Mayor and Council holding two public hearings on Infill Incentive District and marijuana dispensaries December 20

Mayor and Council will hold two public hearings on December 20, 2022, related to proposed amendments to the Unified Development Code (UDC) related to marijuana dispensaries and the Infill Incentive District (IID). The meeting agenda and materials, as well as instructions on how to submit comments or request to speak at the hearing will be available approximately one week prior to the meeting.

Planning Commission held public hearings on each of these items in November.

The first public hearing was to review the proposed Medical and Adult-use Marijuana Special Exception UDC Amendment.  The Planning Commission voted 7-2 to recommend approval of the proposal to Mayor and Council, without support for the addition of a Mayor and Council Special Exception land use procedure to marijuana dispensaries in C-2 and C-3 zones.     

Planning Commission also reviewed the proposed Infill Incentive District (IID) Update UDC Amendment. They voted 9-0 to recommend approval of the proposed code change, with additional recommendations to express support for a future park on the former Nearmont Landfill site and to consider additional steps to reduce auto-centric environments. 

More information on IID can be found on the project webpage.

Plan Tucson kickoff January 19 - Share your vision for the future of Tucson!

The City of Tucson is updating the General Plan, currently known as Plan Tucson. This process starts with gathering input for the future of Tucson.

The kickoff event will take place on January 19, 2023, at the Tucson Convention Center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Activities will be happening throughout the evening, so anyone interested in participating and sharing their opinion is welcome to stop by at any time during the event.

Staff will be asking for community participation as we develop a citywide plan that will create a framework for the future of Tucson over the coming decades.

The community engagement program will include a discussion of lived experiences, in addition to existing conditions assessments, future growth scenarios, and recent planning efforts to establish goals and policies. The plan will consist of goals and policies for housing, transportation, climate action, economic development, and more.

Stay tuned for the launch of the interactive project website in January 2023. If you are interested in learning more about Plan Tucson, sign up to receive updates. 

Electric Vehicle ready requirement now in effect

In August, Mayor and Council approved amendments to the Unified Development Code to ensure new commercial development in Tucson is Electric Vehicle (EV) ready. The new regulations went into effect on Dec. 1, 2022.

The new regulations require all new commercial, multi-family, office, and retail development to include EV stations or outlets, as well as conduit to support future expansion of EV capacity.

These approved amendments come after more than a year of stakeholder and public engagement, and technical analysis to develop the approved proposal.

The code changes support the City's climate action and adaptation response and Mayor and Council's Climate Emergency Declaration.

Information related to these approved amendments and the process for their adoption may be found on the project website.

Tucson Development Center Online now available

The City of Tucson launched a new online permitting system, Tucson Development Center Online, on October 31, 2022. The new system provides greater transparency and accountability to the city permitting process while integrating all city departments into the same platform.

After the first month, the system is operating as expected. The current staff focus is initializing legacy permits into the new system while concurrently addressing emergency applications.

New permit applications submitted after October 31 are functioning as expected in TDC Online. Significant staff time is being spent resolving issues related to data migration. Application volume has remained consistent, and staff continues collaborating to reduce review times. The department has dedicated additional resources to handle the increased volume of calls, emails, and over-the-counter inquiries.

PDSD staff has created a Tucson Development Center FAQ offering how-to instructions and videos on essential TDC Online functions. If you have additional questions, you can reach staff by emailing [email protected] or calling 520-791-5550.

The City of Tucson would like to thank customers for their continued support and suggestions as we continue to make improvements to the new permitting system.

Planning and Development Services is hiring

The City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department is currently recruiting as we continue to grow our customer-centric team and help shape the future of Tucson.

Building Plans Examiner: The Building Plans Examiner performs technical review of all levels and types of residential and commercial projects.  This position requires the incumbent to apply a broad knowledge in the general professional and the specific technical field to the review of construction documents for completeness, accuracy, and conformance to applicable building codes, ordinances, and national standards. This position also provides information to the public, architects, engineers, and contractors at the service counter, in meetings, by email and over the telephone.

Building Permit Specialist: The Building Permit Specialist reviews plans for code compliance by checking building structures and systems, testing equipment, and researching and verifying compliance with standards. They also provide customer service by answering questions, consulting with internal and external parties, resolving problems, and advising the public on procedures, processes, and violations.

Customer Service Representative: Provides friendly customer service by answering telephones, greeting customers, providing information, processes applications for service, responding to requests, researching inquiries and discrepancies, following up on complaints and concerns and coordinating and communicating with field personnel.

Are you interested in learning more about open positions, City of Tucson benefits, and applying to join the team? Browse the job listing page for more information on all the open positions with the City of Tucson.