The Coconino County Community Development Department is seeking public feedback on proposed changes to sign and lighting codes as it updates the County’s zoning ordinances.
“The County’s zoning ordinances haven’t received a comprehensive update since 1981, although many amendments have been made in that time,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Mandy Metzger. “By updating our zoning ordinances, we hope to make codes more user-friendly, while utilizing new tools to implement the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. This will also streamline the permitting process by setting more performance standards, reducing the need for many projects to go to public hearing.”
A draft of proposed changes to the sign and lighting sections of the zoning ordinance are available for public input on the Community Development website at www.coconino.az.gov/CommunityDevelopment. These are the first sections of the zoning ordinance to undergo substantive changes as a part of a comprehensive rewrite of the code.
The entire project is expected to take approximately 16 months to complete, while utilizing an advisory group of stakeholders to help review and guide proposed changes.
“A critical component to the success to this project is the involvement and participation of our community partners and the public,” said Community Development Director Jay Christelman. “It is important that these proposed changes match the sentiments of the rest of our customers and residents.”
Proposed changes to the lighting code include the expansion of restrictive lighting zones to protect dark skies and the elimination of unshielded lighting fixtures. The sign code has many changes including more permissive temporary event signage, the allowance for ranch arch entrance signs and a decrease in the size allowance for commercial and industrial space leasing signs.
The public is invited to visit the Community Development website at www.coconino.az.gov/CommunityDevelopment for more information on proposed changes to the ordinance, updates on progress and drafts of the sections.