A zoning code that's built on common sense

The past decade of construction in Mesa is proof of what happens when a zoning code fails to meet reality. The code last received a major update in 1989, when huge parts of the city were still empty ground. The rules favored large, suburban developments, with homes neatly segregated from offices and shopping. The rules were rigid, too, with few incentives to deviate from them. That made it overly difficult to complete infill or redevelopment projects on the city's growing stock of smaller, more urban lots. Many lots fell into disrepair. The outdated rules brought a lot of cookie-cutter development to the city. It was much easier to do the minimum prescribed in the code, even if it didn't necessarily work on a site, than to fight through countless variances, reviews and hearings. Over the years, small changes to the code created contradictions, forcing city staff to be overly rigid or make what seemed like haphazard judgments. There was no predictability, no incentive to be creative. Mesa developed a reputation for being a tough place to do business. Some builders avoided it like the plague. That's why it's so significant to hear Mayor Scott Smith, a former homebuilder, use the words "common sense" and "reality" to describe the city's newly revised zoning code. The best part is he's right.

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