General Plan Amendments

As specified in the Oro Valley Zoning Code, all fees must be paid in full prior to approval of an application.

Public outreach: The cost for mailing postcards for the neighborhood meeting(s) will be added to the pre-application via the Town’s online permitting system.

The following is a list of fees associated with General Plan Amendments.

The actual processing time is dependent upon timely and complete applicant submittals.

The review process for Type 1 General Plan Amendment typically takes between 30-32 weeks.

The review process for Type 2 General Plan Amendment typically takes between 28-30 weeks.

Applicants are encouraged to process the General Plan Amendment application concurrently with any associated Rezoning to minimize project timelines.

STANDARD REVIEW PROCESS (Submitting sequentially)	CONCURRENT REVIEW PROCESS (Submitting together)
Total process time to construction plans: 76 - 92 weeks (19 - 23 months)	Total process time to construction plans:  36 - 44 weeks (9 - 11 months)

• A narrative that provides details about the proposed project
• Any supporting documentation such as maps, site plans, etc. 

The more information you are able to provide the more feedback staff will be able to give.

As part of the Public Outreach process (Section 22.15.E of the Zoning Code), the Public Outreach Plan and subsequent report are required.

• Public Outreach Plan (POP) – required following the first neighborhood meeting as part of the formal submittal. The Plan must include the following:
  • A description of the project
  • Identification of interested stakeholders, including homeowners’ associations that are affected by the proposal
  • A proposed neighborhood meeting process
  • The POP must incorporate the neighborhood meeting requirements noted in 22.15.F. The applicant may propose an alternative process if it is designed to include key stakeholders in a meaningful way, and is consistent with 22.15.A: Purpose, public participation, and notification policy. Any alternative proposal will be subject to Planning and Zoning Administrator approval. At a minimum, the POP must contain educational and issue identification and resolution elements, as defined in the public participation and notification policy.
• Public Outreach Report – required at the conclusion of the public outreach process. The report must include:

• A list of neighborhood meetings, noting when and where they were held; the number of people that attended; and copies of sign-in sheets.
• A list of meeting notification methods used.
• Copies of comment letters, petitions, and other pertinent information received from residents and other interested parties.
• A summary of the issues and concerns that were raised.
• A list of solutions that were agreed upon.
• A list of issues that were not resolved, with an explanation of why solutions were not achieved.

Please note, the Public Outreach Report must be updated and resubmitted throughout the process accordingly.

• The video is required prior to the 1st neighborhood meeting to provide an introduction and brief overview of the proposal.
• The video must be posted at least 15-days prior to the neighborhood meeting. To achieve this, the recording must be done at least 1 week prior to the 15-day posting deadline.
• Videos are recorded online via Zoom. The recording must be coordinated with Town staff. 
• A PowerPoint (or PDF) presentation is required in widescreen format.  At a minimum, presentations should include the following:
  • Details about the proposal – including but not limited to the proposed use, number of lots/units, building square footage or lot size, access, and circulation, etc.
  • How the proposal complies with zoning requirements – this includes any applicable criteria or key standards such as setbacks, height, buffer yards, screening, use, design standards, courtyards, or rec area, etc.
  • Impacts, if any, to traffic or drainage patterns

A 1–2-page project fact sheet is required, prior to the neighborhood meetings. The fact sheet should provide details about the proposed development, including, but not limited to:

• Site location and size
• Existing and proposed land use designation 
• General Plan Amendment criteria 
• Proposed concept plan 
• Additional information you want residents to know about the project 

The project fact sheet will be posted online and distributed during the neighborhood meeting(s).

• Purpose: Identify questions, comments, or concerns from the community. Goals for the first neighborhood meeting include:

• Everyone understands the proposal, review process and applicable code requirements.
• A list of questions, comments, or concerns from the community is identified.
• If time permits, design solutions to mitigate concerns are discussed.

• Schedule: The 1st neighborhood meeting is scheduled roughly 4 weeks after the pre-application meeting to allow time to record the informational video and send out the required 15-day notice.

• Meeting format:
  
  • Staff Presentation: Provides a brief overview about the project, which includes the location, history of the site, key zoning requirements, proposal and review process.
  • Applicant Presentation: A description about the project and how it complies with zoning requirements. 
  • Audience questions and comments: Applicants should be prepared to answer questions and/or respond to comments. 

• Location: Neighborhood meetings are typically held at Town Hall (11000 N. La Canada Drive) from 6-7:30 PM.
• Presentations:
  
  • The presentation for the first neighborhood meeting is often similar to the one provided for the informational video. The presentation for the 2nd neighborhood meeting should incorporate any changes made to the proposal based on the 1st neighborhood meeting comments and/or staff review.
  • All presentations must be provided in "Widescreen" format in both PPT and PDF. 
  • At a minimum, presentations should include the following:
    • Details about the proposal – including but not limited to the proposed use, number of lots/units, building square footage or lot size, access, and circulation, etc.
    • How the proposal complies with zoning requirements – this includes any applicable criteria or key standards such as setbacks, height, buffer yards, screening, use, design standards, courtyards, or rec area, etc.
    • Impacts, if any, to traffic or drainage patterns
    • How the proposal addresses concerns from neighbors (only applicable for the 2nd neighborhood meeting)

Type 1 General Plan Amendments involve significant changes to the Town's General Plan. Type 1 General Plan Amendments are defined in Section 22.C of the Zoning Code.

Narrative

1. Details about the type of proposed use.
2. Response as to how the proposal meets the General Plan’s goals and policies.
3. Response to the General Plan evaluative criteria below:
   • On balance, the request is consistent with the vision, guiding principles, goals, and policies of the General Plan as demonstrated by the following criteria. The request shall not:
     • Significantly alter existing development character and land use patterns without adequate and appropriate buffers and graduated transitions in density and land use.
     • Impact existing uses with increased infrastructure without appropriate improvements to accommodate planned growth.
     • Impact other public services including police, fire, parks, water and drainage unless careful analysis and explanation of anticipated impacts are provided to the Town for review.
     • Impact the natural beauty and environmental resources without suitable mitigation.
   • The applicant has implemented effective public outreach efforts to identify neighborhood concerns and has responded by incorporating measures to avoid or minimize development impacts to the extent reasonably possible, as well as to mitigate unavoidable adverse impacts.
   • All non-residential amendment requests will contribute positively to the long-term economic stability of the Town as demonstrated by consistency with goals and policies related to economic development and financial stability.

      

Additional Submittal Items:

1. Responses to staff pre-application comments 
2. Exhibits depicting the existing and proposed land use designations for the subject property and surrounding properties.
3. A Concept Plan
4. Any additional materials supporting the proposed amendment.
5. Letter of authorization from property owner, if applicant is acting as an agent
6. Copy of Deed or Title Report, if applicable
7. Name and addresses of person, firm or corporation having interest in the subject property
   • If the application includes properties other than that owned by the applicant, the applicant must file a petition in favor of the proposed land use plan amendment by the property owners or their agents or attorneys representing at least 75% of the land area not owned by the applicant that is to be included in the General Plan Amendment request.  

Type 1 General Plan Amendments involve changes with less impact to the Town's General Plan. Type 2 General Plan Amendments are defined in Section 22.C of the Zoning Code.

Narrative

1. Details about the type of proposed use.
2. Response as to how the proposal meets the General Plan’s goals and policies.
3. Response to the General Plan evaluative criteria below:
   • On balance, the request is consistent with the vision, guiding principles, goals, and policies of the General Plan as demonstrated by the following criteria. The request shall not:
     • Significantly alter existing development character and land use patterns without adequate and appropriate buffers and graduated transitions in density and land use.
     • Impact existing uses with increased infrastructure without appropriate improvements to accommodate planned growth.
     • Impact other public services including police, fire, parks, water and drainage unless careful analysis and explanation of anticipated impacts are provided to the Town for review.
     • Impact the natural beauty and environmental resources without suitable mitigation.
   • The applicant has implemented effective public outreach efforts to identify neighborhood concerns and has responded by incorporating measures to avoid or minimize development impacts to the extent reasonably possible, as well as to mitigate unavoidable adverse impacts.
   • All non-residential amendment requests will contribute positively to the long-term economic stability of the Town as demonstrated by consistency with goals and policies related to economic development and financial stability.

      

Additional Submittal Items:

1. Responses to staff pre-application comments 
2. Exhibits depicting the existing and proposed land use designations for the subject property and surrounding properties.
3. A Concept Plan
4. Any additional materials supporting the proposed amendment.
5. Letter of authorization from property owner, if applicant is acting as an agent
6. Copy of Deed or Title Report, if applicable
7. Name and addresses of person, firm or corporation having interest in the subject property
   • If the application includes properties other than that owned by the applicant, the applicant must file a petition in favor of the proposed land use plan amendment by the property owners or their agents or attorneys representing at least 75% of the land area not owned by the applicant that is to be included in the General Plan Amendment request.  

Staff Presentation 

• Staff will provide a brief presentation to give an overview of the proposal and applicable code requirements.
• Staff presentations typically include the following:
  • Quick overview of the request 
  • Location of the project
  • Background or history of the site 
  • Key zoning requirements (e.g., evaluation criteria)
  • Public review process and/or neighborhood concerns
  • Summary and recommendation

Applicant Presentation 

• The applicant and/or property owner will be expected to provide a PowerPoint presentation about their proposal and answer questions or comments during the public hearings.
• Ultimately, it is the applicant’s responsibility to promote their proposal and show how it meets Town standards. At a minimum, presentations should include the following:
  • Details about the request
  • How the proposal complies with zoning requirements (e.g., findings) 
  • Impacts, if any
  • How the proposal addresses concerns from neighbors
• All presentations must be provided in “Widescreen” format in PPT and PDF.