The development industry is on a hot streak, and with that Arizona cities are implementing changes to keep pace. G&B’s Land Use and Zoning group has compiled noteworthy news from across the Valley, including an update on the Scottsdale General Plan, an overview of a Landscape Maintenance text amendment in Phoenix, and information about key planning and development staffing changes.
Update: Scottsdale General Plan – City Council Deletes Proposed Desert Rural Land Use Designation
At its April 20th Work Study Session, the Scottsdale City Council directed City Staff to delete the proposed Desert Rural Land Use Designation from the City’s pending General Plan Update. As we previously reported, the City is in the process of updating its General Plan. The Desert Rural Land Use Designation would have imposed reduced density limitations on several thousands of acres of privately owned, undeveloped land in North Scottsdale. A current draft of the proposed General Plan Update is linked here.
The City Council carried forward other changes proposed in the General Plan update including refinements to the Downtown Core and changes to the requirements for future General Plan amendments.
The City Council is expected to take action on the General Plan update in June 2021.
Gammage & Burnham’s Land Use team will continue to follow Scottsdale’s General Plan update. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions.
Landscape Maintenance Text Amendment – Phoenix
The City of Phoenix Planning and Development Department has proposed a Text Amendment (Z-TA-5-15) relating to landscaping within the City of Phoenix. If approved, the Amendment to the City Zoning Ordinance would codify many of the City’s typical zoning landscaping stipulations and policies with regards to landscaping within development as well as provide better enforcement. There are proposed changes relating to salvaging, planting plans, long-term maintenance/replacement, and shade requirements. Specifically, shade requirements would pertain to the shading of public/private walkways, public streets, multi-use trails/paths, and open space areas (i.e., 50% as well as specifications). In addition, the Amendment proposes a new Section that will address the long-term maintenance/replacement of landscaping (i.e., “maintenance plans”) with development.
The proposed Text Amendment is consistent with the City’s General Plan as well as the Mayor and Council’s goals for combating the “heat island” effects and providing comfort in the desert (“…helping make Phoenix a livable city”). The Amendment is currently working its way through the Village Planning Committees, with the Planning Commission scheduled to hear the Text Amendment on June 3, 2021 and City Council on July 1, 2021.
To read the full text, click here.
Staffing Changes
Doug Frost, Land Development and Infrastructure Planner at the City of Phoenix, has retired.
George Flores, Development Director at the City of Buckeye, is retiring in June 2021.
Terri Hogan, Deputy Planning Director at the City of Buckeye, is retiring in June 2021.
Randy Proch has joined the City of Buckeye as a Senior Planner in the Planning and Zoning Division. Randy is a Gammage & Burnham alumni and we wish him well!
If you have questions regarding any of these updates or how they might impact your business or development projects, Gammage & Burnham’s land use team is here to help. The Land Use & Zoning Practice Group at Gammage & Burnham includes: Manjula M. Vaz, Stephen W. Anderson, Susan E. Demmitt, Lindsay C. Schube, Grady Gammage Jr., Cameron C. Artigue, Ashley Zimmerman Marsh, and Michael T. Maerowitz.
