Photo courtesy City of Maricopa

The City of Maricopa General Plan will be on the Nov. 8 General Election Ballot as Proposition 415. By state statute, municipalities must update their general plans every 10 years. This is Maricopa’s first update. Maricopa plans to use information gathered for its 2040 Vision Strategic Plan to implement its general plan.

 

GROWTH AREA ELEMENT
Maricopa expects to see its population grow at a pace of about 4 percent per year. The biggest concentration of growth is expected along John Wayne Parkway, Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and State Route 238, according to Maricopa Association of Governments forecasts.

 

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LAND USE ELEMENT
Maricopa is aiming for a village-style design in its development and the land-use element of the general plan is the most comprehensive section. That includes higher-intensity mixed use in the “village” centers becoming less intense moving away to low-density residential areas. Locations identified as future village centers are the Heritage District and the City Center (including the Central Arizona College campus). The Heritage District is also a redevelopment area. There is a goal to create more diverse housing in the city.

 

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ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
This section addresses air quality, floodways, energy and water resources. Listed objectives include amending the city code to allow enforcement of dust/pollution standards and establishing regulations for cattle yards. The plan is also to encourage renewable energy and remove barriers to solar applications.

 

SAFETY ELEMENT
This section encompasses the police and fire departments as well as preparation for natural or manmade disasters. Land-use planning and community design are factored in as hazard mitigation.

 

CIRCULATION & CONNECTIVITY ELEMENT
The city’s Transportation Master Plan is a key component of this section. The general plan’s goals are to create a better commuter experience and connections to other cities, an adequate intra-city road network, an efficient transit system and safe routes for pedestrians and bicyclists.

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT
The general plan describes Maricopa as “under-served in most every industry group.” Among several objectives listed in the plan are connecting education to industry needs, training entrepreneurs, improving infrastructure, recruiting businesses and industries that are missing and conducting an employment study.

 

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sales-tax-industries-graph

PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACE ELEMENT
City policy already requires residential developers to provide open space and parks. The goals of the new general plan are to make sure those areas are accessible for all and meet the requirements of the Safe Routes grant. The plan is also to create a multi-use trail system along the Santa Rosa Wash and create more pocket parks in under-served areas.

 

Parks & Trails Open Space Master Plan Standards
Type                              Acres
Grand Park                   200+
Village Park                 80-200
Community Park          20-79
Neighborhood Park    10
Special Use Park        variable
HOA Parks                   0.33-2
Source: City of Maricopa

 

PUBLIC BUILDINGS, FACILITIES & SERVICES ELEMENT
This wide-ranging section of the general plan includes maintaining an array of public facilities. That includes fire stations, the library, the court building and Copper Sky. But it also involves expanding healthcare services and improving Santa Cruz Wash.

 

Objectives for Removing Maricopa from the Floodplain
•    Create flood control/drainage master plan
•    Implement a floodplain improvement strategy
•    Engage regional partners
•    Remove SR 347 corridor and southern Maricopa from Vekol Wash floodplain
•    Complete design of North Santa Cruz Wash
•    Apply for grants
•    Become city’s floodplain administrator
•    Take control of Maricopa Flood Control District
•    Review prior approved-but-not constructed development plans

 

See more details in the draft plan at http://bit.ly/2bdpq9j


This story appears in the September issue of InMaricopa. Watch for a detailed breakdown of the major elements starting next week on this website.