18.140.050 Neighborhood meetings and notifications.
A. Purpose. The purpose of a neighborhood meeting is to provide a means for the applicant, surrounding residential neighbors, and registered neighborhood and homeowners association representatives to review a preliminary project and solicit input and exchange information about the proposed project prior to public hearings. Spanish-speaking and ASL interpreters shall be provided at the neighborhood meeting, if requested prior to the meeting scheduled. This preliminary meeting is intended to result in an application that is responsive to neighborhood concerns and to expedite and lessen the expense of the review process by avoiding needless delays, appeals, remands or denials. The applicant is responsible for all costs associated with the neighborhood meeting.
B. Applicability. A neighborhood meeting is required for the following types of applications:
1. Conditional use permits;
2. Variances;
3. Planned area development;
4. Major modification to an approved plan or condition of approval (when original approval requires neighborhood meeting);
5. Annexation requests;
6. Zoning map amendments; and
7. General plan map amendments.
C. Meeting Schedule. The applicant is required to hold one meeting prior to the first public hearing on an application for a specific site, but may hold more if desired. The required meeting shall be held at least 15 days and not more than 90 days before the first public hearing on the application. Meetings held more than 90 days before the first public hearing shall be required to hold an additional neighborhood meeting. Neighborhood meetings shall not occur until after any required preliminary review meeting and consultation with the planning division staff.
D. Meeting Location. Neighborhood meetings shall be held at a location near the proposed development site. The meeting shall be held on a weekday evening or weekends at any reasonable time and in a publicly accessible location.
E. Application Submittal.
1. The neighborhood notice and meeting materials must be submitted with the project application(s) to the development services department, unless otherwise deferred by the zoning administrator to a later date. At a minimum, the following materials must be submitted:
a. A narrative discussing the proposed time, place and location within the city of the neighborhood meeting;
b. A list of names and addresses, labeled, stamped envelopes of all the property owners within the target area, and a notarized affidavit by the applicant that the list of names and addresses is accurate, current and complete;
c. A list of names and addresses of all other interested parties who have requested that they be placed on a notification list maintained by the city clerk;
d. A notification letter written in both English and Spanish, including a general explanation of the substance of the proposed application; the date, time and place within the city scheduled for a neighborhood meeting and for all other city meetings; and the city and applicant contacts;
e. An eight-and-one-half-inch by 11-inch reduction of the proposed neighborhood sign; and
f. The applicant’s schedule for completion of the neighborhood meeting.
2. The zoning administrator or their designee shall be responsible (a) to review and approve all notification materials, neighborhood meeting location, a brief description of the property change and a land map; (b) to notify the applicant to proceed with the neighborhood meeting; and (c) for mailing the property owner notifications provided by the applicant.
F. Notification Requirements. Notice of the neighborhood meeting shall be provided at least 15 calendar days prior to the neighborhood meeting by the applicant in the following manner:
1. Mailed Notice. Written notice shall be mailed to all owners and occupants within 600 feet of the subject property, or a larger area as determined by the zoning administrator, and to such other persons as the economic and community development department, or authorized designee, determines to be other potentially affected citizens.
2. Posted Notice. Notice shall be provided on the proposed site. The sign shall be waterproof and have a minimum size of 24 inches by 36 inches for all variances, temporary use permits and conditional use permits and a four-foot by eight-foot sign for all general plan amendments, for planned area developments, zoning code amendments, and development review permits. All information on the sign shall be evenly spaced and organized in a readable manner. The number of signs and the location of the sign shall be determined by the zoning administrator or authorized designee.
3. Electronic Notice. Where applicable and not in violation of state law, notice may be provided by electronic means such as emailed notice, posted notice on the city’s website, or other means determined by the zoning administrator. This type of notice may be substituted for advertised notice. Any persons or organizations may request that electronic notice be substituted for mailed notice through a request to the zoning administrator. Electronic notice cannot be substituted for certain legislative actions, such as rezoning.
4. Contents of Notices. All notices shall contain information about the proposal, project description, time, date, location of neighborhood meeting and subsequent city meetings for review and approval (if available), the availability of Spanish-speaking and ASL interpreters upon request, the names and telephone numbers citizens may call with questions and issues, and applicant and city of Maricopa contacts, including name and telephone number.
G. Meeting Summary. The applicant shall submit to the development services department 10 calendar days before the first public hearing on the matter a written summary of the issues and discussions from the meeting and the meeting notes. This report will be attached to the development services department’s public hearing report and, at a minimum, include the following information:
1. Details of techniques the applicant used to involve the public, including:
a. Date(s) and location of meeting;
b. Content, dates mailed, and number of mailings, including letters, meeting notices, newsletters, maps and other publications;
c. A copy of the sign-in sheet from the neighborhood meeting which shall include attendee signatures, physical property address, date and the following language: “This sign-in sheet is intended to serve as proof that public input was pursued. Your personal information will not be used for solicitation purposes.”;
d. A photograph of the posted neighborhood meeting sign showing the date and time at which the photo was taken; and
e. A newspaper clipping of the legal advertisement as published in the newspaper of general circulation in the city or the electronic notice if allowed as set forth in subsection (F)(4) of this section.
2. A summary of concerns, issues and problems expressed during the process, including:
a. The substance of the concerns, issues, and problems;
b. How the applicant has addressed or intends to address concerns, issues and problems expressed during the process; and
c. Concerns, issues and problems the applicant is unwilling or unable to address and why. [Ord. 24-01 § 2; Res. 21-09; Ord. 21-05 § 2; Res. 14-36 § 502.05; Ord. 14-12 § 1.]