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July 27, 2022
CPA2022007
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Report to the Board of Supervisors
Prepared by the Maricopa County Planning and Development Department
Board Hearing Date:
July 27, 2022
Case #/Title:
CPA2022007 – East Mesa Area Plan Decommission
Supervisor District:
2
Request:
Decommission the East Mesa Area Plan
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.
Commission
Recommendation:
On 6/16/22, the Commission voted 7-0 to recommend
approval of CPA2022007 to decommission the area plan.
Staff
Recommendation:
Staff is requesting the Board continue CPA2022007 to the
November 2, 2022 hearing to allow for additional outreach
efforts.
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)
Note:
6/16/22 Draft P&Z Minutes are not available as of the writing of this report, but can
be provided upon request later when available.
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.