Queen Creek unveils general plan update process, aims for Nov. 2027 ratification

Consultant Matt Kliesico of Michael Baker International and colleague Robbie Aaron presented the town's general plan update process and community engagement to the Planning and Zoning Commission. They described three phases — recognize, enrich and achieve — and said the project is currently in the "enriched" phase that leads into drafting and a required 60-day review period with adjacent jurisdictions and state agencies.

Kliesico said the team plans for a 60-day review and a council approval timeline that meets state statute requirements, aiming to place the plan before voters in November 2027. "We're shooting for the November 2027 ballot for that ratification," he said. The presenters recapped the first community workshop in May (about 50 attendees) and said outreach includes online surveys and an interactive mapping tool that has captured resident input on congestion, trail connectivity, cherished public spaces and agritainment opportunities.

Workshop feedback, the consultants said, emphasized walkable mixed‑use neighborhoods, third spaces and concerns about green space balanced against water use. The presenters also described a proposed reorganization of the plan's chapters to align goals and strategies with the town's corporate strategic plan and to make the document more user-friendly. Staff noted a second community workshop set for August 26 and asked commissioners to help spread the word.

Provenance: topic introduced in SEG 688–SEG 746 and continued through SEG 1110.