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

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…