TITLE
A Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of the City of Maricopa, Arizona adopting the Non-Residential Design Guidelines to support the goals and objectives of the Maricopa General Plan and supplement the regulations of the Maricopa Zoning Code. Discussion and Action
AGENDA ITEM DESCRIPTION
Mayor and Council shall consider Resolution 26-29, adopting the 1st edition of the City of Maricopa, Non-residential Design Guidelines. The guidelines will establish clear expectations for commercial, industrial, and large-scale retail developments. They promote high-quality architecture, sustainability, pedestrian safety, and a unified sense of community identity.
Summary of Guidelines:
The guidelines provide a framework for City staff and the Zoning Administrator to review development applications during the site plan process. To keep Maricopa regionally competitive and sustainable, the drafting process evaluated commercial, large-scale, and industrial development requirements in other Valley municipalities, with particular attention to established design trends along the Loop 303 and Loop 101 corridors. By combining these regional best practices with Maricopa's specific community needs, the document blends flexible qualitative interpretations with clear quantitative benchmarks.
Key Components
• Introduction, Purpose, and Decision Making: The non-residential design guidelines serve as an essential supplement to the City's general plan and zoning ordinance. The primary objective is to establish a healthy, sustainable, and highly livable community with a unique identity. With that being said, each development is inherently different and administrative latitude is built into the guidelines granting explicit authority to interpret the guidelines and permit design flexibility.
• Site Design & Circulation: Prioritizes pedestrian safety by requiring ADA-compatible, shaded walkways separated from vehicles, clear driving hierarchies, and decorative crosswalk materials across drive aisles.
• Crime Prevention (CPTED): Emphasizes well-lit exterior doors, visible loading or rear facades, and strategically placed trash enclosures or defensive vegetation to avoid blind spots.
• Architectural Form: Enhance multi-tenant thematic palette, 360-degree architectural treatment, and a distinct building base, middle, and top. Facades must avoid long, flat stretches by adding plane offsets or material variations every 50 feet.
• Industrial Developments: Outlines guidelines for tilt-up or pre-cast walls to integrate architectural reveals, surface treatments (like stucco or stone), and windows to look like conventional built structures.
• Landscaping & Lighting: Strives for native, low-water plants aligned with regional water standards and shade-providing canopy trees. Exterior lighting must use decorative, architecturally cohesive fixtures that prevent glare and light spillage.
• Utilities & Screening: Enforces strict visual concealment of ground or roof-mounted mechanical units, trash enclosures, and utility boxes. Downspouts and roof access ladders must be internalized or fully screened.
• Fenestration Constraints: Requires specific window-to-façade ratios on primary entry areas: 25% for standard commercial, 15% for commercial over 70,000 square feet, and 10% for industrial structures.
• Specific Visual Requirements: Enhances design for gas stations (recessed canopy lighting), drive-through facilities (screened menu boards and lanes), and large commercial complexes exceeding 50,000 square feet, which must feature unique public art and dedicated plaza spaces.
PRESENTER
This item will be presented by Rick Williams, Planning and Zoning Division Manager
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Mayor and Council approve RES26-29, City of Maricopa Non-residential Design Guidelines, as outlined in the Council staff report dated November 17, 2026