By Philip Haldiman, Independent Newsmedia

A new office building could be coming to 2.85 acres of land at the southwest corner of 83rd Avenue and Happy Valley Road in North Peoria.

The Planning Commission approved a rezoning for the property from residential to office commercial, as well as a General Plan Amendment re-designation from residential and open space to office, Dec. 7.

City Council is expected to consider the case Jan. 9

The intent of the change is to permit the development of an office plaza consisting of two single story office buildings and common courtyard area.

Planner Randy Proch said the change will accommodate an existing need in a high growth area for professional office space and local employment opportunities to the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

The site’s relatively small size and configuration also lends itself nicely to smaller local businesses, he said.

“The proposed office designation is pretty uncommon in northern Peoria. It is not something that is widely found but it is something that is certainly needed and would advance our goals and objectives for the General Plan,”  he said. “This designation provided an environment that is conducive to the establishment of professional offices, medical offices and possibly some limited retail uses.”

Tempe-based LVA Urban Design Studio, acting on behalf of Black Mountain Investment Company, submitted the applications. The project is proposed for 25,000 square feet of office space, a shared breezeway between both buildings and a public art installation for the northeast corner of site. Parking will be internal to the site.

Commissioner Bryan Patterson said the use is a good one for that corner, but he had worries about traffic wanting to go west on Happy Valley Road.

“The only way you can do that is to make a u-turn,” he said. “I’m concerned about the volume of possible u-turns.”

Mark Reddie, director of land planning entitlements for LVA, said staff reviewed and approved a traffic study.

“It showed there wouldn’t be a ton of projected u-turns,” he said. “Because this is an office development and not retail, the number of in-and-out traffic is significantly less. You don’t have customers coming in and out all day.”

The proposed design of the property will provide buffers to protect the immediately adjacent properties, particularly along the southern edge where an approximate 230-foot permanent open space buffer within the SRP powerline corridor is provided between the existing home and the office development, according to documents.

Additional landscape buffers will be provided internal to the site, as well as along the perimeter of the site to ensure compatibility and aesthetic enhancement.

Commissioner Clay Allsop said he lives in the neighborhood and supports the project.

“I think it is a perfect use for this intersection,” he said. “I am very familiar with every aspect of everything that is going in here and I think it will complement everything in the area.”