The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a comprehensive rewrite of the county zoning code on Dec. 12, a measure county planners and industry representatives described as a modernization intended to streamline permitting and address emerging technologies.

Planning staff said the rewrite is the outcome of a year‑long task‑force process that distilled 85 action items into a draft ordinance and reduced duplicative text, consolidated development standards into single tables and clarified permitted uses. "The ordinance has been reduced from 17 chapters to 14, eliminating duplicative sections and removing almost 15,000 words," planning director Tom Elsworth said.

Key policy changes include standardized setbacks and building heights, updated parking and landscaping requirements, short‑term rental restrictions (one STR per parcel with owner‑occupancy where ADUs exist), and new provisions for battery energy storage systems (BESS). "We established a 100‑foot setback for battery energy storage systems," Elsworth said, noting the planning commission recommendation and fire‑safety input.

The update also implements state law changes for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Staff cited last year's state bill (referenced in the hearing as HB 82598) and said the draft allows attached and detached ADUs on lots under an acre with development‑standard limits including a one‑story/18‑foot height cap when an ADU encroaches into a setback, and a 30% side‑yard coverage cap for encroaching units.

Supporters included renewable‑energy and utility representatives who said the new code balances safety and feasibility for grid‑scale projects. Ben Graff, speaking for APS, praised the code’s flexibility, highlighting the industrial unit plan of development (IUPD) overlay as a tool to tailor buffers and site‑specific standards.

Residents and some public speakers urged larger buffers in sensitive rural areas and clearer definitions for setbacks, septic and farm‑animal limits. The board and staff said the IUPD or rezoning process can impose additional buffering and site‑specific mitigation where needed.

Vice Chair moved the ordinance as recommended by the planning commission and edited by two handout memos; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call (Stewart, Brophy McGee, Lesko, Gallardo and Galvin all voted yes). Following adoption, the board withdrew a separate ADU/STR item that was redundant with the ordinance update.

What happens next: The rewrite establishes the code framework and administrative tools for future rezoning and plan‑of‑development reviews. Site‑specific questions — such as whether a particular BESS or data center uses water cooling or air cooling and how large buffers should be on a given parcel — will be addressed during rezoning or plan reviews, as staff and industry repeatedly noted.