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INTRODUCTION
Scottsdale's Zoning Ordinance does not often address today's trends towards mixed residential and nonresidential land uses along with development standards such as contextual relationships, parking and open space needs of various uses. The Zoning Ordinance has been incrementally updated throughout the last 40 years. However, some of its provisions have not kept pace with changes in technology, land use advances, building design, and construction. Where there is a strong need for a comprehensive update of the Zoning Ordinance staff is exploring more expedient means to address today's zoning ordinance needs. One of these means could be the development of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) that can be applied city-wide to multiple types of development, both large and small.
PUD PROCESS
Although PUD ordinances vary from city to city, the goals are generally the same. New PUD zoning ordinances are intended to encourage innovative and responsive design in developments that often include a mix of both residential and nonresidential uses. A recent innovation of PUD ordinances is its response to contextual design. A PUD zoning district could offer flexibility in the development of land and helps create unique and cohesive communities within the built environment. The PUD traditionally has been used for large development land uses. More often, fully developed and maturing cities are using Planned Unit Development ordinances for small infill and refill sites.
Many PUD processes utilize concurrent zoning and design review. The PUD can be applied as a rezoning, either removing or retaining the base zoning district or as an overlay district. Typically, the PUD zoning process requires Planning Commission recommendation and City Council approval of the base development standards, including, land uses, parking and open space standards, building height, envelope, and densities. The concurrent design review by a Development Review Board would establish design criteria, including context based design, setbacks, colors, materials, final site design, building articulation, landscape, and parking design. Also, a priority would be to establish important relationships for the project with the street and surrounding environment.
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS
The staff has developed an initial analysis for the prospects of developing a PUD for Scottsdale. While this initial step is not conclusive, the need for a PUD Zoning District has been identified many times as a response to projects that have been developed under existing zoning district regulations.
The next steps by staff will be to proceed with the analysis and development of a draft ordinance. Additional analysis would include reviewing past projects that have been processed under the conventional zoning regulatory districts, continued analysis of the potential for a form code component, and a model draft PUD Ordinance for Scottsdale.
Questions on the Zoning Ordinance Update?
Contact Kira Wauwie at 480-312-7990 or email projectinput@scottsdaleaz.gov .