Pinal County has a few questions for you.
Where were you in 1962? Were you in Elementary School? Dancing the twist? Attending the Seattle World Fair?
Pinal County is asking this question because 1962 was the year that their current Zoning Ordinance was approved.
The Zoning Ordinance is the legal document used to control & manage land uses & development in the County. The problem with this 45 year old document is that it has had only minor changes since it was approved 1962.
So much has changed in the County & in the development world that the existing Ordinance no longer works as well as it should. For example, when the Ordinance was approved, you couldn’t listen to Chubby Checker on your cell phone since there weren’t any. Now, nearly everyone has a cell phone & want to use their phone everywhere. The existing Ordinance does not address cell phones, or people’s views from the unsightly antennas.
On Sept 20th, the Planning Commission will be holding a study session to review the first draft of a new Zoning Ordinance for Pinal Co. This rewrite has been directed by the Planning Commission and managed by County staff.
The new Zoning Ordinance will address cell phones & many other issues that have been brought up. People from throughout the County want to preserve their view of the stars by maintaining a dark night sky. This new Ordinance will allow the County to regulate lighting on private property.
One of the more important aspects of the new Ordinance is to implement what people have been telling County staff at many public meetings over the years: do a better job with open space! There has been concern that not enough land is being set aside for open space. They are also concerned that the open space being set aside now doesn't have places where they & their children can recreate. The new Zoning Ordinance will require more open space to be set aside & that park facilities are constructed early in the life of all residential developments.
Anyone interested in the new Zoning Ordinance is welcome to attend any of the upcoming meetings, study sessions or hearings. Citizens are welcome to speak at the meetings & the hearings, but will only be able to listen at the Study Sessions. There is more info at: co.pinal.az.us, under Planning & Development.