With all of the growth happening along the I-17 corridor since the arrival of the TSMC chip plant, and still so much available state trust land in the far North Phoenix region, there are several avenues for community residents to get involved and help shape the future of the hottest growing area within the city.
The City of Phoenix is made up of 15 urban villages and a committee is designated for each village, serving as an advisory board to the City Council to provide input on zoning proposals pertaining to development and future land use within the village in which they reside or work in.
“The Village Planning Committees serve as an opportunity for residents to connect with the Planning and Development Department and the City of Phoenix at their level in their community,” said Planning and Development Director Joshua Bednarek. “It’s the first opportunity for residents to engage in the planning process and connect with their neighbor members on the committee to help shape the future of the community.”
Village committee boards hear land-use proposals from developers and make recommendations to the Phoenix Planning Commission and to Phoenix City Council for final approval.
Valley Vibe’s readership is primarily served by two villages:
- The North Gateway Village, a fast-growing regional employment center, commercial retail development and diverse residential communities. The village is bounded by Daisy Mountain/Desert Hills Drives to the north, the western city limits to the west, Central/7th Avenues the east, and the Central Arizona Project Canal to the south.
- The Rio Vista Village, a mostly undeveloped area with a vast amount of state trust land, with the exception of the Anthem Commerce Park, Anthem Outlets and Anthem West residential community. The village is bounded by the Table Mesa Road alignment on the north, I-17 on the east, an irregular area on the south and east bounded by Desert Hills Drive, Pyramid Peak Parkway, and Carefree Highway, and New River Road and 75th Avenue on the west.
Open Board Seats Both village boards currently have vacancies, making now a great time to get involved. The positions are volunteer, and members must be nominated and appointed by the mayor and City Council.
The North Gateway Village Planning Committee currently has 10 occupied seats and four vacancies. The Rio Vista Village Planning Committee currently has 9 open positions, with only four occupied seats.
Committee Member Eligibility At least 75 percent of committee members must reside within the village they wish to serve at least 11 months of the year. Up to 25 percent of the members may be individuals who work at a business in the village on a full-time basis, but live outside the village or outside the city, according to the City’s Village Planning Handbook. The handbook also states that in villages with a population of less than 50,000, exceptions can be made to allow residents of nearby villages to serve as committee members.
Each City Council member and mayor have a maximum number of appointments to each Village Planning Committee.
Committee Member Responsibilities Members must be available to attend monthly village planning committee meetings regularly and review information and reports provided by the city regarding active zoning cases prior to the monthly meeting to prepare for board discussion. In order to formally be able to discuss and act on agenda items, the committee must meet a monthly attendance quorum.
How to Apply An interested resident can apply to be on a committee online at https://boards.phoenix.gov.
How Weigh In on Projects For rezoning cases, village residents are invited to email their village’s assigned planner or handwritten letter to voice their opinion, or express concerns and it will be saved as part of the case file and sent to the committee members, Planning Commission members, and City Council members to review prior to their respective hearings.
Residents are welcome and encouraged to attend monthly committee meetings for their village to provide input and feedback in person.
Rio Vista Village Planning Committee meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month, and North Gateway Village Planning Committee meetings are held the second Thursday of each month. All meetings are at 6 p.m. at the Goelet A. Beuf Community Center, located at 3435 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Phoenix.