On Aug. 23, Mayor and Council approved an amendment to the Unified Development Code to ensure that new commercial development in Tucson is Electric Vehicle (EV) ready. These new regulations would require all new commercial development, multi-family, office, and retail to include EV stations or outlets, as well as conduit to support future expansion of EV capacity.

These new requirements come after more than a year of stakeholder and public engagement, community input, and technical analysis to develop the proposal.

A revised proposed ordinance was presented to Mayor and Council on Aug. 23, which was approved 7-0. If you missed the meeting, you can review the agenda materials and watch the meeting on YouTube.

The new regulations will go into effect on Dec.1, 2022, and can be found on the Commercial Parking Amendments page.

These code changes support the City's climate action and adaptation response, and Mayor and Council's climate emergency declaration.

Expanded use of Individual Parking Plan approved by Mayor and Council

Mayor and Council approved the expanded use of the Individual Parking Plan (IPP) following a public hearing during a meeting on July 12.

The updated proposal for changes to commercial parking requirements was presented to Mayor and Council for a public hearing continued from the April 19 meeting.

The original proposal included requiring new multifamily, commercial, and retail development to include electric vehicle (EV) readiness infrastructure; and expanded eligibility for the Individual Parking Plan (IPP) to affordable housing developments, restaurants, and bars.

Mayor and Council voted 5-1 in favor of allowing restaurants, bars, and affordable housing to apply for an IPP and postponed a vote on EV readiness to allow for an additional round of stakeholder feedback.

The approval will allow certain types of establishments to request to provide less parking onsite than required by the City code, based on their expected parking demand. Approval of reduced parking will be based on a review of site-specific parking and transportation needs, require a neighborhood meeting, and compliance with specific criteria.

The approval will also allow restaurants and bars that have been participating in the temporary program to allow expanded outdoor seating as a pandemic relief measure as an option to make their expanded outdoor seating permanent, should they choose.

An IPP is a modification to the number of required motor vehicle parking spaces on new and existing sites. This handout provides more information on an IPP and the application process.

The approved changes to the IPP went into effect on Aug. 12.

Tucson Development Center Online Launching Oct. 31

The City of Tucson will launch the Tucson Development Center Online (TDC Online) on Oct. 31, 2022.

TDC Online is a new self-service portal that will provide customers with a complete online process. The new system will function as a one-stop shop for customers seeking a permit or case from Planning and Development Services, Tucson Fire, Tucson Water, Department of Transportation and Mobility, and Code Enforcement.

The current permitting system will be retired on Oct. 21. The IVR Line (520-791-3111) will be available during downtime but discontinued after TDC Online launches. All inspection scheduling will be online beginning Oct. 31, 2022.

Emergency permits will be available during the downtime for the following: electrical, gas, water heater, and water line; structural failure.

Visit the TDC Online information page to learn more about what you can expect on Oct. 31, 2022.

Share suggestions for code changes

On June 7, Mayor and Council provided direction to begin code updates to streamline Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) processes.

PDSD is currently collecting input from stakeholders, staff, and the public on potential code changes. It is anticipated those proposed code changes will fall into the following three categories: 

-Clean-ups / Clarifications 

-Improvements / Enhancements 

-Policy Driven

Based on the input received, PDSD will refine the feedback into a suite of code amendments that would be most impactful in terms of streamlining the code processes.  

Any remaining items on the list not immediately used will be saved for consideration in future code amendment packages presented to Mayor and Council. 

Share your suggestions for code changes to help streamline processes via this survey form.

The survey has been extended and will close for input on Oct. 1, 2022.

Planning and Development Services is hiring

The City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department is currently recruiting to continue growing our customer-centric team and help shape the future of Tucson.

Planning Technician: Provides planning technical assistance on a variety of land use planning projects. Reviews plans to verify compliance with City codes, ordinances, laws and industry standards. Creates detailed maps utilizing computer applications, processes applications, and provides planning and zoning information assistance to the public.

Interested in learning more about open positions, City of Tucson benefits, and applying to join the team? Browse the job listing page for more information on all the open positions with the City of Tucson.