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What is NoticeTucson?

NoticeTucson is a personalized notification tool that emails citizens to inform them of opportunities for public input on proposed land-use changes.

It is difficult for members of the public to keep up on the development activity occurring in Tucson. Along with traditional outreach required by the Unified Development Code, NoticeTucson offers a way for all interested parties to stay informed of proposed land use changes within selected areas. NoticeTucson is not a part of the City’s legal public notice requirements, but supplements those other forms of notice. Once you have registered, you will receive notices of special approval applications, such as Board of Adjustment variances and rezonings. The Discretionary Permit Table has a more detailed description of the types of activities that are included in NoticeTucson.

How does it work?

NoticeTucson generates custom emails filtered by geography and type of permit or approval. Take the Tour on the NoticeTucson main page to see more detail.

Geography of notifications

You can choose to receive notifications from one or more specific geography. You can select from the following geographic areas:

  • Registered Neighborhoods Association
  • Council Wards
  • Custom area defined by you

Each type of notification can be selected using a separate geographic area. For example, you could choose to be notified about any rezoning within your Ward, but design modifications only within your Neighborhood Association. The Associations and Neighborhoods Map for maps of registered associations and neighboorhoods.

Types of notifications

NoticeTucson provides notification for PDSD special approval processes. Special approvals, also known as discretionary decisions, (a) are granted at the discretion of an authorized decision maker, (b) may include review by an advisory body, and (c) often require public notice. The authorized decision makers differ for various special approval processes and may include: PDSD Director, Board of Adjustment, Zoning Examiner, or Mayor and Council. In many cases, projects are also reviewed and given recommendations by appointed Boards, Committees, or Commission. The Boards, Committees, and Commissions that have been established to provide review of special approvals are the Design Review Board, the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission, five Historic Zone-specific Advisory Boards, and two Overlay-specific Design Review Committees. The Discretionary Permits Table is a list of the recommending and approval bodies for each special approval process. Additional details are provided below.

With the NoticeTucson system, you can select to receive four types of notification as follows:

  1. Rezoning Notifications
  2. Special Use/Special Exception Notifications
  3. Design/Site Modifications
  4. Desgin Review Notificiations

Rezoning Notifications

A rezoning is a request to change the underlying zoning classification of a property in order to utilize the property for a purpose not allowable under the existing zoning. For example, commercial uses, such as restaurants, are not allowable in certain residential zones. Planned Area Developments (PADs), which are a type of rezoning that allows multiple zoning categories, are also included in this notification.

All rezonings are reviewed by the Zoning Examiner, who makes a recommendation to Mayor and Council. The Mayor and Council reviews but is not bound by the Zoning Examiner recommendations, and is authorized to approve, approve with conditions, or deny any rezoning.

The Zoning Examiner holds public hearings on all rezonings. Public hearings are held as needed on scheduled Thursdays at 6:00PM in the Mayor and Council Chambers.

Mayor and Council typically meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 5:30PM in the Mayor and Council Chambers. There are routine exceptions during summer and around holidays. Yearly Calender of Meetings and Agenda

Rezonings go through multiple statuses while under review by PDSD and advisory bodies:

Status Meaning
ACCEPTED An application has received an internal evaluation after submittal, and has been determined to be complete and can undergo full review.
ZE REC An application has gone to the Zoning Examiner for a public hearing and PDSD staff has received a written recommendation. The Zoning Examiner recommendation can be found on PRO. Check the Mayor and Council agenda website to see when a project has been scheduled for public hearing.
AUTHRIZED The Preliminary Development Plan proposed in a rezoning application has been reviewed by Mayor and Council and approved.
ORDNANCD Mayor and Council has approved an ordinance establishing the right to complete the Preliminary Development Plan allowed through the rezoning.
EFFECTED The applicant has received approval for the site development and/or building(s) that were authorized in the rezoning. These approvals make the rezoning final and the zoning maps are changed to represent the new zoning classification for the property.
DENIED An application for rezoning has been denied by the Mayor and Council.

Special Use/Special Exception Notifications

Special uses, also known as special exceptions, are those uses that would not be appropriate to allow without limit or constraint in a particular land use zone, but which, if controlled as to number, area, location, or relation to neighborhoods, would protect the intent of that zoning classification. For example, cellular towers, within reason, could be an appropriate use in certain areas as long as the location, density, height, and proximity of the towers to residential properties do not create a negative visual impact.

The special exception process allows, within reason, land uses to be located in a land use zone that does not permit those uses explicitly “by right.” Applications for special exceptions can be submitted for projects that are reasonably consistent with the intent of the land use zone in which they are proposed to be located, and are evaluated according to certain use-specific standards to minimize the negative impact of projects. The majority of special exception applications that PDSD receives are for new or modified cellular facilities.

All projects are reviewed by the Zoning Examiner. Projects that comply with these use-specific standards can be decided by the Zoning Examiner, and are referred to as “Zoning Examiner Full Notice.” Projects that do not meet these standards receive a recommendation from the Zoning Examiner but must be decided by the Mayor and Council, and are referred to as “Zoning Examiner Legislative.” Uses that are not consistent with the intent of the land use zone for which they are proposed must go through the rezoning process.

The Zoning Examiner holds public hearings on all rezonings. Public hearings are held as needed on scheduled Thursdays at 6:00PM in the Mayor and Council Chambers. Zoning Examiner Agendas and Meeting Materials

Mayor and Council typically meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 5:30PM in the Mayor and Council Chambers. There are routine exceptions during summer and around holidays. Yearly Calendar of Meetings and Agenda

Special exception applications go through multiple statuses while under review by PDSD and advisory bodies:

Status Meaning
APPLIED An application for rezoning has been received by PDSD staff and the application has been entered into the City’s permitting system. A completed application form and Preliminary Development Plan can be found on PRO. Check the Zoning Examiner agenda website to see when a project has been scheduled for public hearing.
ZE REC An application has gone to the Zoning Examiner for a public hearing and PDSD staff has received a written recommendation (only Zoning Examiner Legislative). The Zoning Examiner recommendation can be found on PRO. Check the Mayor and Council agenda website to see when a project has been scheduled for public hearing.
APPROVED An application has gone to the Zoning Examiner for review and received approval (only Zoning Examiner Full Notice).
AUTHRIZED The Preliminary Development Plan proposed in a special exception application has been reviewed by Mayor and Council and approved (only Zoning Examiner Legislative).
ORDNANCD Mayor and Council has approved an ordinance establishing the right to complete the Preliminary Development Plan allowed through the special exception.
EFFECTED The applicant has received approval for the site development and/or building(s) that were authorized in the rezoning. These approvals make the special exception final (only Zoning Examiner Legislative).
DENIED An application for a special exception has been denied by the Zoning Examiner (only Zoning Examiner Full Notice) or Mayor and Council (only Zoning Examiner Legislative).

Design/Site Modifications

Sometimes when a development package or site plan is reviewed, it is discovered that one or more required development standards cannot be met. For example, the standards might require that a house be built no closer than forty feet from the property line, but a wash crossing the middle of the property makes it only possible to set the house twenty-five feet away from the property line. In this case, the project applicant could ask for modifications to the design or site development standards in order for the project to be in compliance. Other examples of design modification requests include exceeding the height of wall or signs maximums, changing landscaping or screening requirements, or providing fewer parking spaces than required.

There are two basic categories of design modifications: variances and design options.

  • A variance is a request for modification to development standards that are triggered by physical constraints of the property that make it infeasible to construct a project to meet the standards. A variance cannot be requested for circumstances of self-imposed hardship, which is when the need for a variance is caused by an action taken by someone in possession of the property. Variances are reviewed by the Board of Adjustment.

    The Board of Adjustment hears and makes final decisions on requests for variances from the requirements of the Unified Development Code (UDC). Some design modification requests can be approved by the PDSD Director, and the Board of Adjustment also hears appeals of those staff decisions. The Board of Adjustment meets the fourth Wednesday of each month (unless otherwise indicated) at 1:30PM in the Mayor and Council Chambers. Agendas and Meeting Materials

  • A design option is a request for single-standard modifications that is relatively simple in nature and is optional rather than required as a result of physical site constraints. The three types of design options requests include: modifications to (a) setbacks and wall heights, (b) landscape and screening, and (c) parking. These design options are processed as administrative approvals by PDSD staff. Design options for landscape and screening must also be reviewed by the Design Review Board.

The Design Review Board typically meets on the first or third Friday or the month at 7:30AM in the PDSD Large Conference Room, 3rd Floor, 201 N. Stone Avenue. Schedule of Meetings

Design/site modification applications go through multiple statuses while under review by PDSD and advisory bodies:

Status Meaning
PLAN CK An application for a design/site modification has been received by PDSD staff and the application has been entered into the City’s permitting system. A completed application form and Preliminary Development Plan can be found on PRO.
APPROVED An application has gone through all relevant public review and been approved.
EFECTUAT An approved project has met any conditions associated with its approval.
DENIED An approved project has met any conditions associated with its approval.

Design Review Notifications

Many projects need to be reviewed for compliance with aesthetic standards and/or compatibility with surrounding land uses or neighborhood character. For example, design review is required for requests for modifications to the Scenic Corridor Zone, Environmental Resource Zone, and Native Plan Preservation. Design review may also be required for certain land uses such as bed and breakfast, cellular tower, and office developments.

Design review is also either optional or required for projects that fall within certain special districts. The special district in which design review is optional is an Urban Overlay Districts, such as the Infill Incentive District and the Main Gate Overlay District. Special districts in which design review is required include Neighborhood Preservation Zones, Historic Preservation Zones, and the Rio Nuevo Historic Zone.

Design review is conducted by the Design Review Committee except for reviews associated with specific special districts. The Design Review Board typically meets on the first or third Friday or the month at 7:30AM in the PDSD Large Conference Room, at 201 N. Stone Avenue, 3rd Floor. Schedule of Meetings

Projects within special districts are reviewed by the following entities:

Design review applications go through multiple statuses while under review by PDSD and advisory bodies:

Status Meaning
PLAN CK An application for a design/site modification has been received by PDSD staff and the application has been entered into the City’s permitting system. A completed application form and Preliminary Development Plan can be found on PRO.
APPROVED An application has gone through all relevant public review and been approved.
FINAL The appeal period has passed for an approved project.
EFECTUAT An approved project has met any conditions associated with its approval.
DENIED An application has gone through all relevant public review and been denied.