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Staff to amend subdivision code to comply with state law that shifts plat approvals to administrative review
Summary
A state mandate (Senate Bill 1103 and House Bill 2447) requires cities to allow administrative approval of plats, lot splits and similar land-use items. Staff presented text amendment P25-100-AM to update the Land Development Code; council will consider the draft Nov. 18.
Senior planner Nick Leftich told the council Nov. 4 that two state bills require changes to local land-development code language so certain plats and minor land divisions are approved administratively rather than through public hearings.
Leftich said Senate Bill 1103 (2023) and House Bill 2447 (this year) amended the Arizona Revised Statutes to allow or require city councils to delegate approval of site plans, lot-line adjustments, preliminary and final plats, and plat amendments to administrative staff. "As a state mandated requirement, there's not much to work around, and so staff would recommend the approval of this text amendment in order to comply with the requirements of House Bill 2447," Leftich said.
Staff emphasized the city's existing practices already treat many items administratively, but preliminary plats, final plats and plat amendments historically came to council and the Planning and Zoning Commission for review. The text amendment (P25-100-AM) modifies references across Land Development Code Volume 2, Chapter 2, to delegate approval to the development services director or their designee where the statute directs.
Council asked whether the city has an expedited-review provision for applicants with a history of compliance; Leftich said the city maintains an expedited-review fee in its building-code fee schedule and an at-risk grading program, and staff did not propose additional language for that element at this time.
Leftich said staff will bring the ordinance language back for council consideration on Nov. 18; council discussion Nov. 4 acknowledged the change is driven by state law rather than local preference.
