How Planning and Zoning shape Globe’s future

Sustainability and economic development have been hallmarks of Globe City Council’s agenda for the past decade, requiring both long-term planning and attention to details to manage land use and growth throughout the City.

While the General Plan update—scheduled to be completed by Fiscal Year 2026—will address overall land use in various sections of the City, Planning & Zoning in the City’s Community Development Department provides the legal details of what is allowed within the scope of the law.

The General Plan is an overarching document that serves as a roadmap to the future to direct resources and identify future land use priorities. The update is a public process that will profoundly affect the lives of Globe residents, is driven by citizen involvement and members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as a legal framework the City is obligated to follow.

“The General Plan has a land use element to it, which is one of the heaviest elements,” says Globe Zoning Administrator Dana Burkhardt. “There is a transportation element that discusses roadway classifications and where we need to make improvements for growth areas, and it creates policy on how we get from where we’re at today to where we want to be in the future.”

According to Burkhardt, zoning laws and municipal authority to enact and enforce them date back to the early part of the 20th century to protect the interests of citizens and maintain the character of residential neighborhoods.

The laws are meant to separate living spaces from industries and businesses that could alter the urban landscape and affect the wellbeing of those who reside there.

“These laws gave cities the ability to use zoning to protect the public’s health, safety and general welfare,” Burkhardt says. “This is an important thing to make our community safe, and that’s the whole foundation of zoning. After the Second World War, housing production took off and we started doing master plans, and it took on a whole new level of subdivision design.”

The initial laws came from a belief that companies that mine or manufacture bricks should not be next to homes because of nuisances such as excessive light, noise, odor, dust and other airborne material and to help protect the public safety and general welfare of citizens.

Zoning maps give a general outline of those divisions, but the codes attached to them allow municipalities to fine-tune land use and with tools such as Conditional Use Permits (CUPs) that make exceptions for residents or business owners, and flexibility to propose land usage that might not normally be allowed while preserving the integrity of a zoning district and protect the general public health, safety and welfare of its inhabitants.

Zoning laws also lay out a framework that protects citizens from government overreach through a very public process on individual land use.

“When you buy a house, you assume the responsibility of knowing the laws that apply, just like you’re obligated to understand traffic requirements when you drive, and how to act in public without being obscene,” Burkhardt adds. “It creates the predictability that residents come to expect, that lenders need to lend on mortgages and when you don’t adhere to those zoning codes that predictability could be jeopardized.”

While Burkhardt takes on the responsibility of interpreting individual codes for any proposed development or CUP, the decision ultimately rests on the Planning & Zoning Commission, a board of citizens appointed by City Council who address issues on a case-by-case basis.

Frequent updates to municipal codes, including the building codes that go hand-in-hand with zoning, are important in order to keep up with modern laws, best practices and industry standards.

Many of the codes that drive Globe development are years, if not decades, behind current standards. The City and Council have been working hard for the past five years to update code, a monumental task that requires time, personnel and financial resources.

“What happens is building codes are improved on and changed all the time as technology improves, as conditions change,” says Councilman Fernando Shipley, who has served on Globe City Council off and on for a quarter-century. “You have to keep up with modern concepts of zoning. A lot of it is very, very practical.”

Shipley also believes zoning and land use in general can affect perceptions of the City, both internally and from an outsider’s perspective, which can have an effect on future growth and tourism.

“There’s a lot to the idea of quality of life. Some people might think, ‘we’re not that kind of place, we’re just a little dirty mining town’,” he says. “That mentality is not going to get us to be anything different, because why do people go to different places and travel? It’s because people appreciate quality: People appreciate your history and what you have to offer.”

Zoning codes are set into law and they prescribe flexibility in some instances to allow citizens to appeal to the City for a CUP for certain types of uses that may require conditions for the use to operate in certain locations without negatively impacting neighbors.

CUPs also have processes to communicate requests to the public to make voices heard, through direct contact with Councilmembers, administrators or City staff in advance of the CUP being considered by the Commission. Additionally, there is a live feed of most public meetings, providing the ability to comment in real time. Contact information for all staff and Councilmembers is on the City’s website in addition to all the laws and codes that drive municipal function in Globe.

Given the numerous ways to contact the City and make public officials aware of grievances or differences of opinion, criticizing them on social media is not a good form of communication, according to Councilman Jesse Leetham.

“I think we’ve done a great job of trying to engage the public in ensuring that their values and what they want is part of our planning,” he says. “We update our plan every year. It’s a living, breathing document that changes all the time. We’ve set up different official forums to come and address the concerns of our residents. With that being said, Facebook is not one of those official forums.”

The General Plan update in particular gives citizens ample opportunity to get involved in the process from public forums to City Council meetings to apps that are available on the City of Globe website.

Leetham says the General Plan is crucial to the community, providing “a structured approach, managing growth and helping to preserve rural character while enhancing economic vitality.”

“With planning and zoning, it’s important to understand that this is how we preserve the rural charm of Globe, Arizona,” Leetham adds. “This is how we understand that while we grow, we still have to preserve what we have and focus on different areas, and what is best for the areas around it. You don’t want to see industrial parks inside of downtown Globe. You want to see more of a historic feel, and keep that historic feel downtown.”

City Council also aims to address every concern without fear or favor, without regard for political affiliation.

“Nobody can claim they’re being targeted because of their political beliefs, because we’re such an inclusive Council,” Leetham says. “I understand your concerns, but as a council member, I have to address what is best for the city of Globe as a whole, and not just the squeaky wheel. That’s a hard balancing act, for sure.”

City Councils and administrators have a vested interest in listening to the public and encourage citizens to attend meetings, contact them through official channels and attend meetings to learn about what is going on in their community. Direct communication is also a way to understand where tax dollars paid by the public are being spent.

The entirety of Globe Municipal Code can be found on the City website, here. Contact information for all City departments can be found here.