We Create Our Future Pinal County Comprehensive Plan Adopted November 18, 2009 Updated November 30, 2015 We Create Our Future Pinal County Comprehensive Plan Acknowledgements The Pinal County Comprehensive Plan was made possible by the cooperative efforts of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Citizen Advisory Committee, and staff. In addition, nearly 100 people participated on work groups that provided input on various aspects of the project, and thousands of people throughout Pinal County participated in involvement activities over the 24-month process. Numerous presentations were made and input solicited from civic and social organizations including the Pinal Partnership, East Valley Partnership, homeowners associations, economic development organizations, Pinal Government Alliance, SaddleBrooke Democrats Club, and Sonoran Institute, to name a few. Pinal County would like to extend its appreciation to all the citizens, property owners, community organizations, non-governmental organizations, businesses, cities, towns, Native American communities, state agencies, and federal agencies whose diligent participation throughout the planning process has been instrumental in the Plan’s development. Board of Supervisors District 1 District 2 District 3 Pete Rios Bryan Martyn David Snider A very special thank you to former Supervisors Lionel Ruiz and Sandie Smith for their dedication and unwavering support of this process. Planning and Zoning Commission District 1 District 2 District 3 Mary Aguirre-Vogler Gordon Brown David Ellis Dixon Faucette Scott Riggins Phillip “McD” Hartman Frank Salas Clark Smithson Rick O’Neil A very special thank you to former Commissioners Ray Harlan, George Johnston and Kate Kenyon for their contributions to this process. Committees Citizen Advisory Committee Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group Technical Advisory Group Regional Planning Team Economic Development Task Force Transportation Task Force Conservation and Renewable Energy Working Group Energy, Generation, and Distribution Working Group TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Introduction 3 Overview 3 Vision Statement Framework 6 Plan Elements 7 Definitions 10 Community-Driven Plan 12 The Process 13 Using the Comprehensive Plan 17 Relationship Between Existing Zoning and the Comprehensive Plan 21 Area Plans 22 Relationship to Municipal and Native American Communities 23 Relationship to Other Documents 23 Private Property Rights and the Plan 24 Implementing and Amending the Plan 25 CHAPTER 2: PINAL COUNTY VISION Pinal County Vision 29 Pinal County Values 29 Pinal County Vision 30 CHAPTER 3: SENSE OF COMMUNITY Land Use 37 Introduction 37 Strategic Areas 40 Flexibility to Respond to Market Changes 40 Sustainability 40 The County of Choice 41 Agriculture and Equestrian Heritage 41 Native American Indian Communities 42 Employment Growth 43 Land Use/Transportation Linkage 44 Regional Focus 44 Open Space 45 Commercial Air Service and General Aviation 45 Arizona State Trust Land 48 Land Use Plan 49 Residential Land Use 60 Residential Land Use Definitions 61 Alternative Land Uses for Moderate Low Density Residential 62 Planning Guidelines 68 Mixed Use Activity Centers 72 We Create Our Future: Pinal County Comprehensive Plan i Mixed Use Activity Center Definitions 72 Mixed Use Activity Center Characteristics 73 Planning Guidelines 77 Commerce-Related Land Uses 78 Commerce-Related Definitions (Commercial and Employment) 80 Planning Guidelines 82 Natural Infrastructure 89 Natural Infrastructure Definitions 90 Planning Guidelines 91 Additional Land Use Designations 92 Planning Guidelines 93 Land Use Plan Summary 99 Goals, Objectives and Policies 101 Growth Areas 111 Introduction 111 Strategic Areas 112 Joint Area Studies 115 Gateway/Superstition Vistas Growth Area 116 Planning Guidelines 121 West Pinal Growth Area 123 Red Rock Growth Area 125 Tri-Communities Growth Area 126 Goals, Objectives and Policies 127 Cultural Resources 141 Introduction 141 Strategic Areas 144 Economic Assets 144 Federal and State Agencies 145 Goals, Objectives and Policies 146 Aggregate Mining 149 Goals, Objectives and Policies 150 CHAPTER 4: MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY Multimodal Circulation 155 Introduction 155 Strategic Areas 158 Roadways 158 Rail, Transit and Aviation 171 Commercial Airport 184 Bicycle, Pedestrian and Equestrian Facilities 185 Noise 187 Air Quality Planning for All Modes 189 Goals, Objectives and Policies 191 ii We Create Our Future: Pinal County Comprehensive Plan CHAPTER 5: ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY Economic Development 204 Introduction 204 Strategic Areas 207 Employment 207 Occupational Growth 210 Income and Wages 211 Goals, Objectives and Policies 212 CHAPTER 6: OPEN SPACES AND PLACES Open Spaces and Places 223 Introduction 223 Strategic Areas 224 Land Ownership Considerations 224 Pinal County Parks 226 Open Space 227 Regional Trails 230 Open Spaces and Places Plan 231 Pinal County Parks 231 Open Spaces 233 Goals, Objectives and Policies 240 CHAPTER 7: ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP Environmental Planning 251 Introduction 251 Strategic Areas 252 Environmentally Sensitive Areas 252 Vegetation 257 Air Quality 258 Noise 260 Dark Skies 260 Solid Waste 261 Environmental Education 262 Goals, Objectives and Policies 262 Water Resources 269 Introduction 269 Goals, Objectives and Policies 273 Energy 279 Introduction 279 Strategic Areas 280 Conservation 281 Renewable Energy Sources 282 Energy Generation and Transmission 284 We Create Our Future: Pinal County Comprehensive Plan iii Goals, Objectives and Policies 286 CHAPTER 8: HEALTHY, HAPPY RESIDENTS Housing 297 Introduction 297 Strategic Areas 300 Housing Locations 300 Changing Markets 300 Goals, Objectives and Policies 301 Cost of Development 307 Introduction 307 Strategic Areas 309 Portfolio of Services 309 Cost of Public Services 310 Goals, Objectives and Policies 314 Healthy Places 319 Introduction 319 Goals, Objectives and Policies 320 CHAPTER 9: QUALITY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Education 325 Introduction 325 Goals, Objectives and Policies 326 CHAPTER 10: IMPLEMENTATION Implementation 330 Introduction 330 Strategic Areas 331 Adoption 331 Monitoring the Plan 333 Plan Amendments 333 Collaboration 339 APPENDIX A: Comprehensive Plan Compliance Checklist B: Land Use Plan with Townships C: Acronyms D: Glossary iv We Create Our Future: Pinal County Comprehensive Plan FIGURES, TABLES AND CHARTS Figure Title Page 3-1 Land Ownership 37 3-2 Land Acreage by Category 38 3-3 Land Ownership Map 48 3-4 Land Use Plan 53 3-5 Land Use Plan Tile Index 54 3-6 Land Use Plan – Tile A 55 3-7 Land Use Plan – Tile B 56 3-8 Land Use Plan – Tile C 57 3-9 Land Use Plan – Tile D 58 3-10 Economic Development Plan 59 3-11 Low Intensity Activity Center Characteristics 73 3-12 Low Intensity Activity Center Development 73 3-13 Mid Intensity Activity Center Characteristics 74 3-14 Mid Intensity Activity Center Development 74 3-15 High Intensity Activity Center Characteristics 75 3-16 High Intensity Activity Center Development 75 3-17 Land Use Assumptions 100 3-18 Employment and Population Summary 101 3-19 Megapolitan Characteristics 111 3-20 Growth Area Plan 114 4-1 Pinal County Intersection/Driveway Related Crashes, June 2001-July 2006 164 4-2 Regional Functional Classification System 165 4-3 Roadway Classification Standards 166 4-4 Multimodal Circulation Plan: Roadways 167 4-5 Multimodal Circulation Plan: Rail, Transit and Aviation 168 4-6 At-Grade Parkway Intersection 170 4-7 Pinal Rides Demonstration Project Vehicle 173 4-8 Pinal County Dollars by Direction and Mode 174 4-9 Pinal County Dollars by Commodity and Mode 175 4-10 Average Annual Daily Truck Volume on Key Highways and Interstates 176 4-11 Passenger Rail Characteristics – Commuter Rail and Intercity Rail 181 4-12 Metropolitan Phoenix Area METRO Light Rail Vehicle 181 4-13 Pinal County Nonattainment and Maintenance Area 190 5-1 Pinal County Employment by Sector 207 5-2 Pinal County Establishment and Job Growth 208 5-3 Pinal County Civilian Employed Population, 16 Years and Over 209 5-4 Median Household Income, 2000 210 5-5 Pinal County Wages by Industry 211 We Create Our Future: Pinal County Comprehensive Plan v Figure Title Page 6-1 Pinal County Parks 225 6-2 National Forests, Monuments, State Parks or Wilderness Areas within Pinal County 227 6-3 Park Level of Service 229 6-4 Park Acreage Needs 230 6-5 Open Space and Trails 237 7-1 Pinal County Electricity Need 283 8-1 Funding Options 311 vi We Create Our Future: Pinal County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 1: Introduction 1 We Create Our Future: Pinal County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 1: Introduction 2 Chapter 1: Introduction We Create Our Future: Pinal County Comprehensive Plan Introduction Overview Pinal County is in the heart of the Sun Corridor; one of 20 megapolitan areas identified across the U.S. by demographers as areas where the majority of growth will occur in the future. The Sun Corridor is projected to combine to form one of the 10 “megaregions” where the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech expects that the next 100 million U.S. residents will live. The Sun 3 Corridor Megapolitan region stretches from the Prescott region to the border of Mexico along the central transportation corridor of Arizona. How Pinal County responds to and plans for this projected growth, and how it partners with surrounding governmental entities, will change the course of Pinal County, and perhaps the entire state of Arizona, for generations. The Pinal County Comprehensive Plan is the landmark document that