General Plan Amendment Process

Overview

A General Plan Amendment is a request to change the Character Area Type designation on a property(s), the effect of which alters the zoning, land uses densities, and character envisioned for an area.

There are two types of General Plan Amendments - Major General Plan Amendments and Minor General Plan Amendments. 

 Major General Plan Amendment Threshold:

• A change of 10 acres or more to/from a Downtown Character Area or a Transit District Character Area
• A change of 160 acres or more to all other Character Area Types

Minor General Plan Amendment Threshold:

All other Character Area map changes that do not meet the threshold for a Major General Plan Amendment are considered a Minor General Plan Amendment.

The main steps in the process are:

Step 1: Pre-Submittal Conference

A Pre-Submittal application is required prior to filing an application for a General Plan Amendment. Pre-Submittal applications are due each Monday by 12:00 pm. and must be submitted via the DIMES portal.

Staff will review the Pre-Submittal application for compliance with all appropriate standards, codes, specifications, and requirements and provide written review comments within 10 calendar days.

Applicants will have the option to attend a Pre-Submittal Conference to discuss the provided comments. Pre-Submittal Conferences are typically a half hour and held each Tuesday morning. Conferences may be requested to be held in person or electronically.

Please note that a Pre-Submittal does not constitute a complete review or guarantee that all issues are identified.

Required Documents:

• Application - submitted through the DIMES portal
• Project Narrative - describing the proposed General Plan Amendment and the reason for the amendment

Step 2: Application Submittal

Application for a General Plan Amendment may be submitted at any point after a Pre-Submittal Conference has been completed.

Complete applications and fees must be submitted electronically via the DIMES portal. Applications are due each Monday by the end of the business day.

The applicant is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all information submitted to the City. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted.

Required Documents: 

• Application - submitted through the DIMES portal
• Property Owner Authorization(PDF, 162KB)
• Project Narrative - describing the General Plan Amendment, reason for the amendment, and how the request meets the following approval criteria:
  • Whether the proposed amendment to the General Plan character area will result in a shortage of land for other planned uses. For example, whether the change will result in a substantial and undesirable reduction in the amount of available land for employment or higher density housing development.
  • Whether events subsequent to the adoption of the Plan have changed the character or condition of the area making the proposed amendment appropriate.
  • The degree to which the proposed amendment will impact the whole community or a portion of the community by:
    • Altering acceptable existing land use patterns in a significant way that is contrary to the goals, policies, and strategies identified in the Plan.
    • Requiring larger or more extensive improvements to roads, sewer, or water systems than are necessary to support the prevailing land uses which may negatively impact development of other lands. Mesa 2040 General Plan
    • Adversely impacting existing uses due to increased traffic congestion that is not accommodated by planned roadway improvements or other planned transportation improvements such as nonmotorized transportation alternatives and transit.
  • Consistency of the proposed amendment with the vision, goals, policies, and strategies of the Plan.
  • Does the proposed amendment constitute an overall improvement to the General Plan and Mesa.
  • The extent to which the benefits of the proposed amendment outweigh any of the impacts identified in this subsection. 
• Aerial Map - showing the boundaries of the General Plan Amendment
• Citizen Participation Plan - describing the residents, neighborhoods and homeowners’ associations that may be impacted and how the applicant intends to inform and engage the public in their development plans

Step 3: Staff Review

Staff will review the General Plan Amendment for compliance with all appropriate city and state standards, codes, specifications, and requirements and provide written comments within 8 working days of the next closest formal submittal listed on the Planning & Zoning Board Calendar(PDF, 359KB). This comment letter will identify requirements that need to be resolved before a public hearing is scheduled.

The applicant will revise pertinent documents to address review comments and provide a written comment response letter stating how each review comment was addressed.

This process repeats until all requirements are met.

Step 4: Public Notice

When all comments have been addressed staff will schedule the request for a public hearing. All General Plan Amendments require two public hearings by the Planning & Zoning Board. The applicant is responsible for providing public notice of the Planning & Zoning Board public hearings.

Reminder to notice - No less than 21 days prior to the scheduled public hearing, staff will email the applicant to remind them to post the site, provide a public notice letter template, and upload to the case file a list of names and addresses of property owners, associations, and interested parties that must receive public notice.

Notice content - The public notice must contain the following information:

• A general description of the request.
• The location of the project site.
• The date, time, location, and purpose of the public meeting.
• The identity of the hearing body or officer (i.e., Planning & Zoning Board).
• The names of the applicant or the owner of the property that is the subject of the application.
• A statement that any interested person or authorized agent may appear and be heard at the public meeting.
• A statement describing how to submit written comments.

Deliver letter - No less than 15 days prior to the scheduled public hearing, the applicant must drop off the public notices to the Planning Division no later than noon. All notices must be sealed, stamped, and labeled with sending and return addresses. Staff will drop off the sealed and stamped public notices to the post office that same day.

Posting the project site - No less than 15 days prior to the public hearing the applicant must post a 4’ x 4’ sign on the property in a manner that is legible from public right-of-way. The posting must be printed so that the following are visible from a distance of 100 feet:

• The words “Zoning Hearing”
• Date and time of hearing
• Case number
• Request
• Applicant
• Applicant phone number
• Planning Division phone number

The applicant must provide staff with a notarized document containing a photo of the sign and date of posting.

Citizen Participation Report - Applicants must provide a written Citizen Participation Report describing the results of implementing their Citizen Participation Plan at least 30 days prior to the first scheduled public hearing.

The Citizen Participation Report shall include the following information:

• A summary of neighborhood meeting (if held) including when and where they were held, number of attendees, copies of sign-in sheets, and results achieved at the meeting(s).
• A summary of citizen concerns, issues and problems expressed during the citizen participation process, and how these have been addressed through changes or stipulations to the project.
• Copies of comment letters, petitions, and other pertinent information received from residents and other interested parties.

Major General Plan Amendment Transmittal - No less than 60 days before the first Planning & Zoning Board hearing staff will transmit the General Plan Amendment request to the following agencies for the review and comment:

• The Planning & Zoning Board
• The planning agency of the county in which the municipality is located
• Each county or municipality that is contiguous to the corporate limits of the municipality or its area of extraterritorial jurisdiction
• The regional planning agency within which the municipality is located
• The Arizona commerce authority or any other state agency that is subsequently designated as the general planning agency for this state
• The department of water resources for review and comment on the water resources element, if a water resources element is required

Failure to comply with the citizen participation requirements or a determination that such efforts were insufficient to provide adequate opportunities for citizen participation, may result in postponement, rescheduling, or denial of an application.

Step 5: Public Hearing & Decision 

Planning & Zoning Board Hearings

All General Plan Amendments require two public hearings by the Planning & Zoning Board.

Planning & Zoning Board hearings are typically held the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. A study session will occur before the hearing and typically take place at either 3:00 or 3:30 pm. Planning and Zoning Board hearings take place at 4:00 pm.

Staff will prepare a staff report describing the request and compliance with codes and policies. Staff reports will be available and posted to the case file within the DIMES system the Thursday prior to the Board meeting.

Staff will prepare and present to the Board a presentation outlining the request at the study session. The applicant is highly encouraged to attend the meeting to answer questions and participate in discussion.

Planning & Zoning Board

City Council Hearing

General Plan Amendments will first go to the Planning & Zoning Board for their recommendation and follow the process outlined above.

City Council hearings are typically held the first and third Monday of every month at 5:45 pm.

The public hearing where action is taken by the Council are typically scheduled for the month which follows the Planning & Zoning Board hearing.

Contact your case planner for the precise introduction and hearing dates.

City Council Meetings