Tempe launches update to Corona South character area plan, staff outline timeline and outreach

Jacob Payne, the City of Tempe’s principal planner leading the update, opened the kickoff by saying the character area documents are “neighborhood specific” guidance rather than zoning change tools and that the update will be community driven.

Payne reviewed how character area plans are intended to guide design and public-investment decisions—informing, but not replacing, zoning and city code—and said staff will use the documents to coordinate projects such as transportation and master planning efforts. “These documents also usually contain some background and history about the area,” he said, describing how the plans capture local character and priorities.

Lucas Jensen, a planner in Tempe’s long-range division, reviewed the original Corona South Tempe plan adopted in 2015, noting it ran 11 pages and included four themes—development; community and culture; connectivity; and environment—with 87 principles. Jensen said the area’s boundary is generally Kyrene Road to the west, the Western Canal to the north and Tempe’s southern and eastern city limits, and that it contains roughly 11% of Tempe’s population with higher-than-average household income and homeownership rates.

Staff described the project schedule and outreach: Phase 1 (inform and engage) is underway, staff will host multiple public meetings (including an in-person session tonight at Dayspring United Methodist Church), convene boards and commissions, hold a business mixer, run pop-up events, and release a draft plan in October with adoption by council via resolution targeted for January or February 2027.