ORDINANCE 2026.23_ZDC PARTS 3-7 CODE TEXT AMENDMENTS.DOCX

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Ordinance No. O2026.23
ORDINANCE NO. O2026.23
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMPE, 
ARIZONA, AMENDING THE TEMPE ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT 
CODE BY ADDING AND MODIFYING THE USE TABLES IN PART 3, 
SECTIONS 3-202 AND 3-302; CLARIFICATIONS IN SECTIONS 3-401, 3-
402, AND 3-420; CLARIFICATIONS AND UPDATES TO DEVELOPMENT 
STANDARDS IN PART 4, SECTIONS 4-201, 4-202, 4-203, 4-204, AND 4-404; 
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS TO PARKING SECTIONS 4-
603 AND 4-606; MODIFICATIONS TO LANDSCAPE SECTIONS 4-702 
AND 4-704; MODIFICATIONS TO LIGHTING SECTION 4-803; UPDATES 
TO APPLICATIONS IN PART 6, SECTIONS 6-308 AND 6-802; AND, 
ADDITIONS TO DEFINITIONS IN PART 7, SECTIONS 7-102, 7-104, AND 
7-110.
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WHEREAS, the City of Tempe has considered changes to the zoning code text in relation 
to properties in various classes and zones throughout the City; and
WHEREAS, the Community Development Director has reviewed the text amendments and 
determined this ordinance to be administratively complete; and
WHEREAS, the Council has received a recommendation of approval from the 
Development Review Commission; and
WHEREAS, the Council finds that:
1) The proposed zoning text amendments are in the public interest;
2) The proposed zoning text amendments conform with the General Plan 2050 land use 
and residential density map, and implement certain goals and objectives of the General Plan 2050;
3) The proposed zoning text amendments are compatible with the surrounding land uses, 
zoning designations and development standards; and
4) The proposed zoning text amendments mitigate impacts on land use, water 
infrastructure, utilities or transportation.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY 
OF TEMPE, ARIZONA, as follows:
SECTION 1. That the Zoning and Development Code is hereby amended in the following 
sections: 
Sections 3-202 and 3-302 to add aquamation, columbarium and overnight childcare to the 
land use tables, re-organize tire store into the vehicle service section and add financial 
institution to the drive-through use examples for clarification of uses in the Commercial 
and Mixed-Use Districts.

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Ordinance No. O2026.23
Section 3-401 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified to clarify accessory 
uses, accessory buildings and structures and what districts each are permitted, remove 
reference to guest quarters which was replaced by accessory dwelling unit in prior 
amendment and correction of the setback table based on accessory building height. 
Section 3-420 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified to clarify the 
applicability and exceptions of single-family second story additions and relocation of the 
additional criteria for Use Permits from this section to the criteria section of the code 
pertaining to Use Permits in Section 6-308.
Section 4-101 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified to clarify the 
applicability for processing a Use Permit Standard.
Sections 4-201-204 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified to clarify that 
Use Permit standards are used to change the development standards and clarify the front 
and street side open structure setbacks in the residential district development standard 
tables, the building height step back requirement in multi-family districts applies to 
adjacent single-family districts or uses not to adjacent multi-family properties, and 
common area tract setbacks were added to address single-family townhome developments 
in multi-family districts and clarification of the percentage of lot coverage and landscape 
coverage by addition of a footnote.
Section 4-404 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified to clarify the 
building height step-back provision and to establish a minimum setback for Planned Area 
Developments that meets the minimum standard setback for adjacent single-family uses.
Sections 4-603-606 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified to exempt 
small lots from the maximum parking requirement for a use permit, to clarify the 
warehouse calculations for specified and unspecified tenants, to reorganize the parking 
ratio table in alphabetical order. The shared parking section is modified to clarify the 
administrative process and requirements for parking models, reports and affidavits. Parking 
Area Dimensions have been modified to clarify the wheel stop dimension requirements 
and to add the required parking space dimensions inside a garage to assure sufficient 
clearance for egress.
Sections 4-702-4-704 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified to clarify 
the use of sized landscape material not exclusive to river rock and to clarify the landscape 
shade requirements and options.
Section 4-803 Lighting Standards of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified 
to update the lighting illumination chart for specific use locations and modify the required 
foot candle level for specific locations.
Section 6-308 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby modified to clarify 
requirements for Use Permit Standards, moving additional criteria from Section 3-420 for 
second story additions to include in Use Permit criteria applicable to other types of Use 
Permits or Use Permit Standards for uniformity in application when applicable.

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Ordinance No. O2026.23
Section 6-802 of the Zoning and Development Code is hereby amended to clarify the 
notification process of appeals of Abatements. 
Sections 7-102 “A”, 7-104 “C” and 7-110 “I” Definitions of the Zoning and Development 
Code is hereby modified to add definitions for Aquamation, Crematorium, to modify the 
definition of Childcare Services to include night care and to add a definition for Internal 
Lot Line. 
The modifications enumerated above and as set forth in Exhibit A hereto (with additions 
in ALL CAPS and deletions in strikethrough text).
SECTION 2.  Pursuant to A.R.S. § 9-462.01(J), the City Council has considered a housing 
impact statement regarding the impact of the zoning ordinance text amendment.
SECTION 3.  All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of the 
Code adopted herein are hereby repealed.
SECTION 4.  If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this 
ordinance or any part of the Code adopted herein by reference is for any reason held to be invalid 
or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions thereof.
SECTION 5.  The City Clerk is hereby authorized to correct clerical and grammatical 
errors, if any, related to this ordinance, and to make formatting changes appropriate for purposes 
of clarity, form, or consistency with the Tempe City Code.
SECTION 6.  The various City officers and employees are hereby authorized and directed 
to perform all acts necessary to give effect to this ordinance.
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMPE, 
ARIZONA, this 
 day of
, 2026.
                                
Corey D. Woods, Mayor
ATTEST:
                                
                                      
Kara A. DeArrastia, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
                                
Eric C. Anderson, City Attorney