Deputy Director of Development Engineering Marty Crossland told the Goodyear City Council July 7 that staff is preparing a comprehensive update to the Engineering Design Standards and Policies Manual (EDS&PM), which was last revised in 2017, and that adoption will be proposed after additional outreach and internal rollouts.

Why this matters: the EDS&PM supplements regional construction standards and governs street widths, pavement thicknesses, utilities, drainage, parks and inspection procedures. The update aims to align local practice with Maricopa‑area standards and modernize processes used by developers, contractors and city reviewers.

Crossland said the project began in November 2023 with consultant Kimley‑Horn and Associates and that the update includes process clarifications, technical standard changes and a reorganized set of standard details. “It was last updated in 2017. So we are due to update,” Crossland said. He told council staff had made more than 3,000 changes overall, many of them editorial or alignment items, and that the work was split into blocks (administration/process, drainage/transportation, utilities/landscaping) to allow targeted stakeholder review.

Key changes outlined by staff include a documented waiver process to allow deviations from standards due to site constraints; an expanded field change process intended to reduce delays in the field by empowering staff to make timely decisions; a move to maintain an approved materials list outside the manual so the list can be updated without amending the full EDS± and a proposal requiring dry utilities to be relocated into a Public Utility Easement (PUE) when half‑ or full‑street construction occurs to avoid future conflicts.

Crossland said external review involved the city’s development forum (developers, engineers, property owners and planning attorneys) and that staff did not receive major objections in the public comment process. Katie Wilkin, Development Services Director, told council the EDS&PM update supports the city strategic plan item on improving the development continuum and aligns with planned zoning and building code updates.

Councilmembers praised the outreach and regular updates. Laura asked which external stakeholders were engaged; Crossland replied the development forum and technical staff from participating firms. Councilmembers also raised a separate but related concern about temporary promotional signage for new businesses; staff said that topic will be considered within the broader zoning update timeline, which staff does not expect to reach final adoption until June of the following year.

Next steps: staff plans to present the draft EDS&PM for formal adoption at the next council meeting after the summer break, roll out updated guidance to applicants, and review the manual every five years with interim internal reviews as needed to reflect state or federal changes.