Mesa planning board recommends code edits to align zoning code with Mesa 2050 General Plan and Transportation Master Plan

The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board on Nov. 25 voted unanimously to recommend City Council adopt Title 11 text amendments that update terminology and cross-references to align the zoning code with the Mesa 2050 General Plan and the Transportation Master Plan, and to revise public-hearing timing for major general-plan amendments to conform with 2022 state law.

City staff said the general plan was ratified by voters Nov. 5 and confirmed by City Council the prior Thursday. Staff presented proposed edits to development-standard tables and other code references to replace obsolete language — for example, changing references from “employment character area” to the plan’s current place-type terminology such as “regional employment center,” and moving references for street classifications from the General Plan to the Transportation Master Plan where those classifications are actually maintained.

Staff also explained a statutory change from 2022 that altered the timeline for major general-plan amendments: whereas the prior local practice was to hold a single yearly hearing for all general-plan amendments, the updated requirement is that each major general-plan amendment must be heard within 12 months of its application. Rachel, a staff member, summarized that the code text was revised to reflect that state requirement and to align local terminology with the Mesa 2050 General Plan.

There were no public comments. The board moved and seconded a single motion covering both the adaptive reuse and general-plan-reference amendments and voted to recommend adoption to City Council; the action will be forwarded as an advisory recommendation for council consideration.