Goodyear council adopts Australia 14 PAD rezoning, capping units and increasing open space

The Goodyear City Council on Sept. 22 adopted an ordinance rezoning roughly 1,505 acres in the northern Estrella/Australia master-planned community to the Australia 14 Planned Area Development (PAD), capping residential development at 6,034 units and increasing required open space to 18% of the site.

The rezoning replaces decades-old 1980s zoning that allowed higher-density multifamily and a large regional commercial center. The action reduces the number of allowable residential units under the old zoning from about 8,400 to 6,034 and reduces potential multifamily units from roughly 4,500 to a maximum of 864, while increasing required open space from about 94 acres to 271 acres.

Anne Dalmich, the city's principal planner, told the council the PAD organizes future development with a system of six layered "land use groups" to guide where open space, single-family estate, village, hub and core uses — including commercial or higher-density residential — could occur. "The proposed rezone will establish 6 land use groups," Dalmich summarized during the staff presentation.

Andrew Yancey, attorney for Australia North LLC, said the rezoning is a downzone from the original 1988 plan and would "allow for 1,500 acres of predominantly single family master plan community with a second commercial core along Australia Parkway and the Willis Road intersection." Yancey emphasized the multifamily cap is permissive, not mandatory: "That 864 units is a maximum. This zoning does not require a single multifamily unit to be built." The developer also agreed the plan includes an 18% open-space requirement and a community amenity comparable in scale to existing residence clubs.

The rezone drew public comments both for and against. Jeff Redmond, a resident of Australia, said he opposed the rezoning as presented and urged the developer to build Cotton Lane first and channel construction traffic away from Australia Parkway during the multi-year build-out. Supporters including Mike Durda and Tom Blackman told the council the rezoning will bring rooftops needed to attract local retail and preserve views with lower building heights than the 1988 plan.

City staff reported two neighborhood meetings — March 31 (about 200 attendees) and July 1 (about 85 attendees) — and said they received 19 emails on the proposal. The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval by a 5-1 vote with one commissioner absent. Council members debated traffic, school sites and phasing; staff said traffic impacts will be addressed with traffic-impact analyses for phased submittals and that school sites would be provided to districts when the districts demonstrate need. The council adopted Ordinance No. 2025-1639 by a 7-0 vote, approving the conditional rezoning and a corrected language change to a stipulation referenced as number 18.