform.
Please consult the public meeting notices page for the meeting agenda which contains instructions on how to access the meeting and to confirm that the meeting will occur.
