| ITEM #: 1. DATE: 11/03/2025 AI #:2919 |
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: | ZONING ORDINANCE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE |
| STAFF PRESENTER(S): | Katie Wilken, Development Services Director; Christian M. Williams, Planning Manager; Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Principal Planner |
OTHER PRESENTER(S):
Matthew Klyszeiko, Michael Baker International (Zoning Ordinance Update Consultant)
Summary
Council will receive an update on the Zoning Ordinance Comprehensive review and seek guidance on proposed enhancements to the public noticing process, temporary signage standards for multi-family developments, Use Permit and Special Use Permit uses, and the expansion of permitted housing types. (Katie Wilken, Development Services Director; Christian M. Williams, Planning Manager; Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez, Principal Planner)
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct budget impact associated with the comprehensive update. Funding for tasks associated with the Zoning Ordinance update has been approved for this fiscal year.
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS
Arizona state law provides municipalities with the ability to enact zoning regulations for the development of the municipalities and to conserve and promote public health, safety, and general welfare (ARS 9-462.01). The city’s last comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update occurred in 1999. Since then, text amendments have been completed to modify portions of the Ordinance to respond to changes in development and to comply with new state legislation.
The comprehensive update process kicked-off January 2025. The consultant, Michael Baker International, created a Zoning Ordinance Analysis and prepared an annotated outline of new Ordinance (Attachment A). Staff and the consultant met with the development community through roundtables on various topics including housing, industrial, and commercial development. Staff also met with internal stakeholders including department and division leaders. The feedback received is being considered for the update.
A community workshop was held on April 23, 2025, at the Goodyear Recreation Center. The consultant provided a presentation explaining what the Zoning Ordinance is, what the Ordinance does and does not regulate, spoke about the update process and received feedback from the ten (10) residents in attendance; the attendees engaged with the consultants and city staff throughout the presentation. Additional community meetings are planned for the future as the update process progresses.
Additionally, staff is working with consultant group Matrix through a Housing Opportunities in Mentorship and Education (HOME) Technical Assistance grant obtained from Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). The grant focuses on identifying opportunities in the Zoning Ordinance to promote affordable housing. The Matrix team completed a Zoning Assessment to identify these opportunities, see Attachment B. The Matrix team will be working on a model ordinance for housing affordability next, which will be incorporated into the broader comprehensive update, and will guide other communities in the valley as well.
The comprehensive update process kicked-off January 2025. The consultant, Michael Baker International, created a Zoning Ordinance Analysis and prepared an annotated outline of new Ordinance (Attachment A). Staff and the consultant met with the development community through roundtables on various topics including housing, industrial, and commercial development. Staff also met with internal stakeholders including department and division leaders. The feedback received is being considered for the update.
A community workshop was held on April 23, 2025, at the Goodyear Recreation Center. The consultant provided a presentation explaining what the Zoning Ordinance is, what the Ordinance does and does not regulate, spoke about the update process and received feedback from the ten (10) residents in attendance; the attendees engaged with the consultants and city staff throughout the presentation. Additional community meetings are planned for the future as the update process progresses.
Additionally, staff is working with consultant group Matrix through a Housing Opportunities in Mentorship and Education (HOME) Technical Assistance grant obtained from Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). The grant focuses on identifying opportunities in the Zoning Ordinance to promote affordable housing. The Matrix team completed a Zoning Assessment to identify these opportunities, see Attachment B. The Matrix team will be working on a model ordinance for housing affordability next, which will be incorporated into the broader comprehensive update, and will guide other communities in the valley as well.
STAFF ANALYSIS
During this work session staff and consultant will be seeking input on:
CONCLUSION
The comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update aims to protect our residents’ health, safety, and welfare by establishing land use classifications, dividing the city into districts, and imposing regulations on land use, building dimensions, and open space among other regulations.
With the City Council feedback received, staff will continue to draft the Zoning Ordinance. The update will come before the City Council for an additional Work Session in the Spring, prior to adoption which will be scheduled for prior to July 2026.
- Enhancements to the public noticing process
- Increasing noticing distance from 500 feet to 600 feet for all public hearing proposals.
- Increasing noticing distance to 1,200 feet for zoning proposals requesting a land use change.
- Use Permit and Special Use Permit uses, see Attachment C for a comprehensive list of all uses
- Discuss uses to consider removal of Use Permit requirement with additional standard and conditions as necessary
- Additional single-family dwelling for every 20 acres of lot area (Residential)
- Veterinary Offices and Hospitals (Commercial)
- Day Cares (Commercial)
- Fine Art Studios (Commercial)
- Limited Outdoor Displays (Commercial)
- Outdoor seating for food and drinking establishments (Commercial)
- Accessory caretaker dwelling (Industrial)
- Discuss uses to consider removal of Use Permit requirement with additional standard and conditions as necessary
- New possible housing types in residential districts, see Attachment D for additional details on Housing Types
- Two family dwelling, duplex
- One single family attached dwelling, townhome or auto-court
- More than two family dwelling, triplex or quadplex
- Manufactured Home
- Temporary Signage for Multifamily, see Attachment E for comparison with other cities
- Additional signage based on Certificate of Occupancy Issuance and Change of Ownership (Business License)
CONCLUSION
The comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update aims to protect our residents’ health, safety, and welfare by establishing land use classifications, dividing the city into districts, and imposing regulations on land use, building dimensions, and open space among other regulations.
With the City Council feedback received, staff will continue to draft the Zoning Ordinance. The update will come before the City Council for an additional Work Session in the Spring, prior to adoption which will be scheduled for prior to July 2026.
Attachments
- Attachment A - Zoning Ordinance Analysis and Annotated Outline
- Attachment B - MAG HOME TA Zoning Assessment
- Attachment C - Use Permit and Special Use Permit Uses Handout
- Attachment D - Residential Housing Types Handout
- Attachment E - Temporary Signage for Multifamily Handout
- Staff Presentation