The Goodyear City Council members were updated on the General Plan and Development Trends Report proposed and discussed months ago to give an outlook on future projections.
During a Oct. 5 work session, Christian M. Williams, deputy director of Development Services over Planning, presented an overview of the calendar year 2025 General Plan and Development Trends Report to council. He displayed data and graphs showing a population increase and more.
Williams said a full report is planned to be presented later this fall, before the council’s retreat.
“It’s been quite some time since the council has received a general plan annual report. The last update you all received on a general plan update was in 2013,” Williams said.
Williams noted while the state law requires communities to report annually on the general plan progress, there were not enough good examples to report. However, after the visioning session on Feb. 9, there was a commitment to provide an updated and revamped report to be a “useful tool” for the council.
“Not only are we restoring Goodyear to a strong annual reporting rhythm but we have done so while simultaneously completing a conference of modernization of the zoning ordinance,” said Williams, referencing the Fiscal Year 2026 strategic plan item for the Common Visioning project to continue to improve the future vision for the city, including development.
The city’s General Plan, multiple master plans, and updates to development-related city codes, ordinances, and guidelines were encapsulated in the General Plan and Development Trends report, which has updates on Goodyear development trends as well as a progress report on the city’s implementation of the General Plan 2035 entitled, “Momentum in Motion.”
“I really enjoy the title of ‘Momentum in Motion,’ because definitely we’ve been in motion for a significant amount of time,” said Laura Kaino, council member, noting data changes between 2024 and 2025.
The General Plan and Development Trends Report provides data from 2024, and spotlights calendar year 2025, while establishing an annual cycle for providing updates to council and the community on key metrics highlighting Goodyear development, providing key growth areas identified in the General Plan, as well as other areas of interest.
The report will also provide information on the development process, covering the entire life cycle of a project from site selection to certificate of occupancy.
“Goodyear is not only growing, it is growing smarter, safer and more self-sustained,” Williams said as he detailed the report, which included everything from population growth, citywide trends and activities to the certificate of occupancy journey.
He noted employment opportunities and more work from home jobs that caused more people to be employed and working in Goodyear, and not having to leave the city for jobs elsewhere.
“We’re not just growing in people, we are growing in jobs, too,” Williams said.
According to a staff report, the General Plan was ratified by voters on May 21, 2024, and reflects the long-range vision of the community.
The General Plan is a long-term planning document, established as a requirement of cities by Arizona Revised Statutes section 9-461.05, that outlines guiding policies to manage growth with a series of required elements or topics.
State statutes also require an annual report on the plan status and progress.
Delarita Ford can be reached at dford@iniusa.org. Submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Delarita Delarita Ford originally joined Independent Newspapers Incorporated, now Independent Newsmedia, Inc. USA in 1997, as a general assignment reporter for the Delaware State News daily paper after starting her journalism career in Maryland in 1994, where she honed her skills by writing obituaries, covering community news from births to deaths, education to legislation and more. As a reporter, she has had the opportunity to cover sitting and former U.S. presidential visits in Baltimore, Delaware, and Arizona.
Community: One of the few seasoned journalists who still enjoys covering community events, she can be found with a reporter’s pad taking notes, her phone taking pictures while capturing life’s moments to memorialize them in print for the local newspapers and for the active-adult community where she lives. She maintains a presence with the Black media and the National Association of Black Journalists to encourage peers, socialize, and mentor younger writers.
Education: Life learner who learns from life. Aside from the collegiate education received, she got the best training from on-the-job experience with former editors who went through copy with a red pen and demanded the best writing for hard news and feature stories.
Random Fact: While a Delaware State News reporter, she could call then Sen. Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, usually late at night if a quote or input was needed for varying topics, including legislation and education.
Hobbies: Adopt rescue dogs and give them a nice home. Continuously read and critique news stories from various platforms.
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