What shapes a site plan in metro Phoenix
Metro Phoenix sets a state water gate, a codified city review and a county dust regime over almost every site, and five conditions follow from them. Each one changes how a preliminary site plan is drawn here. The statewide rules underneath, from the preliminary marking to construction stormwater coverage, are set out on site plans in Arizona; this page carries the metro layer.
- Water decides what can be sold as lots. ADWR stopped approving new groundwater-based assured water supply determinations in the Phoenix AMA in June 2023 [1]. Lots for sale in the AMA need a Certificate of Assured Water Supply or service from a designated provider, and 15 municipal providers hold that designation, Phoenix and every large AMA city among them [1].
- Rental and commercial programs sit outside that gate. Commercial, rental multifamily and RV programs that do not subdivide lots for sale fall outside the subdivision certificate requirement, and a designated provider may keep serving new uses of the apartment kind [1]. The water provider is therefore the first line of a Phoenix site data table.
- The City of Phoenix writes its steps and its clock down. Development review runs through a pre-application conference, preliminary review and final approval under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 507(D) [2], and the city's A.R.S. 9-835 policy posts time frames by license type, listing Preliminary, Major and Minor Site Plan in calendar days [3].
- Dust permits begin at a tenth of an acre. Maricopa County's Rule 310 calls for a dust control permit once 0.10 acre, or 4,356 sq ft, is disturbed [4, 5], and the EPA Green Book classifies the Phoenix planning area, across Maricopa and Pinal counties, as a Serious PM-10 nonattainment area [7].
- The West Valley edge is industrial, walled and under Luke Air Force Base. Buckeye's I-2 district is written for heavy truck traffic and for outdoor storage and operations [8]; Goodyear allows accessory outdoor storage only inside a solid masonry wall, with nothing stored above it [9]; and a Buckeye-area county site inside the 65 Ldn contour was limited to what Luke Air Force Base can approve [10].
Jurisdiction map: who governs where
Each jurisdiction in the Valley runs its own code, so a Phoenix-area site plan opens by naming the city or county and the district it assumes. The state's water and air quality rules then apply across all of them.
| Jurisdiction | Governs | What a developer needs to know |
|---|---|---|
| City of Phoenix | Land inside the city limits | Development review under ZO Sec. 507 [2]; posted A.R.S. 9-835 time frames [3]; zoning fees in Appendix A [11] |
| Maricopa County | Unincorporated land, including the land in Buckeye's planning area | Industrial rezonings with an IUPD overlay and special use permits go to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a recommendation and then to the Board of Supervisors [10, 12] |
| City of Buckeye | West Valley, inside city limits | Development Code rewritten in two phases, adopted in 2024 and 2025 [13]; see the Buckeye model project |
| City of Goodyear | West Valley, inside city limits | I-2 standards fix minimum site area, lot size, coverage, height and front setback [9] |
| Pinal County and Casa Grande | Unincorporated Pinal County and the City of Casa Grande | Inside the Phoenix PM-10 planning area [7]; listed CI-2 uses need an Industrial Use Permit from the Board of Supervisors (PCDSC 2.110) [14]; see the Pinal County model project |
| Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe and the other Valley cities | Land inside each city | Each runs its own code and review; confirm the process city by city before the layout is drawn |
Site plan process: City of Phoenix
Zoning Ordinance Sec. 507 codifies the city's development review, and the city's own forms and policies fill in what each step asks for.
| Step or rule | What the city sets | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | Pre-application conference, then preliminary review, then final approval (Sec. 507(D)) | [2] |
| Review fees | Charged after the second resubmittal of development review documents | [2] |
| Life of preliminary documents | 24 months, with 12 more in phased projects that have partial final approval | [2] |
| Site analysis | Required with the preliminary site plan in applicable areas (Tab A design guidelines) | [15] |
| Time frames | Posted under A.R.S. 9-835 by license type, Preliminary, Major and Minor Site Plan among them, counted in calendar days | [3] |
| Substantive review | An initial comprehensive review and one subsequent review | [3] |
| Design review appeal | Site plan, building elevations, context plan, landscaping and shading plan, and a 150 foot owner list, filed through ProjectDox | [16] |
| Zoning fees | Appendix A; a nonregulatory specific plan carries a $36,555 base and a $60,915 maximum | [11] |
| Shared parking | Up to a 15% reduction, granted by the Planning and Development traffic engineer under the city's shared parking model (ZO 702) | [17] |
Read together, these rules reward a complete first set. The posted review allows one subsequent review after the comprehensive one [3], and review fees attach after the second resubmittal [2], so the site data table (zoning, density, setbacks, parking required against provided) has to answer the reviewers on the first pass. Because preliminary documents stay valid for 24 months [2], the approved preliminary layout is also the base the engineer and architect of record build the final set on inside that window. The design review appeal package lists building elevations and a context plan beside the site plan [16], which is where 3D renderings tied to the plan enter a Phoenix file.
Site plan process: Maricopa County and the West Valley
Unincorporated Maricopa County. A county zoning case is decided on a concept. The engineering conditions attached to county zoning cases state that "Engineering review of planning and/or zoning cases is for conceptual design only" and that "Detailed Grading and Drainage Plans must be submitted with the application for Building Permits," with the topographic information certified before building permit plans go in [10]. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommends and the Board of Supervisors acts: for Z2020049, the Brown RV and Boat Storage special use permit, the Commission vote was 9-0 on December 9, 2022, ahead of a Board of Supervisors report dated January 25, 2023 [12]. County practice retains the 100-year, 2-hour storm with 1 ft of freeboard on the developed portions of a site, and parking areas need retention [10]. Outside the county's Urbanized Area an unincorporated site needs no county SWPPP permit, although ADEQ's notice of intent may still apply [10].
City of Buckeye. The city adopted its Development Code update in two phases, the first on February 20, 2024 and the second on October 21, 2025, the second under Ord. No. 28-25 [13, 8]. Zoning-stage plans are concepts by condition: on PLZZ-20-00011 the exhibit had to be titled "Conceptual Overall Site Plan" and carry the note "Site plan/plat has not been reviewed or approved," and a legal description and exhibit signed and sealed by an Arizona registrant came before rezone approval [18]. The citizen participation plan on PLZZ-21-00016 provided for notices at least 15 days before the first public hearing and a Citizen Participation Report [19]. The Development User Fee Schedule in force since May 21, 2026 was adopted by Resolution 38-26, and plans first submitted on or after January 1, 2025 follow the City of Buckeye 2024 Construction Codes [20]. The Buckeye model project carries the full approval path and the overlay standards.
City of Goodyear. Goodyear's I-2 standards, as reproduced in a 2023 PAD narrative filed with the city, set a 5 acre minimum site area, a 300 ft lot width and a 400 ft lot depth, 50 percent maximum building coverage, a 50 ft height limit and a 30 ft front setback [9]. Accessory outdoor storage there sits inside an area enclosed and screened by a solid masonry wall on all sides, with nothing stored taller than the wall [9].
Pinal County. The county set aside its comprehensive code rewrite, case PZ-C-004-24: a February 5, 2025 notice was titled "Development Services Code Draft Update Canceled," and the update moves in phases instead, with Hillside, Sign and Parking Code segments scheduled for 2026 [21]. Under the code in force, listed CI-2 uses need an Industrial Use Permit decided by the Board of Supervisors (PCDSC 2.110) [14]. The Pinal County model project sets out the county and Casa Grande screening rules that shape a yard there.
Asset rules in metro Phoenix
The asset layer comes from three places: the state water gate, the City of Phoenix zoning ordinance, and the county and edge-city records for storage and industrial yards.
| Asset | Rule or record in metro Phoenix | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lots for sale | A Certificate of Assured Water Supply or service from a designated provider; no new groundwater-based determinations since June 2023 | [1] |
| Rental multifamily | Designated providers may continue to serve apartments; Phoenix's traffic engineer can reduce required parking up to 15% under the shared parking model | [1, 17] |
| Car washes | Phoenix C-2: a use permit, after which the wash may be in an open building (ZO 623, item 41); commercial car washes also need specific ADEQ discharge permits | [22, 23] |
| Truck stacking and loading | Phoenix C-2: tractor-trailer stacking and loading docks at least 60 ft from residential zoning (ZO 623) | [22] |
| Industrial outdoor storage | Buckeye I-2 is written for heavy truck traffic and outdoor storage, I-1 for enclosed operations [8]; a county condition requires four-inch sealed recycled asphalt with a quarter inch of gravel unless paved (Z2024046) [24] | [8, 24] |
| RV and boat storage | Maricopa County SUP Z2020049: 12 rows of canopy-covered storage with about 192 spaces, plus about 14 uncovered; open Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 5 pm | [12] |
| Storage canopies | Phoenix Building Code 3105.4.5 governs industrial shade canopies over hazardous material storage, which is not the RV canopy path | [25] |
| Self storage | Phoenix's under-construction pipeline: 6.6% of stock in February 2026 and 6.9% in June 2026 (Yardi Matrix) | [26, 27] |
| Hotels | Fairfield Inn and Suites, DC Ranch, Scottsdale: 126 keys, 4 stories, 76,622 GSF, 1.70 acres, 146 spaces, 1.16 per key | [28] |
| Senior living | Queen Creek Senior Living PAD amendment, 5.93 acres: approved 7-0 by the Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission, with all roof mounted equipment screened from public view | [29] |
Classification sets the hearing. Maricopa County took the Brown RV and Boat Storage site through a special use permit, with a Commission recommendation, a Board of Supervisors report and operating hours written into the approval [12]. The layout standards for each asset sit on the hubs for RV and boat storage, self storage, car washes, hotels, senior living, multifamily and industrial outdoor storage. The statewide views are RV park site plans in Arizona and industrial outdoor storage site plans in Arizona.
Growth corridors and proof points
Scale. At 45,884 units in 2024, the Phoenix metro was the fourth-largest permit market in the Census Bureau's survey, while the City of Phoenix's own count fell to 8,997 from 14,468 [6]. Census estimates put the metro at 5,228,938 residents in 2025 against a 2020 base of 4,851,295, a gain of 377,643 or about 7.8%, with 4,689,558 in Maricopa County [30].
Central Phoenix, near Sky Harbor. Newmark puts Phoenix, Memphis and Atlanta at the top of its IOS rent growth list [31]. An eleven-property portfolio within seven miles of Sky Harbor International Airport went to Zenith IOS [32]. Announcing its first Phoenix IOS purchase, Steel Peak cited about 466 million square feet of industrial inventory in Phoenix and "limited industrial land, zoning constraints" in Central Phoenix [33]. The trades are infill: Steel Peak's release reports $3.3M for 2.18 acres with a 6,250 sq ft building at 2142 W. Van Buren St [34], and Matthews reports an $8,500,000 purchase at 234 E Mohave St [35].
The West Valley edge. ADWR described the designation for EPCOR's West Valley system as "the first 100-year Assured Water Supply designation in the Phoenix Active Management Area in 25 years" [36]. County cases show how industrial sites at the edge fare:
- MCP2023010, an existing outdoor storage yard for shipping containers, semi-trucks and trailers near Luke Air Force Base: the County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 7-0 on October 24, 2024, over the City of Buckeye's opposition, and the city's stated preference was a solid wall along the freeway so that travelers would not see the storage [10].
- Z2021137, an 11.7 acre rezoning from Rural-43 to IND-2 IUPD at Campbell Avenue and 355th Avenue: staff recommended approval with conditions, and the City of Buckeye recorded "No Concerns" [37].
- Z2020027, an Arizona Water Company operations center on 4.1 acres at 195th Avenue and Monte Vista Road: the facilities yard is screened by an 8 ft CMU wall, and the Commission recommended approval 6-0 [38, 39].
- Goodyear: a 5.6-acre truck parking rezoning near Phoenix-Goodyear Airport was reported approved by the city's Planning and Development Commission in May 2024 [40], and Fox Business reported the Buc-ee's Goodyear store at 74,000 sf with 120 fuel pumps [41].
Site factors
- Dust thresholds. Beyond the 0.10 acre permit line, Rule 310 adds a trackout control device at 2 or more acres disturbed, or 100 or more cubic yards hauled per day [5], and a Dust Control Coordinator at 5 or more acres [42]. The permit is not effective until the fee is paid and the dust control plan approved, and it is valid for one year [4].
- PM-10 classification. ADEQ records the area's designation as moderate on November 15, 1990 and its reclassification to a serious nonattainment area for PM10 on June 10, 1996 [43]. Whether a given parcel lies inside the boundary is checked against the MAG boundary map before the dust plan is written [7, 43].
- Luke Air Force Base. In unincorporated areas, land in the territory in the vicinity of a military airport (A.R.S. 28-8481) may need a Military Compatibility Permit, and A.R.S. 28-8482(B) governs noise attenuation [10].
- Floodplain. Development in FEMA Zone A takes a floodplain use permit, issued concurrently with building permits, and structures sit at the regulatory flood elevation the engineer determines [10].
What the preliminary plan carries in Phoenix
In metro Phoenix the preliminary site plan is the concept the county and the edge cities expect at zoning: Maricopa County's engineering review at that stage is for conceptual design only [10], and Buckeye titles the rezoning exhibit a "Conceptual Overall Site Plan" [18]. It sets out the buildings, internal roads, drive aisles, parking, pads, units and yield, and its site data table opens with the jurisdiction and the water provider, then carries the disturbed area against the Rule 310 lines at 0.10, 2 and 5 acres [4, 5, 42], the walls and screening the local code asks for, and parking required against provided. Developers take it to the City of Phoenix pre-application conference [2], to a lender and to a general contractor for pricing. The grading, drainage, retention and utility design then comes from the engineer of record, who prepares the detailed grading and drainage plans the county requires with the building permit application [10].
The site plan consultant and site plan services pages set out how the studio works with the engineer and architect of record, and preliminary versus final site plans covers the step to the sealed set. Market background is in Phoenix multifamily, Q3 2025 and industrial outdoor storage development. The Las Vegas metro page and site plans in Nevada cover the neighboring market; every covered metro is on the service areas index, and every model project is in the case studies.
Frequently asked questions
Can a new subdivision in metro Phoenix rely on groundwater?
Not for a new determination. A subdivision in the AMA needs a Certificate of Assured Water Supply or service from a designated provider, and ADWR stopped approving new groundwater-based determinations there in June 2023 [1].
What are the steps of City of Phoenix development review?
A pre-application conference, preliminary review and final approval, under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 507(D) [2].
When does Phoenix begin charging development review fees?
After the second resubmittal of development review documents, under ZO Sec. 507 [2].
Does the City of Phoenix publish site plan review time frames?
Yes. Its A.R.S. 9-835 policy posts time frames by license type in calendar days, Preliminary, Major and Minor Site Plan among them, and substantive review covers an initial comprehensive review and one subsequent review [3].
When is a dust permit required in Maricopa County?
Does a car wash need a use permit in Phoenix?
In the C-2 district, yes: ZO 623 requires a use permit, and the wash may then be in an open building [22].
Is the rezoning site plan sealed in Buckeye?
No. The rezoning exhibit is titled "Conceptual Overall Site Plan" and noted as not reviewed or approved, while the legal description and exhibit are signed and sealed by an Arizona registrant [18].
Can Luke Air Force Base limit a West Valley site?
Yes. A Buckeye-area county site inside the 65 Ldn contour was limited to what Luke Air Force Base can approve [10].
Sources
- 1)New Phoenix AMA Model Shows Limits of Groundwater (explainer, June 2023), Kyl Center for Water Policy, ASU Morrison Institute. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 2)Zoning Ordinance Sec. 507, Development Review Approval, City of Phoenix. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 3)License Time Frames, A.R.S. 9-835 Policy (TRT/DOC/00607), City of Phoenix Planning and Development. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 4)Dust Control Field Guide for the Construction Industry, Rule 310, Maricopa County Air Quality Department. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 5)Rule 310 Stationary Dust Control Plan, Maricopa County Air Quality Department. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 6)Building Permits Survey, 2024 Annual Highlights, U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 7)Green Book, PM-10 nonattainment areas (www3.epa.gov/airquality/greenbook/ancl.html), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 8)Buckeye Development Code, zoning districts, as amended by Ord. No. 28-25 (October 21, 2025), City of Buckeye (adopted code text read through a third-party copy). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 9)Rezone from I-1 to I-1 with PAD Overlay, project narrative (2023 City Council packet), City of Goodyear. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 10)Planning and Zoning Commission minutes, October 24, 2024 (MCP2023010 and zoning case conditions), Maricopa County. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 11)Zoning Ordinance Appendix A, Fee schedules, City of Phoenix. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 12)Z2020049, Report to the Board of Supervisors (January 25, 2023), Maricopa County. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 13)Development Code (update history), City of Buckeye. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 14)Development Services Code Chapter 2.110, CI-2 Industrial Zone (via Municode), Pinal County. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 15)Zoning Ordinance Sec. 507 Tab A, Guidelines for Design Review, City of Phoenix. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 16)Design Review Committee Appeal Application, City of Phoenix Planning and Development. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 17)Zoning Ordinance Sec. 702, Off-Street Parking and Loading, City of Phoenix. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 18)Planning and Zoning Commission packet, PLZZ-20-00011 (rezoning conditions), City of Buckeye. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 19)Planning and Zoning Commission packet, PLZZ-21-00016 (citizen participation), City of Buckeye. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 20)Welcome to the Permit Center (2026 fee schedule, 2024 Construction Codes), City of Buckeye. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 21)Development Services Code Update, Pinal County. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 22)Zoning Ordinance Sec. 623, Commercial C-2 District, Intermediate Commercial, City of Phoenix. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 23)Pollution Prevention, Auto Section 3, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 24)Board of Supervisors item, Z2024046, The ParKing-Semi Trailer & RV Storage (hearing August 21, 2024), Maricopa County. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 25)Chapter 31, Special Construction, Phoenix Building Construction Code 2018, City of Phoenix (text via UpCodes). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 26)Self Storage National Report (March 2026), citing Yardi Matrix, Multi-Housing News. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 27)Self Storage Market Outlook (July 2026), Yardi Matrix. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 28)Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites, DC Ranch (project record, August 28, 2020), Construction Journal. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 29)Planning and Zoning Commission minutes, February 20, 2025, Pinal County. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 30)Slow Growth Impacts Nation's Largest Counties Hardest (Vintage 2025 estimates, CB26-56), U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 31)Lots to Gain: Industrial Outdoor Storage is Outperforming Bulk Warehouse (September 8, 2025), Newmark. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 32)Zenith Industrial Outdoor Storage acquires Phoenix IOS portfolio, JLL. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 33)Steel Peak Acquires First Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) Property in Phoenix, Arizona Market, citybiz. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 34)Steel Peak Acquires First Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) Property in Phoenix (press release, September 16, 2026), Real Estate Daily News. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 35)Matthews Executes Phoenix IOS Acquisition to Support Owner-User Growth (press release), Matthews. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 36)ADAWS opens door to water providers securing Assured Water Supply designations, Arizona Department of Water Resources. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 37)Z2021137, Report to the Planning and Zoning Commission, Maricopa County. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 38)Case Z2020027, Report to the Planning and Zoning Commission, Maricopa County. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 39)Z2020027, Report to the Board of Supervisors, December 9, 2020, Maricopa County. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 40)Semi-truck parking campus coming to Goodyear (May 2024), Rose Law Group Reporter. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 41)Buc-ee's opens first Arizona location as chain plans 15 new travel centers, Fox Business. Accessed 2026-10-10.
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- 43)Phoenix PM-10 Nonattainment Area (azdeq.gov/phoenix-pm-10-nonattainment-area), Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Accessed 2026-10-10.