[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6530259,"mediaKeyId","3678861-8ee44643d74cec37beed2f8decc36512","parentId",3678861,"title","Maricopa County to pursue overhaul of zoning ordinance with aggressive seven-month schedule","audioSeconds",597,"startMs",2063000,"endMs",2660000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3678861-8ee44643d74cec37beed2f8decc36512&start=2063&end=2660","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3678861-8ee44643d74cec37beed2f8decc36512/thumbnail_2063000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6530259/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Maricopa-County-to-pursue-overhaul-of-zoning-ordinance-with-aggressive-seven-month-schedule","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530259-ca7eb9efe51aa00f7357c74897d50c46/orig.mp4?Expires=1770981849&Signature=mhcq65Y45Gae8wZeMi7FOrA6ui1-KWRi8GJVI0Q3T1-VIHZe1e5OoNegBjYLnkmITs-VZOdg78cXS5Vrhd8aAl8iTDrJTPENirw~Qki4uGy49q8PydXYk5ZGU621Cohff6qVr4v3jy~cU2U4J-tIvsteEZSuxISJzsk-gb6bF-xgNYxkmzzO5AZ~m0Vis3pKkdJm9rjbfSHplNvbDNmtTfpswvfIhTvFaVAr7rElz8fkb~-3bPFqssYMs54lgw6V8vOD~r49UFqsl37VMZRUCseY0khss1tBQyvtBA4ZRmzi4FGjdfB7FTIQqhMi4xFQ8gzzGBYqJDBo83mo1t5f7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maricopa County","date","2025-06-05T18:34:16Z","article","Maricopa County planning staff briefed the Planning and Zoning Commission on an overhaul of the county zoning ordinance, saying the effort aims to make the code easier to use, address modern land uses and streamline processes that frequently generate repeat requests.

Ron (planning staff) told the commission the Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance, originally adopted in 1969 and amended many times, is the county's primary regulatory document for land uses and development and that staff contracted Matrix Design Group to assist with the update. \"The ordinance... regulates land uses and development, essentially tries to encourage development that's compatible with adjacent land uses,\" Ron said.

Staff said the update grew out of an internal review and that frequent amendments (more than 70 in the past 15 years, staff estimated) signaled a need to modernize the code. The stated goals include reformatting the ordinance to improve usability with tables and graphics, updating development standards (setbacks, heights, lot coverage), revising parking standards for uses such as warehouses, and examining whether some approvals currently requiring public hearings could instead be handled administratively.

Timeline and process: staff described an \"aggressive\" schedule to produce a draft within roughly seven months. The update team has formed a task force (including the chair and vice chair), will hold public stakeholder meetings in June and August, and expects to hold two public hearings in November and December. Staff asked commissioners and the public to submit suggestions via email and said a draft code and supporting website materials will be posted as the work proceeds.

Commissioner discussion included suggestions about use permits and housing definitions. Commissioner Millhaven said she did not understand why use permits require a public hearing when proposed conditions are clear and suggested that some use permits might be converted to administrative approvals. Commissioner Millhaven also said multifamily housing can be a different and potentially incompatible use relative to single-family zoning and suggested exploring whether multifamily projects should be defined and regulated as commercial in some cases.

Staff said the task force is focusing on the special-use permits and identifying common requests that could become standards in the base zoning districts to reduce the frequency of variance or special-request applications. Matrix Design Group is under contract and staff said they aim to present a draft for public review by fall before formal hearings.

No formal action was taken at the meeting. Staff encouraged commissioners to submit ideas via email and to review materials when posted online.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-05-22 Planning and Zoning Commission","oneSentenceSummary","Maricopa County planning staff briefed the Planning and Zoning Commission on an overhaul of the county zoning ordinance, saying the effort aims to make the code easier to use, address modern land uses and streamline processes that frequently generate repeat requests.","taxTitle","Maricopa County, Arizona","taxId",2206,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6530264,"Maricopa County summarizes public outreach for comprehensive plan update; water, trails and housing emerge as top concerns",1228,435000,1663000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3678861-8ee44643d74cec37beed2f8decc36512&start=435&end=1663","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3678861-8ee44643d74cec37beed2f8decc36512/thumbnail_435000.jpg","/articles/6530264/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Maricopa-County-summarizes-public-outreach-for-comprehensive-plan-update-water-trails-and-housing-emerge-as-top-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530264-53769bd1f52e8e9932340d485e579195/orig.mp4?Expires=1770981849&Signature=hMRmqQIAgKdNvg-4fkeUd7LhBpETfoWhxR8WywN9M1xZR4RDaHHoHJdAXHVDNuzErvZfcMVl9OvBNWIjc558DuO7Wa9xjGsRl2GwKlaUzkFM5rwyTW1LHSVxayuglBwmU8BFDMrt~NX9wZKrmg5t78Tw6vbKlWolKej5XC3blMHcMno1-X61UtLaGGNJnW59Qb~hLLx2yvf6Ahxt4ZuGex4aD7hFKOgW96ByCL7TZWtOcwe~4~3EyNurMVd5jB7UQx5TmKTU2Yj427wNOYEpJgwLGO8iw0V7-3UgMNbcuCsSC1URuFpjUUKJv7~cuWiY4~mNTF2Dt5F22s~zhNhbKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maricopa County planning staff updated the Planning and Zoning Commission on the countywide comprehensive plan update and public outreach, saying water availability, preserving natural areas and housing affordability were the leading concerns reported in two rounds of public participation.

Adam Cannon, of Maricopa County Planning and Development, told commissioners the comprehensive plan \"is the long range plan for the county and how it will grow and serve its community members in the future,\" and that the update is state-mandated and intended to align the county's policies with more recent plans such as the parks and transportation master plans.

Cannon said staff completed a first round of outreach earlier this year and a second round that included five in-person meetings (one in each supervisor district) and a grand virtual meeting. County staff used a community survey, an idea wall, and a virtual mapping tool on the Framework2040.com site to gather feedback, he said. \"There wasn't 1 person who responded to the survey that didn't say water availability [was important],\" Cannon said, describing water as the survey's top concern.

Why it matters: the comprehensive plan covers Maricopa County's unincorporated areas, sets broad policies used in rezoning and land-use decisions, and will guide development over the next decade. The plan was last adopted in 2016; state law requires updates at regular intervals.

Staff summarized survey demographics and priorities. Cannon reported that about 80% of respondents said they live in Maricopa County, roughly 65% reported they own property in the county and about 37% reported they work in the county. Respondents most often prioritized water availability, protection of the natural environment and trails; trails were mentioned 35 times in open-ended comments, Cannon said. On housing, 75% of respondents identified the availability of affordable single-family homes as the top housing challenge, and respondents flagged middle-housing options such as townhomes and duplexes as important.

Commissioners asked about the representativeness of survey respondents. Steven (planning staff) and Cannon said responses skew older, which they attributed to typical participation patterns and to the county's unincorporated population; they said staff made efforts to reach a broader cross-section by contacting businesses and stakeholders and working across supervisor districts.

Staff said the public engagement tools remain open through late summer or early fall, and they expect to post a draft plan for review by the end of the summer or early fall and to return to the commission with a formal draft. Cannon said the vision report and outreach results are posted at Framework2040.com and that staff will continue online outreach, social media and e-blasts to raise participation.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the comprehensive plan at the meeting. Staff encouraged commissioners and members of the public to complete the round-two survey focused on draft goals and policy statements.

Next steps: staff said they will prepare a draft plan for public review in late summer or early fall, continue outreach, and bring the draft back to the commission before formal hearings.","County planning staff reported results from two rounds of public outreach for the county's comprehensive plan update, saying water availability, protection of the natural environment, trails and affordable single-family housing topped respondents' priorities. Staff said a draft plan is expected by late summer or early fall.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6530254,"Legal counsel says lawsuit filed over Goldhawk zoning and names county, board and members",82,3023000,3105000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3678861-8ee44643d74cec37beed2f8decc36512&start=3023&end=3105","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3678861-8ee44643d74cec37beed2f8decc36512/thumbnail_3023000.jpg","/articles/6530254/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Legal-counsel-says-lawsuit-filed-over-Goldhawk-zoning-and-names-county-board-and-members","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530254-4b21b061934c7cbe1d00461fe90e6c53/orig.mp4?Expires=1770981849&Signature=WtvH1xVovNcsR4v~xQPZjJbT6ZX2p9c4FTUsjp8iaihCo90enyh4sGRcwpBAXY1CgrtyfM0mdyoPB5ivXE416KLbEmfPhQojmg1bRbSmFcnW~9Hmb~V7s-FUQIBue7ZVrW4uSx81XpI9Gkny1gBdLAc40heuRCyuN6lYJJtiI7UsfdruKuCckS-MDmVrZa8ps87uNFwcw8Dztv0CvrTYxSK8K4rRcoEc~fZsGfxyzCgrrelg~RSnAhWY27wUrN8d7IqUvneHZsns~jiJpHnSDadNOnT5ULusVCpYCY7-ulR3JC5ozAJncoVCiMb-xAOq8xwnfrO0mmyxdBg-t6pe~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A staff attorney told the Planning and Zoning Commission that a lawsuit was filed Monday alleging open meeting law violations and zoning-code violations in the Goldhawk matter and that the complaint names Maricopa County, the board and each member individually.

\"There was a lawsuit filed Monday evening. I don't know if you've heard about this, but it does name the county, this board, and each of the members individually,\" the staff attorney (name not specified) said. The attorney said the complaint seeks declaratory relief and writs to correct perceived deficiencies and that the matter is in its early stages.

The attorney said the Goldhawk matter is represented by Snell & Wilmer and that staff would keep the commission updated. A staff member then noted, \"Goldhawk Zoning was approved by the board yesterday.\" The attorney also said commissioners might receive additional communications from the clerk because each board member was named individually in the suit.

Why it matters: a lawsuit that challenges a recent zoning approval and alleges open meeting law violations could affect the status of the approved action and might lead to court proceedings that revisit procedural and substantive elements of the Board of Supervisors' decision.

Staff did not provide additional specifics such as the filing date beyond \"Monday evening,\" the court in which the complaint was filed, or the full text of the complaint during the meeting. The staff attorney said the case is at an early procedural stage and that the county would provide updates as developments occur.

No formal action was taken by the Planning and Zoning Commission in response to the legal notice at this meeting.","A county legal representative told the Planning and Zoning Commission that a lawsuit alleging open meeting law and zoning-code violations was filed Monday and names Maricopa County, the board and individual members; staff said the Goldhawk zoning matter was approved by the Board of Supervisors the previous day.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Maricopa County to pursue overhaul of zoning ordinance with aggressive seven-month schedule

Maricopa County summarizes public outreach for comprehensive plan update; water, trails and housing emerge as top concerns

Legal counsel says lawsuit filed over Goldhawk zoning and names county, board and members