Lake Havasu City planning commission approves wide-ranging zoning code amendments

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — The Lake Havasu City Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Dec. 18 to approve a package of amendments to Title 14 of the Lake Havasu City Code that changes permitted uses, definitions and use-specific standards across multiple zoning districts and forwards the ordinance to city council for final action.

City staff said the revisions update the 2016 development code to reflect how the code has been used in practice and to split some uses that staff and commissioners agreed are different in intensity or effect. "The current definition of residential care facility is 6 or more, which is not really in line with the requirements of the fire department," Luke, a city planning staff member, told the commission during the public hearing and discussion.

The commission’s action sends the amended permitted‑use table (Table 3‑1), related definition updates and changes to use‑specific standards to the city council. Staff framed the package as a housekeeping and operational update after several smaller edits to the code in prior years; commissioners debated several items in detail before endorsing the full package.

Key changes and discussion points

- Residential care facilities and continuing care retirement communities: Staff proposed aligning residential care thresholds with fire and building rules; commissioners raised fair‑housing and practical concerns and decided not to lower the threshold during the meeting.…