Growing Goodyear: How the General Plan Affects You

10:42PM Apr 29, 2024

Speakers:

Host Tammy Vo

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Host Jordan Byrd

Vice Mayor Kaino

Don McBrayer

Keywords:

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residents

committee

city

general

area

ballot

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vice mayor

election

comprehensive plan

years

land

housing

community

tammy

process

growth

vote

Coming up on this episode of Growing Goodyear, hear from Vice Mayor Laura Kaino.

People are coming here. And they're coming here for a reason because we offer, I think opportunity, opportunity to grow, be a part of the community, grow with us come and grow with us. This is becoming a very popular new hometown for residents from across the United States. This is the west valley's time to shine. And certainly I feel Goodyear is just really leading the pack.

And welcome in to the Growing Goodyear podcast. From the city of Goodyear, I'm Jordan Byrd.

And hey everyone. It's Tammy Vo.

And Tammy, it is an important time here in the city of Goodyear, because coming up on May 21 is the city of Goodyear's General Plan 2035 election, which I know a lot of people might be like the general plan that seems very vague, that seems very general. But it really is an important piece of information to help guide the city, especially a city like Goodyear, that is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.

Yeah, and I'm picturing it right now. There's probably some ballots, maybe sitting right now on your kitchen counter. And you're thinking, gosh, well, what's this about? What's this election about? And really, this is so important to truly the lives of all Goodyear residents. So I encourage you to take a moment listen to what we have to tell you today and then cast your vote because this is the stuff that really makes the difference.

Well and also for those residents out there who you know, whether you're a new resident to Goodyear, or you've been here for a while, you probably have some thoughts and feelings about the future of the city and the community you live in. And there probably isn't more of a document that can answer some of those questions than something like the General Plan.

Yeah, this is really the plan of all plans for Goodyear. And it really acts as sort of the foundational document that guides the future of our city for the next 10 years to come. You think about a lot can happen in 10 years. And this is such a crucial time, Jordan for the development of Goodyear, so much is happening and we are growing so quickly that now more than ever before is the time for people to get involved.

So on this episode of the Growing Goodyear podcast, you're going to hear from Vice Mayor Laura Kaino, who's going to explain a little bit about what is on the ballot, what is the General Plan for this time around and add some context of what it actually means when you're voting for the General Plan. And then we'll also catch up with a Goodyear resident who was the chair of the Goodyear General Plan Committee, Don McBrayer, who will add some insight about what it's like being a resident that has this type of say, and what is going on in your community. So before we get to all of that it's time now for our interview with Vice Mayor Laura Kaino. Vice Mayor, thank you so much for taking the time and joining us today.

Oh my goodness, it's my pleasure. I always like talking about things that are happening in the city.

And this is a big one right here, the General Plan election, which is coming up on May 21. Everyone should already have their ballots in their hand now. And just a reminder to make sure to get those ballots returned before the May 21 deadline. But let's just start with a very broad question, what is the General Plan?

The General Plan is really the guiding document for the city of Goodyear, this is Goodyear's 10 year plan. And so what we want to do is to cast a vision for the next decade. And in doing that, consider the economics of the time the changing trends and factors such as water, industrial, multifamily, and open spaces, there's a lot of things that have to be considered.

I think it really shows that when Mayor and council come to our public meetings on a weekly basis, you're not just making decisions, overnight decisions, you're really kind of looking forward. It sounds like to this visionary plan.

That's correct, Tammy. It is important that the policies that we make, the decisions that we make, do tie back to the General Plan, it has that guiding document. And as much as it tries to anticipate what the future may bring. They can't always do that. And so we have to be prepared for unexpected things like in the last decade, we had the pandemic. And that changed a lot of how people went to work, how they went to school, maybe even how they purchased their retail, they went online to buy. And we've had exponential growth even on online buying, which then has had led to changes in warehousing and things like that. So we do try to take a look forward, and then make sure that the work we're doing now connects into that general plan. And that's why it's so critical.

And so when voters look at this, it's a simple decision to whether or not to be in favor of that, but how can voters know whether what's in this proposed plan is truly representative of what the community thinks?

Well, this has been a very involved process to get this matter to election. We start talking about important issues like transportation, parks, land use economic development, arts, water, infrastructure and housing, among other things. And so we are casting a technical plan, but it's got visionary aspects to it.

And when you talk about some of those strategic areas that make a difference in people's lives here in Goodyear, I mean, you mentioned one of them, let's say land use, for example, I think that is such a big one and Goodyear, because we often hear from people, especially on social media, who will respond and say, hey, you know, I didn't want this kind of business to go in this location down the street from me, they're not happy with it, for example, or maybe they are happy with it. What are we trying to get across to them in terms of how the General Plan and land use connects with that very thing? I mean, are we looking toward the land use portion of the General Plan to guide us on like, what that land is used for? How does that work?

Land use is a very critical component, certainly of the General Plan. And with that, then comes the discussion about water, roads, infrastructure, so it's all tied in together. But land use is all about development, how is that land going to grow. And as you are aware, Goodyear at this point is only about 12% build out, our future is development. And it's really important that we cast the vision now for what we want to see the different areas and corridors and neighborhoods how they're going to look. And we have to consider external factors for us. One example is Luke Air Force Base. Because of the sound, because of other restrictions, we have to limit where we can put housing, for example, all the cities around Luke Air Force Base have made commitment to protect the base and not encroach upon it with growth. And certainly, we are committed to maintaining those boundaries that they have. But an example is that with the Loop 303 coming in, that has opened up a huge corridor, which is now evolving in the Goodyear portion to a lot of warehousing, logistics and industrial, but it's perfect for that area. Certainly, it makes it easy for the trucks to get off and on the freeway without going through city streets, makes it very accessible to California, which is part of the big draw number of California businesses are relocating in Arizona, we're a more business friendly environment here. So we want to designate areas for that type of land use where it makes sense. And so that's a good example of one area. Another area has been around the Phoenix Goodyear Airport, because of the planes, because of the noise. They're limited on what can reside right next to them. So we've seen more logistics and industrial popping up around those areas. So we have been working to identify various corridors that are conducive to that so that we have a diverse economy as well. I mean, we have jobs here. And that's really critical. We have not had a strong daytime population, which is required for a lot of the retail and restaurants that come in. But now daytime population is growing because of employment. And it's important for land owners and developers to know what the city envisions the land to be used for. Of course, there's always a rezoning process. There's amendments that might come up to the general plan. But we try very much to adhere to what we've set by the General Plan. And so we want to have vibrant neighborhoods where homes can be built commercial to support the neighborhoods. And as we are growing, we're definitely going to see a lot more infill, certainly north of I 10. In the Canyon Trails area around GSQ. My goodness, it's really taking off. It's very exciting to see these changes.

You talk about housing, you talk about neighborhoods, jobs, transportation, it really sounds like portions of the General Plan, if not the majority of it affects nearly everyone within the city of Goodyear. So with that being said, How does resident involvement helped shape what the General Plan looks like?

Residents play a huge part in developing the General Plan. And we interviewed members of the community who applied to be on the General Plan Committee. There were 17 community members who were appointed, and they represented different neighborhoods, industry sectors, business and faith leaders. And they formed this committee and they worked a good year on this project. They heard from all of the directors of parks director talked about the Parks and Rec master plan. We had people talk about the transportation plan, but it was important for the committee members to get a big picture of what is going on in Goodyear. I mean really a 360 view of all of the challenges we face but also all of the amazing possibilities. And so water like I said it's played a big factor. That's something that residents are very concerned about. Certainly the committee was very concerned about water, we won't be able to develop without the necessary infrastructure, and all that it takes. But Goodyear is really positioned well, we have a good portfolio of diverse water supplies. So the ones who work to formulate the plan to bring it to fruition has been this citizen committee. But not only were they actively involved, the other part of the General Plan process was to take it out to the community. So after they had it drafted, and they felt pretty good about what they had working with a consultant, then they started getting out, we did virtual meetings we did in person meetings, they were down at the Goodyear recreation campuses, they went to HOAs, they went to events in PebbleCreek, Estrella, they went all over the city to let people weigh in. And then people also had the opportunity to weigh in virtually as well. So the big part was getting the citizens involved in helping to formulate the plan, and then getting the word out to all the residents. And they did a lot of great work. And we're really excited to take this next step, and put it up for the ratification by our residents in the May election.

As we look at how much change has happened in the last 10 years. And then we look forward. That's one of the fastest growing cities in the country, to how much change will come in the next 10 years. How much importance does something like a plan like this have in terms of kind of like standing the test of time, over 10 years against all the changes in our city as they come? Why is that important?

I think we all know that change is coming. We're gonna see technology playing a greater role. I recently went to a symposium at ASU about artificial intelligence in cities, it's like, Oh, my goodness, where was your mind blown? Mind blown, it was slightly overwhelming, very technical, but I wanted to get exposed to the idea because it just lets me know that changes are coming. And we can't fully anticipate what the disruptors are going to be or what role technology is going to have. We're recently in budget talks, and we were talking about the role of technology with our public safety. I mean, things are going to continue to evolve emerge new technologies, how we work and interact with residents is a lot different now than it was 10 years ago. We do our best to anticipate but we want our plan to be flexible enough that we can adapt to changes that may come and even changes may come that we don't anticipate we can still refer back to the general plan and say, Okay, this is what we were thinking this was the vision that was cast.

What would be your one ask of people who are listening, our residents in Goodyear, when it comes to how they can really be involved in their future?

Well, this plan is a good plan. And it's a plan that your neighbors have helped to put together and have had input on and it's really been a labor of love. I mean, it took a lot to get to this point to bring it up to election. I know it's a busy election year, there's a lot going on. But this will be an all mail-in ballot in May, May 21. By now you already have your ballots, they're probably on your kitchen counter. Just go ahead and fill it out, drop it in the mail and let your voice be heard for Goodyear.

So for anyone who still may have some questions about the General Plan election hear in Goodyear, where can they go for some more information about what's coming up on May 21?

Do you know that the Goodyear plan has its very own website, and it is goodyeargp.com. So that would be a great place to go. It's all about the plan there. And the plan is a very comprehensive document the way it's written though it's very engaging. So scroll through it, find the areas that are of particular interest to you. And then if you have any questions, Mayor or any council member would be happy to address your questions.

We talk a lot about the future here today. Just what are your feelings in excitement about the future of our city we talk about the next 10 years?

You know, I'm a big history buff and I have spent a lot of time learning about the history of Goodyear and how we got started. Why is Goodyear here now. And we have a great history. We have a shared history with our neighbors, certainly Avondale and Litchfield probably the closest but Goodyear has always been a very productive city. We've grown things we've made things we've had the airport was a military installation. So it's been exciting to track Goodyear through the years and we're really a relatively young city. And so the growth has been tremendous. People are coming here, and they're coming here for a reason because we offer I think opportunity, opportunity to grow be a part of the community grow with us. Come and grow with us and get involved in the city in some ways, whether you're just even using our parks and rec facilities, or maybe coming to the police citizen academy, come out and see what we're about. And this is becoming a very popular new hometown for residents from across the United States. So it's an exciting time in Goodyear, the growth in this area is just tremendous. But this is the west valley's time to shine. And certainly I feel Goodyear's just really leading the pack.

We're hearing you talk about this General Plan, Vice Mayor Kaino, what really strikes me is you mentioned that this is a busy election year, and we have elections at every level. But with something like this, this really is what impacts the residents, this is what really brings it back home, you're going to be voting on all sorts of things throughout this year. But with something like this, when you talk about transportation, and roads, and jobs and housing, this is what really probably impacts people the most is something local, like the Goodyear General Plan.

You're exactly right. It doesn't get more local than city honestly. And this general plan is probably going to have one of the biggest impacts, politicians will come and go. But your general plan will live on at least for the next 10 years. And it's important that our residents know with all the changes that are going on whether you've lived here for a very long time, or you're a newcomer, the things that will affect your home values are investments in education, Parks and Rec tax policies and the housing market. So we are a diverse community. We offer a lot of different housing options. We're welcoming people in from all over. And unfortunately, just because of the times not everybody is able to attain single family housing at this time. This plan affects where you live.

Well, Vice Mayor Kaino thank you so much for being with us. Thank you for your leadership and the leadership of the mayor and council. I know when it comes to really important things like the General Plan election, the bond election, you have been certainly at the forefront, keeping our residents informed of the importance of really what it comes down to is their lives, their future and their families. So, so thank you for that.

Well, it's my pleasure to share this General Plan, certainly with our residents. These things are really important and we love our residents involvement in these processes.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

My pleasure, thank you for the opportunity.

And now to add some perspective from the resident side of things as it comes to the General Plan, we are now being joined by Goodyear General Plan Committe Chair and Goodyear resident Don McBrayer. Don, thank you so much for joining us here on the Growing Goodyear podcast.

Well, I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you.

How long have you been a resident of Goodyear?

We moved here in 2018.

Oh, wow. So fairly new?

Yes.

And so what was it about being a part of not only the General Plan Committee, but taking on a role of the chair of the General Plan Committee that kind of enticed you to be a part of that? Well,

Well I've always been involved with the community I lived in. I'm from upstate New York, originally back there, I did serve on our town zoning board and comprehensive plan committee. And I also was a two term town councillor and deputy supervisor. So when I moved to Goodyear, I was very impressed by how rapidly the city was growing and expanding in comparison to where I came from. It wasn't long before I realized that was something I wanted to be involved with.

So for the General Plan, let's just start with a little bit of how many people were on the committee with you and kind of what was that like where I have to imagine there's people from all different walks of life and backgrounds that are kind of coming together, and at first are probably strangers, but have to kind of work their way through all of this to come to a conclusion? Well,

Well I believe there were 17 members on our committee. And the city, through their credit was very good about selecting a nice cross section of people from all levels of life from young people to seniors, and they also selected people in different income brackets and different backgrounds. The committee did express a lot of varying concerns as we progress. But that was critical to make sure that we put together a plan that was what we were hoping to achieve in the end.

Well, it's pretty incredible when you think about 17 residents representing 110,000 residents. I mean, that's really what it boils down to. So some of those concerns that you mentioned that when you guys got together, some of these committee members are voicing, what were some of those kind of key notes that yourself or other members of the committee were raising from the onset?

One of the biggest concerns was the large tip up warehouses that we're seeing being built around here and good year. Apparently our old comprehensive plan has those listed as a light industry. And we wanted to make sure we redefine those a bit so that as Goodyear continues to develop that we monitor that growth a little bit So they're not too close to residential areas. Another area of concern was water conservation, which was pretty consistent across the entire committee, kind of an important thing here in Arizona live in the desert. So it's something to always have in the back of your mind. Another concern was making sure that the people in the Mobile area were properly represented as we put this plan together. And so we took extra steps to make sure that their concerns were considered, and that we helped them to preserve the community that they wished to live in as we move forward. Another area of concern was diversified housing, making sure we had the appropriate number and percentages of housing for all income brackets, and all backgrounds, and a good mix of owned homes and multifamily.

It's kind of interesting when you were talking there, Goodyear is a very unique city, because you have this massive amount of growth that's taking place. I mean, 20 years ago, the population was a fraction of what it is now. And then you also have kind of these other caveats, like Mobile, which a lot of residents may not even realize that that is the southern tip of Goodyear, even though you may have to drive all the way through Gila Bend or Maricopa to get to it. But nonetheless, was there anythings that you learned through this process that surprised yourself about Goodyear?

Yes, quite a few things. One in particular, was the 303 corridor or I didn't know until I was on this committee that that actually relates to the Luke Air Force Base. And so there's only certain things that can be developed in that area, because they need to keep it kind of sparse in case there are mishaps. Yeah, aircraft that come off that base.

So if I'm not mistaken, it's basically no residential within that zone. That is potential crash zone for Luke Air. Correct?

Yeah, no residential. And I believe no commercial, like strip malls, things like that can't be built over there as well. So it does leave it as a great area for industrial development. I was also surprised living here, just not just from being on the committee, but from my personal experience as to how fast Goodyear is growing, I've never experienced growth on this level, it's, it does take your breath away from time to time.

Well, it's exciting, it can be a little scary, especially for longtime residents who may be accustomed to the way things were. And that certainly is not the case now, but with how fast things are changing and turning over. So you guys all get together for the committee, you guys start talking about what's important to each one of you. How do you guys then kind of narrow that down into the recommendations for a general plan?

Well, we had a couple of consultants that came in, and they were really good about directing basically the development of the plan. And they would bring in what we were going to be working on from week to week. And the basic framework was the past General Plan. And then we also looked at general plans from other areas in the metropolitan area, specifically, the city of Gilbert, from what I was told, Gilbert's growth is generally comparable to our growth, but about 20 years out ahead of us. So we should anticipate our city being very much like their city, and wanted to plan accordingly.

So just to add a little context from when you first started on the committee to ok, your guyses work is done, you're turning it over now it's you know, we're a couple of weeks away from the actual election itself, how long of a process was that?

It's been about a year that we've worked on it, we would meet once a month. And I think towards the end, we met a couple of additional times just to wrap up some stuff. And then we were given, for lack of a better phrase homework assignments between each meeting for things to research and look into to bring to the next meeting. Well,

Well and I guess that kind of leads me to my next point is that for yourself or any of the other committee members, this is a commitment. This is not just something where it's like, oh, yeah, I'll add my two cents, or I'll fill out a questionnaire or a survey. This was a real time commitment for you guys that is basically helping to benefit the rest of your neighbors and our residents.

Yeah, I know I did personally, and I believe a lot of the committee members, I spoke with it as well, we read the entire existing comprehensive plan before we even got to our first meeting, but just a little light reading right about 250 pages. Then I also read the comprehensive plan for the city of Surprise, and for Gilbert, just to have a frame of reference before going forward. And then we would get a version of what they wanted to include in our comprehensive plan for Goodyear. And then we would take that home, read through it and come up with stuff. And there was a lot of cross communication between the meetings to between different members and stuff where we could share ideas or concerns and know what to bring to the meeting so that we can discuss it.

You have kind of that civil servant background from your time in upstate New York and now here in Goodyear. But for people out there who and we hear it lot of why is the city doing this? Or why can't the city do that? And they may not be taking that extra step of getting involved in their community in their city. What would be your suggestion to those folks who may have some passion about their community, and maybe thinking about getting involved, whether that be something like the General Plan Committee, or planning and zoning or maybe even running for council one day, whatever the case may be, for those folks that are kind of toying with that idea. What would you say to them?

The city of Goodyear offers this LEAD program, I started with that. It's a wonderful program. If you take the LEAD classes, they teach you about the city, all the different departments and the governmental structure and how everything works. If you just take the lead class, you'll walk away with a really good understanding of how the city of Goodyear works and the thought processes that goes behind the decisions that the people in charge are making. The other thing is it opens doorways for to all the other ways that you can serve on a voluntary level with the city of Goodyear. And so I took the LEAD course and then that that exposed me to this General Plan. And that's how I was able to move from one to the other.

Well, and I think that's one of the most fascinating things about local government is, when you talk about things at a presidential level or a federal level, yes, there is an affect on you, personally, but there's probably no other level of government that has a greater impact on your daily life than your own city government. Right?

Absolutely. I always believe that we do sometimes focus too much on the higher offices. And those are important. But you're right, the greatest impact to the average citizen is going to come from his own local government. So one should be alert, at least and involved if possible.

So before we finish here, if there's maybe one or two things that maybe we haven't covered, or you'd like to reiterate that just our fellow residents out there, your fellow residents out there that you'd like for them to know before the May 21 election.

It's important to have a general plan in place, and it needs to be current. Our existing plan was a great plan for 10 years ago. But there is stuff in it that no longer fits with the development as we are moving forward. We took real good care to try to ensure that we have a good general plan in place for the next 10 years of development. It's critical to vote whether you're for it or against it, please vote to make your voice heard. If this does not pass, we would like to know why. Because we want to make sure that the city has the best possible plan in place so that we do grow in accordance to the desires of the people that live here.

Well, Don, thank you so much for taking the time and joining us here today. But also, thank you for your time and commitment for being a part of the General Plan Committee, we really appreciate it.

I do as well. Thank you very much.

You know, what I really love about this process, Jordan is that the voices of our community and our residents were really heard through this process. I mean, this is not something that happened overnight. These big decisions don't just happen in a vacuum, it is so important that we get the voices of the residents heard and incorporated into the next 10 years.

And we have such a passionate community of residents here in Goodyear that are invested in what the future holds for them and their families here in Goodyear. And this really is one of the best times for you to voice that opinion about the direction of the city of Goodyear and to vote on this roadmap that kind of outlines what the city is planned for for the next 10 years. And I just thought it was really insightful to talk with Don for a little bit just about these are normal residents, these are your neighbors, these are your friends, these are your co workers who are a part of this. So it's not like it's just being dictated up in City Hall and passed down to for a vote. This was really resident driven.

And on behalf of the city and the mayor and council, I know everyone is just so appreciative of him and the other committee members that really volunteer their time to be part of such a process. So thank you to to all of our volunteers at the city. All right, Jordan, key dates, key information, where can people go to read what's in the plan so they can decide? Is this something I want to vote for?

Well the best place to go is goodyeargp.com. That has all of the information, all of the FAQ's that you may have about this General Plan and the election coming up on May 21. goodyeargp.com. Couple of things to keep in mind, Tammy, this is an all mail-in election. So by this point, you should have your ballot. Gonna take one to three minutes. Yeah, well, as you mentioned, it's probably been sitting on your kitchen counter for the last couple of weeks. So go ahead and fill that out and mail it back. It is recommended that the last day to mail your ballot back in is Tuesday, May 14. But if you miss that deadline, you can also turn your ballot in in person to Goodyear City Hall during normal business hours. So a couple of different options there. And then if you have just any other election questions about your registrations, status or anything along those lines. You can also check that out at be-ballot-ready.com. So we hope that you found this podcast episode informational about what is coming up for the General Plan election. Remember it is an all mail-in ballot and the election ballot is due by Tuesday, May 21. So, thank you so much for taking the time and joining us on this episode of the Growing Goodyear podcast. For Tammy Vo, I'm Jordan Byrd and remember, it's always a great time to be in Goodyear.

That concludes this episode of Growing Goodyear. Make sure to leave us a review and subscribe on your favorite streaming or podcast player app. If you have any questions or comments, email us at communications at Goodyear az.gov. And don't forget to follow us on the city of Goodyear's social media pages.