City of Avondale
The City of Avondale has announced that the Development and Engineering Services Department has created and enabled a web based software that will allow anyone to submit applications online and receive approvals digitally. The site is called Accela Citizen Access (ACA) and Electronic Document Review (EDR). ACA & EDR allows Development and Engineering Service clients to apply for projects and have those project’s design elements reviewed electronically through the internet. The process will result in reducing the need for paper copies and for trips to city offices. ACA will also enable clients to see exactly where their project is in the review process, and what to expect as their project moves toward approval. Most clients will even be able to pay for any fees or permits online and to print out their own building permits. Most clients may never have to leave their place of work while processing their project through the city.
City of Scottsdale
The City of Scottsdale has provided the public with an update as a part of the Scottsdale General Plan public participation process. This update includes an overview of the General Plan activities and other news relating to the city’s General Plan update process. After much work, discussion, and 32 meetings, the Task Force completed its mission and its recommended draft General Plan 2035 was released publicly in November 2014. This recommended Plan is being brought forward for review by the public, including the city’s Boards and Commissions and community groups. All comments on this draft will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and City Council for their consideration. The Planning Commission & the City Council will continue discussions on the draft throughout the summer 2015. All meetings start at 5 p.m. in the City Hall Kiva, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard. Scottsdale General Plan 2035 is a state-mandated update to Scottsdale’s General Plan – a document that guides how the city will evolve over the next 20 years. It is a process that will be accomplished with extensive opportunities for community participation and involvement. Scottsdale was one of the first Arizona cities to create a General Plan to guide its physical development. Today, all Arizona cities are required by state law to have a General Plan. The current General Plan was ratified by voters in 2002. State law requires that cities the size of Scottsdale update their plans and send them to the voters for ratification every 10 years. Scottsdale’s last attempt to update the General Plan, in 2012, was not ratified by the voters. Subsequently, the 2001 General Plan remains in effect until a new General Plan is adopted and ratified. Scottsdale’s draft General Plan 2035 is comprised of eight chapters that include 22 elements – 17 state mandated elements and five community created elements. The draft Plan proposes the incorporation of two new state mandated elements, and two new community-created elements in addition to the remaining state mandated and community created elements from the 2001 General Plan. Though new content has been added, the Task Force updated and retained the majority of the 2001 General Plan goals, policies and maps in the Scottsdale General Plan 2035. Staff will present and discuss the draft General Plan 2035 with city boards, commissions and community groups through October. All meetings are open to the public.
City of Goodyear
Earlier this year the Goodyear City Council voted to adopt the 2012 International Construction Codes, including the International Residential Code (“IRC”) and International Energy Conservation Code (“IECC”). Goodyear also adopted a number of amendments which include:
(1) HERS Amendment – any home which is certified in writing as achieving a HERS Index Score of 73 is considered to be in compliance with the IECC.
(2) R-8 Duct Trade Off Amendment – provides for a number of alternative options for builders who are not able to use R-8 Duct insulation in attics.
(3) Sample Testing Amendment – Eliminates the requirement that every home be tested and inspected to verify compliance with the IECC and instead substitutes sample testing.
(4) Air Handler Amendment – Deletes the leakage requirement for air handlers.
The updated codes are effective July 1, 2015. If you have existing standard plans with the City, you will have until January 1, 2016 to update those to comply with the 2012 codes. However, if a subdivision has less than 25 lots remaining, the city will allow you to complete those lots without updating your standard plans.
City of Scottsdale
The public is invited to comment on the first draft of a new Transportation Master Plan for Scottsdale. The public can learn about the plan and provide feedback at a series of meetings that will be held through November of this year. The Transportation Master Plan provides a vision and a guide to the community’s residents, businesses, and officials as the Scottsdale transportation system grows and develops in the future. All public meetings will be hosted by the City’s Transportation Commission and will be held in the City Hall Kiva, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
State Of Arizona
As measure intended to prevent possible liability issues and legal action, the Arizona Department of Transportation engineering staff, surveyors and consultants are directed to discontinue the use of the terms “as built drawing” and/or “as build drawing” where used within existing and current manuals, plan sheets, contracts and policy and procedure documents. The measure took effect April 7, 2015. The terms “as built drawing” and/or “as build drawing” have historically been used to document improvements constructed in the field. Staff shall now begin to use the term “record drawing” when documenting the recorded improvements constructed in the field. Currently what is provided is “record drawing” not “as builds.” ADOT documentation will need to be changed to reflect the new terminology. Arizona Revised Statute ARS 32-152 will not change, and can be referenced as appropriate.
The following ADOT documents should be updated by the technical owner, and are not limited to manuals, plan sheets, and policy and procedure documents:
- Project Development Process Manual
- ITD Policies and Procedures
- Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) – Contracts and ECS Rules
The following associations have been notified by the Project Resource Office of the term change:
- Arizona State Board of Technical Registration
- The American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona
