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Buckeye council approves minor general plan amendment to allow limited housing in very large employment master plans
Summary
The City Council on Sept. 16 unanimously approved a staff‑initiated minor amendment to the general plan to permit limited residential uses within employment‑designated master plans or planned area developments of 1,280 acres or more, subject to zoning approval, buffering, and design standards.
The Buckeye City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 16 to approve a staff‑initiated minor amendment to the city’s general plan to allow limited residential uses within employment land use areas for very large master plans.
Ken Galica of the Development Services Department described the change as a text amendment to the general plan’s employment land use definition that would permit residential uses only in master plans or planned area developments on properties of 1,280 acres or more and only when future zoning documents meet specified criteria.
"Approval of this request tonight would simply allow council to consider residential uses in the future. If it meets these conditions, no way commits council to those future approvals," Galica said. He emphasized that the change would not automatically rezone property; any residential component would require a discretionary zoning approval demonstrating that employment remains the dominant land use and that performance and design standards are met.
The amendment requires that residential not be the primary land use, prohibits residential adjacent to heavy industrial uses, and calls for performance and design standards such as setbacks, buffering, landscaping, and other measures to mitigate conflicts between light industrial and residential areas. Galica told the council the measure was staff‑initiated to provide a consistent framework citywide and noted it was motivated in part by an upcoming master plan application called Grand View.
Galica said PNC reviewed the proposal on Aug. 12 and recommended approval; staff reported no public speaker cards during the council public hearing. Council members referenced examples from elsewhere — including TSMC and Axon facilities — as reasons why flexibility for workforce housing near employment centers can be advantageous. Council Member Tony Yonker and others said the amendment allows the city to be more nimble without changing map colors and that future zoning approvals would remain at the council’s discretion.
The council approved the item by unanimous vote (5–0; one member absent). Future rezoning or master plan proposals that seek residential components will return to the council for discretionary review and must meet the performance and design standards required by the amendment.
