Goodyear City Council approves two multifamily developments

The Goodyear city council voted to rezone two sites from single-family and commercial zoning to multifamily housing on Monday, despite complaints from residents of surrounding communities. 

The council voted Sept. 27 to rezone approximately 40 acres on the southwest corner of 173rd Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road from single-family homes to multi-family homes. The empty plot of land is the future site of the Cotton Commons community, spearheaded by developers Steve Addison and Jon de Fiebre. 

The meeting was packed with residents there to address the council. Complaints ranged from loss of views of the White Tank Mountains to concerns  a multifamily development would result in loss of property values and create noise, crime and “transient renters.” 

Another top concern was the development would ruin the reason many residents came to Goodyear in the first place.  

“I moved to Goodyear to get away from all the hustle and bustle,” a resident of the adjacent Sin Lomas community told the council. 

Goodyear Police Chief Santiago Rodriguez told the council that he had no evidence that apartment complexes increased crime levels.

“I have no data to show that any crime at an apartment complex is any worse than crime happening in a residential area,” Rodriguez said. “I can tell you that we have a safe community.”

Groans and complaints could be heard from community members as the council voted unanimously to rezone the land, paving the way for the new multifamily development. 

“A size eight foot in a size six shoe”

The meeting also was a win for developers of the future Canyon Trails Towne Center residencies, a property owned by Dallas-based real estate development firm TriGate Capital LLC

The council voted to rezone the 12.7 acres on the southeast corner of Cotton Lane and Canyon Trails Boulevard in central Goodyear from commercial property to multifamily.

Developers came to the city in the mid-2000s seeking to build a shopping center at the site. The project was halted a year later by the Great Recession.

The future complex will include a clubhouse, fitness center, “resort-style” pool, outdoor kitchen, lounge area and a dog park.  

A few residents spoke out against the project. A Goodyear resident argued the complex would not compliment the area, as developers had said at the meeting. 

“It’s kind of like putting...a size eight foot in a size six shoe,” she said.

Residents also were concerned with traffic that could come as a result of the new complex.  

The council voted unanimously to rezone the property from commercial to multifamily.

“I think we’re all excited about this,” Georgia Lord said at the council meeting.