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General Plan

The Phoenix General Plan is the guiding document on how long-range development and growth should occur in the City.   It reflects City policy and is a collaborative effort pulling together the work of city boards, commissions and departments, including the Water Services Department.  The last General Plan was adopted by City Council in 2001 and was brought to a special election with public approval in 2002.  State law, after adoption of the Growing Smarter and Growing Smarter II initiatives, requires cities of a certain size and growth rate to include water resources as an element of the General Plan, along with land use, growth area, open space, environmental planning and cost of development elements. 

The water resources element’s goals are to:

  • Ensure adequate supply during normal and drought conditions,
  • Maximize use of reclaimed water,
  • Use and restore groundwater to balance or increase groundwater supplies,
  • Maximize water safety, and
  • Beneficial reduction in water use through conservation.

The General Plan land use map, which designates where land uses and densities shall occur in the City and which is part of the approved plan, is a tool for projecting long-range water and wastewater demand and ensuring water and wastewater infrastructure is developed in a timely manner so that the water resources element goals are met.  This is particularly true in areas of the City where there has been little or no development and rezoning activity in conjunction with planned development has not occurred yet.

When a property owner or owners would like to develop land in a manner that differs from the existing General Plan, there are procedures to file a General Plan Amendment.   Major amendments cover five or more square miles or land use designations for an area of three or more square miles that previously had no land use designations.  Major amendments are considered once a year.  Minor amendments include, among other things, changes to in land use for ten (10) or more gross acres from one category to another are minor amendments with several exceptions.  Minor amendments may be filed at any time during the year.

The Water Services Department will review the impact of the proposed amendment on long-range water and wastewater demands and infrastructure planning.

Last modified on 05/24/2011 12:00:38