The Town of Florence Planning and Zoning Commission held a work session on April 17, 2025, to discuss proposed amendments to the Development Code regarding notification requirements for public hearings. The session was informational only, with commissioners providing feedback on staff recommendations. The proposed changes would determine how far the Town must reach when informing residents about new developments, rezonings, or permit applications.
At the meeting, Andrew Birkelbach, Planner, explained: “This is an information session and discussion only. You’re not taking action on this item tonight. We do have a public hearing that has been advertised for our next meeting on May 1st, which is coming up quick.”
When discussing the timeline, Town Attorney Clifford Mattice implied that it might be prudent to wait until after the next meeting to finalize discussions before sending out formal notice.
Purpose of Public Notices
Public notices inform property owners about proposed development projects that might affect them. Currently, the Town of Florence requires notifications be sent to property owners within 300 feet of a project site.
Vice-Chair Kathleen DeRosa explained that the review originated from a specific incident. “The property owners near the prison area rezoning felt they didn’t receive proper notice,” she said. “That’s when commissioners commented on expanding the notification radius to 600 feet.”
Research on Other Municipalities
Town Planner Andrew Birkelbach presented research comparing notification requirements of seven Phoenix metropolitan area municipalities:
| City | Property Owner Notification | HOA/Neighborhood Notification |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 600 feet | One mile |
| Chandler | 600 feet | Quarter mile |
| Avondale | 1,000 feet | 1,000 feet |
| Mesa | 500 feet | Not specified |
| Tempe | 600 feet | Quarter mile |
| Gilbert | 300 feet | 1,000 feet |
| Buckeye | 300 feet (<20 acres), 500 feet (≥20 acres) | Not specified |
Staff Recommendation
Based on this research, town staff recommended:
- Maintaining the 300-foot notification radius for projects less than 20 acres
- Increasing the radius to 600 feet for projects 20 acres or larger
- Notifying all neighborhood associations within a quarter mile (1,320 feet) of the subject property, regardless of project size
The proposed changes would specifically amend §150.016 (Conditional Use Permits), §150.017 (Temporary Use Permits), §150.022 (Citizen Review Process), and §150.023 (Applications and Fees) of the Development Code. Section 150.010 on variances would remain unchanged as those are heard by the Board of Adjustment, not the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Discussion Points
Commissioners debated whether the proposal struck the right balance. Commissioner Gordon Leaman advocated for a simpler approach with a standard 600 foot radius for all projects.
“I’d just like to simplify things. Rather than have a 300 foot, a 600 foot, and trying to make the difference between them, I’d just like to simplify it all to 600 feet,” said Commissioner Leaman.
He referenced a past issue involving an RV development on Hunt Highway: “Nobody on the Sun City side was notified because 300 feet wasn’t enough.”
Initial confusion arose about how HOA notifications would work. Vice-Chair DeRosa asked: “You’re telling me that anything over 300 feet, the HOA gets notified—not the individual homeowners—so it’s up to the HOA to inform their residents?”
Community Development Director A.J. Monroe clarified that individual property owners within the designated radius would still receive direct notifications. HOA notifications would be additional outreach, not a replacement.
“Any owner within 300 feet on a project less than 20 acres would be noticed, as well as HOAs within a quarter mile. In a project that is 20 acres or greater, all owners within 600 feet will be notified as well as the HOAs within a quarter mile,” Monroe explained.
Commissioner Jeffrey Wooley worried about relying on HOAs for notification: “Not every Homeowners Association is a great association that communicates with their residents greatly.”
After clarification, Wooley supported the staff recommendation, noting: “I think the 600 feet is… and I’ll use the Sun City for an example.. the 600 would have worked up there because we’re reaching out to get people notified.”
He also made an important observation about Florence’s growth trajectory: “People are looking at 600 feet because Florence is undergrown right now, so we have to reach out further to get people involved. But we have to look at future growth too.”
During the discussion, Commissioner Duane Proulx raised questions about the cost impact of different notification radiuses, asking: “Is there a cost burden to the applicant that would make a difference one way or the other?”
Moving Forward
Town Attorney Clifford Mattice provided context about state requirements, noting Arizona statute only requires notice within 300 feet for rezoning. “The interesting thing is the statute also talks about when there’s a protest for rezoning,” Mattice explained. “If 20% of the number of owners and the area within 150 feet of that project protest, there’s a higher vote that’s required to get it approved by the legislative body.” This context emphasized that the town’s proposed notification radius exceeds state minimums.
The commission appeared divided on the best approach. While Commissioner Leaman advocated for a simpler, uniform 600-foot radius, Vice Mayor Cathy Adam supported the staff’s tiered recommendation. “I like Commissioner Proulx’s approach, and they’ve done quite a lot of research on this,” said Adam. “I understand simpler is better, but at the end of the day, there is a cost.”
Although DeRosa initially supported Leaman’s proposal for a uniform 600-foot notification radius, by the end of the meeting she shifted toward maintaining the existing 300-foot standard. “I’m good with going with 300 feet. It is the standard. It, it’s worked in the past. It’ll work in the future, and it will simplify matters,” she said.
Commissioner Wooley added an important perspective about future growth, noting: “People are looking at 600-feet because Florence is undergrown right now, so we have to reach out further to get people involved. But we have to look at future growth too.”
The timing for next steps remained somewhat uncertain. While a May 1 public hearing had been advertised, Town Attorney Mattice suggested waiting until after further discussion before proceeding. Once finalized by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the proposal will go to the Town Council for consideration. According to the draft ordinance, if approved, the changes would become effective thirty calendar days after Council adoption.
