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November 2, 2022
CPA2022007
Page 1 of 1
Report to the Board of Supervisors
Prepared by the Maricopa County Planning and Development Department
Board Hearing Date:
November 2, 2022 (Cont. from July 27, 2022)
Case #/Title:
CPA2022007 – East Mesa Area Plan Decommission
Supervisor District:
2
Request:
Decommission the East Mesa Area Plan. CPA approval is by
Resolution.
Additional
Comments:
The East Mesa Area Plan was originally adopted in 1989, with
the latest version updated and adopted in 1992. It currently
consists of approximately 96 square miles. Research
completed by our GIS team and staff found that
approximately 56 square miles of the plan area or 58% has
been incorporated by the City of Mesa and Town of Gilbert.
Only approximately 40 square miles of unincorporated land
remains within the East Mesa Planning Area, thus it no longer
fits with the County’s area plan program expectations.
The Board continued this case to the November 2, 2022
hearing to allow for additional outreach efforts. On June 29,
2022, staff sent an e-mail to registered interest groups in the
East Mesa area. An inquiry from the Maricopa County Parks
and Recreation Department asked about a deadline to
submit comments, but did not provide any comments. There
is no known opposition to the proposed decommissioning.
Commission
Recommendation:
On 6/16/22, the Commission voted 7-0 to recommend
approval of CPA2022007 to decommission the area plan.
Presented by:
Rachel Applegate, Senior Planner
Reviewed by:
Darren Gérard, AICP, Planning Manager
Attachments:
6/16/22 P&Z Packet (4 pages)
PZ Handout – County Area Plan Status Summary (1 page)
6/29/22 Outreach e-mail notice (2 pages)
Maricopa County Parks & Recreation (3 pages)
Resolution (2 pages)
CPA2022007
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Report to the Planning and Zoning Commission
Prepared by the Maricopa County Planning and Development Department
Case:
CPA2022007 – East Mesa Area Plan Decommission
Meeting Date:
June 16, 2022
Supervisor District:
2
Request:
Decommission the East Mesa Area Plan (staff initiated)
Recommendation:
Approve to decommission the East Mesa Area Plan
Overview & Staff Analysis
1. The East Mesa Area Plan was originally adopted in 1989, with the latest version updated and
adopted in 1992. It currently consists of approximately 96 square miles generally located at
Bush Hwy (north), Elliot Rd. (south), Meridian Rd. (east), and Gilbert Rd. (west), just north of
the Queen Creek Area Plan.
Map of East Mesa Area Plan Boundaries
2. Much has changed in the planning area since the last update in 1992, like several of the
other County Area Plans, which was discussed at the August 19, 2021 ZIPPOR Meeting. Staff
evaluated all of the current area plans based on the following criteria to determine which
ones could be considered for decommissioning:
• Percentage and total area of land that has been incorporated through annexation since
plan approval;
• The number of Comprehensive Plan Amendments (CPAs) and/or Development Master
Plans (DMP’s) that have occurred in the last 10-years within each area plan;
CPA2022007
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• The potential for growth/large-scale development, as well as other unique factors related
to each specific area plans such as regional parks and open space, natural barriers, and
types of land uses; and
• The original and most recent update (if applicable) for each plan.
3. Specific to the East Mesa Area Plan, research completed by our GIS team and staff found
that approximately 56 square miles of the plan area or 58% has been incorporated by the
City of Mesa and Town of Gilbert. Only approximately 40 square miles of unincorporated
land remains within the East Mesa Planning Area.
Map of Incorporated Portions Within East Mesa Area Plan
4. Since 2010, only 4 CPA’s or DMP’s have been approved in the East Mesa Area Plan
boundary, showing the lack of proposed growth with larger scale developments for
changing the future land use designations of the plan.
5. Current County jurisdiction includes mostly residential and commercial zoning and uses
along University Dr. and Apache Tr. A large portion of the northeast section of the plan area
CPA2022007
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includes the Usery Mountain Regional Park, which takes up nearly 3,650 acres of the
remaining unincorporated lands.
6. The potential benefits of decommissioning this area plan would be that it would remove an
outdated document, where staff can focus on county island specific research and updates
within the future Comprehensive Plan update. The current plan has not been updated for
nearly 30 years and it does not represent the current conditions and goals/policies of the
East Mesa area. The most important aspect of decommissioning the plan is that all remaining
County jurisdiction land would automatically be reverted to “Rural Development Area
(RDA)” with a density range of 0 – 1 d.u./ac. It is important for the unincorporated areas to
remain with the lowest intensity land use designation which would require a public hearing
process for requested changes (if zoning is not already established) including zone changes
and land use proposals over 40 acres that does not fit within the RDA land use designation
category.
7. Staff will focus on a county island study and policy portion to evaluate all areas of the County
as part of the next Comprehensive Plan update in 2026, which will be in the process for
updating within the next couple of years. This study would provide goals and policies in
support of the Comprehensive Plan to offer specific direction related to the growth and
development within county island areas. The county island study would be used as follows:
• Provide up to date information on existing conditions including utilities and services within
these areas;
• Analyze future development requests to understand what, if anything, is feasible within
existing county islands and how to encourage annexation when needed;
• Set specific strategies and policies for different types, sizes, and locations of these county
islands. This will help guide proposals to viable development options if available based
on particulars of each area; and
• Promote a comprehensive approach to understanding the current state of county
islands, and to outline possible solutions for the future from a policy and guideline
perspective for these areas of the County.
Recommendation
8. Staff recommends the Commission motion for approval of case CPA2022007 to
decommission the East Mesa Area Plan for the reasons outlined in this report.
Presented by:
Ray Banker, Senior Planner
Reviewed by:
Darren Gerard, AICP, Deputy Director
Attachment
Case Map
301 W. Jefferson St., Ste. 170
Phoenix AZ 85003
Phone: (602) 506-7139
Fax: (602) 506-3711
www.maricopa.gov/planning
Maricopa County
Planning & Development Department
Date: June 16, 2022
To:
Maricopa County Planning & Zoning Commission
From: Darren V. Gerard, AICP, Planning Services Manager
RE: County Area Plans status summary
The following summary was presented to the Commission in August 2021 when staff was
given direction to proceed with decommissioning of five area plans – Laveen, Estrella,
Mobile, East Mesa and Queen Creek.
From:
Darren Gerard (PND)
To:
Matthew Holm (PND)
Subject:
CPA2022007 decommissioning of the East Mesa Area Plan
Date:
Wednesday, June 29, 2022 8:32:00 PM
Attachments:
East Mesa.docx
image002.png
image005.png
image006.png
To: Registered Area of Interest groups within the East Mesa Area Plan
From: Darren V. Gerard, AICP, Planning Manager
Re: CPA2022007 decommissioning of the East Mesa Area Plan
Maricopa County is undertaking a comprehensive analysis of all County Area Plans to ensure
that they reflect the current conditions of the local community they serve, and to ensure they
remain compliant with the are plan program as outlined in Vision 2030, The Maricopa County
Comprehensive Plan. Several area plans (see below), including the East Mesa Area Plan, no
longer meets these criteria, thus will be decommissioned and a new strategy will be used to
oversee future growth in this area.
The East Mesa Area Plan was adopted in 1992. It covers approximately 96 square miles, but
an estimated 58% of the area has been incorporated by the City of Mesa and Town of Gilbert
that have left mostly scattered and discontiguous county islands. The result is that only
approximately 40 square miles of unincorporated land remains within the East Mesa Area
Plan. Because of these annexation patterns, the existing East Mesa Area Plan no longer
represents the conditions and goals/policies of the area, and no longer meets the
requirements and expectations for inclusion in the County’s area plan program.
The most important aspect of decommissioning this plan is that all remaining unincorporated
land will now be designated “Rural Development Area (RDA)” which a residential density
range of 0 – 1 d.u./ac. and is appropriate for primarily rural-type land uses. Also, the RDA will
help ensure that the local community is notified of any future requests for zone changes that
do not meet these low-density criteria so that it can participate fully in these decisions.
Decommissioning this area plan will not change or otherwise affect any previously approved
comprehensive plan amendment (CPA) or existing zoning with the planning area. Rather, the
decommissioning and RDA designation will be a new and effective strategy to evaluate future
growth in coordination with the community.
Please submit any comments online at:
https://www.maricopa.gov/FormCenter/Regulatory-Planning-Development-15/Comment-on-a-
Planning-Case-183,
or you may send them directly to me as noted in my signature block below.
Darren V. Gérard, AICP
Planning Services Manager
Maricopa County Planning & Development Department
301 W. Jefferson Street, Suite 170, Phoenix, AZ 85003
Desk: 602-506-7139 | Cell: 602-723-2241 | Fax: 602-506-3711
Darren.Gerard@maricopa.gov
P&D is now 100% digital for construction permit applications.
Find information on our new permit process here.
As of March 29, P&D’s main office has relocated to 301 W. Jefferson St.
From:
Darren Gerard (PND)
To:
Eileen Baden (PRK)
Cc:
Matthew Holm (PND)
Subject:
RE: CPA2022007 decommissioning of the East Mesa Area Plan
Date:
Tuesday, July 5, 2022 10:29:00 AM
Attachments:
image005.png
image006.png
image007.png
If you have any comment try to get them to us in about 30 days, if possible. The staff recommendation is
summarized below.
Darren V. Gérard, AICP
Planning Services Manager
Planning & Development
602-506-7139
Darren.Gerard@maricopa.gov
From: Eileen Baden (PRK) <Eileen.Baden@maricopa.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, July 5, 2022 8:30 AM
To: Darren V. Gérard (PND) <Darren.Gerard@Maricopa.Gov>
Subject: RE: CPA2022007 decommissioning of the East Mesa Area Plan
Hi Darren,
What is the deadline that you would like to receive comments by?
Eileen Baden, AICP
Park and Open Space Planner
Maricopa County Parks and Recreation
Email: eileen.baden@maricopa.gov
Phone: 602-506-9521
From: Darren V. Gérard (PND) <Darren.Gerard@Maricopa.Gov>
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2022 8:32 PM
To: Matthew Holm (PND) <Matthew.Holm@Maricopa.Gov>
Subject: CPA2022007 decommissioning of the East Mesa Area Plan
To: Registered Area of Interest groups within the East Mesa Area Plan
From: Darren V. Gerard, AICP, Planning Manager
Re: CPA2022007 decommissioning of the East Mesa Area Plan
Maricopa County is undertaking a comprehensive analysis of all County Area Plans to ensure
that they reflect the current conditions of the local community they serve, and to ensure they
remain compliant with the are plan program as outlined in Vision 2030, The Maricopa County
Comprehensive Plan. Several area plans (see below), including the East Mesa Area Plan, no
longer meets these criteria, thus will be decommissioned and a new strategy will be used to
oversee future growth in this area.
The East Mesa Area Plan was adopted in 1992. It covers approximately 96 square miles, but
an estimated 58% of the area has been incorporated by the City of Mesa and Town of Gilbert
that have left mostly scattered and discontiguous county islands. The result is that only
approximately 40 square miles of unincorporated land remains within the East Mesa Area
Plan. Because of these annexation patterns, the existing East Mesa Area Plan no longer
represents the conditions and goals/policies of the area, and no longer meets the
requirements and expectations for inclusion in the County’s area plan program.
The most important aspect of decommissioning this plan is that all remaining unincorporated
land will now be designated “Rural Development Area (RDA)” which a residential density
range of 0 – 1 d.u./ac. and is appropriate for primarily rural-type land uses. Also, the RDA will
help ensure that the local community is notified of any future requests for zone changes that
do not meet these low-density criteria so that it can participate fully in these decisions.
Decommissioning this area plan will not change or otherwise affect any previously approved
comprehensive plan amendment (CPA) or existing zoning with the planning area. Rather, the
decommissioning and RDA designation will be a new and effective strategy to evaluate future
growth in coordination with the community.
Please submit any comments online at:
https://www.maricopa.gov/FormCenter/Regulatory-Planning-Development-15/Comment-on-a-
Planning-Case-183,
or you may send them directly to me as noted in my signature block below.
Darren V. Gérard, AICP
Planning Services Manager
Maricopa County Planning & Development Department
301 W. Jefferson Street, Suite 170, Phoenix, AZ 85003
Desk: 602-506-7139 | Cell: 602-723-2241 | Fax: 602-506-3711
Darren.Gerard@maricopa.gov
P&D is now 100% digital for construction permit applications.
Find information on our new permit process here.
As of March 29, P&D’s main office has relocated to 301 W. Jefferson St.