Major General Plan Amendments

Print

Font Size: + -

What is a General Plan Amendment?

The Major General Plan Amendment process allows property owners to apply for Major Amendments to the Town's existing General Plan each year. All Major General Plan Amendments shall be presented at a public hearing within twelve months of when the proposal is made. The State of Arizona has established regulations under Arizona Revised Statutes Section 9-461 to govern the process of how and when a Town will amend and update their General Plans.

For details about submitting a General Plan Amendment, please refer to the General Plan or contact Erik Swanson, Planning Administrator, at 480-358-3013.

All proposed Major General Plan Amendments undergo a 60-day public comment period. After a series of public meetings, the proposed amendments are presented at Public Hearings before the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Town Council. By law, the Town Council votes to approve or deny the Major General Plan Amendment applications. A super-majority vote of the Council (5 votes) is required to approve a Major Amendment to the General Plan.

Key Milestones for all Major General Plan Amendment Proposals:

Pre-application submittal
Planning Commission Work Session
Economic Development Commission Work Session
Town Council Work Session (as needed)
Major General Plan amendment application submittal
60-day Agency review
Planning Commission Work Session
Economic Development Commission Work Session
Town Council Work Session (as needed)
Planning Commission Public Hearing – Introduction
Planning Commission Public Hearing
Town Council Public Hearing

2024 Major General Plan Amendments

P24-0077 Commercial Development in the Rural Land Use Category Major GPA

Description: The Town of Queen Creek is considering a major general plan amendment which, if approved, would provide potential opportunities to consider commercial development, within the Rural Land Use category, that is compatible with other adjacent rural uses.

For context regarding the project, in the last year, staff has received a significant increase in proposed commercial zoning and site plan applications in the Town’s Municipal Planning Area (MPA) within the Rural General Plan Land Use Category. Under the Rural Land Use Category, these properties could only develop as large lot single-family residential (R1-43 and greater), operate as very rural agricultural businesses such as nurseries, agribusinesses, community gardens, and grain storage under the R1-43+ permitted uses, “agriculture related businesses (farm stands)”, “agriculture and recreation-related, home office, and garage industry” employment uses”, or as agritainment. Commercial zoning categories are not currently permitted zoning districts within the Rural Land Use Category.

Staff is proposing an amendment to the General Plan to propose criteria/circumstances in which a commercial use could be considered in the rural areas while maintaining the overall vision for the Rural category. Such criteria include allowed uses, location at specific arterial intersections, building locations, building heights, access, buffering, and design.

For comments or questions, please contact Sarah Clark, Senior Planner, at 480-358-3020 or sarah.clark@queencreekaz.gov.

Schedule:

Neighborhood Meeting: April 30, 2024 at the Queen Creek Library Zane Grey Room
60-day public review: May 31, 2024 - July 31, 2024
Planning & Zoning Commission Public Hearing #1 (tentative): August 14, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Planning & Zoning Commission Public Hearing #2 Alternate Location (tentative): September 11, 2024 at 6:00 pm at the Queen Creek Library Zane Grey Room
Town Council Public Hearing (tentative): September 18, 2024 at 6:30 pm

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader