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Planning commission adopts zoning changes to align with Ag-to-Urban law (SB1611)
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a zoning text amendment to implement features of SB1611 (the Ag-to-Urban bill), including low-water tree lists, limits on turf requirements and prohibitions on decorative water features for subdivisions that pledge groundwater credits.
The Town of Queen Creek Planning Commission approved a zoning ordinance text amendment to align local subdivision and landscape standards with SB 1611, the so-called Ag-to-Urban bill.
Sarah Clark, principal planner in the Development Services Department, told the commission the state bill creates a program that allows agricultural properties to relinquish water rights in exchange for groundwater credits that can be pledged to a certificate of assured water supply; that pledge can allow conversion of agricultural parcels to developable status. Clark said the town’s amendment updates zoning language to match the bill’s requirements.
Why it matters: Clark said the amendment requires trees in affected subdivisions to be selected from a low-water tolerant list published by the Department of Water Resources, removes minimum turf requirements except for public or private recreation areas, and prohibits the town from requiring decorative water features in these subdivisions. The amendment also clarifies active open-space requirements and applies a similar tree standard to all subdivisions in town.
Clark told commissioners that most of the standards are already consistent with current town practice; the text changes are intended to align local code language with the state statute and to clarify requirements for applicants.
Public comment and outcome: Staff said the applicant-held neighborhood meeting was limited and the record included one supporting and one opposing emailed comment for an unrelated item earlier in the agenda; no speaker cards were filed on this text amendment. A commissioner moved to approve the zoning ordinance text amendment identified in staff materials as item P25-0090; the motion received a second and the commission voted to approve the amendment.
Next steps: The commission forwarded the adopted text amendment consistent with SB 1611 for any subsequent action required by council and implementation through the town’s permitting process.
