Maricopa County launches rewrite of 1969 zoning code to clarify standards and add housing flexibility

Tom Ellsworth, director of the Maricopa County Planning and Development Department, told a Downtown Phoenix stakeholder meeting June 5 that the county is overhauling its zoning ordinance, which was adopted in 1969, to modernize format, clarify standards and add flexibility to support housing options and predictable development.

The rewrite affects only unincorporated Maricopa County, including county islands inside municipal boundaries and rural periphery areas, officials said. "What we're here to discuss is the zoning code update for Maricopa County," Ellsworth said, summarizing the project goals and public engagement plan.

County staff and a board-appointed task force of planners, developers, agency members and residents described why changes are needed: the current code is text-heavy, inconsistent in standards and difficult for property owners to apply. The county highlighted specific targets for revision: use regulations (including short-term rentals, food trucks and electric-vehicle charging), development standards (setbacks, lot coverage, building height and parking), permitting and administrative procedures, and quality-of-life protections such as buffers and landscaping.

The county emphasized housing as a principal objective. Staff framed revisions to allow more "attainable" or "middle" housing types without requiring full rezoning, and to…