ZONING ADMINISTRATOR

Mesa City Code § 11-66-7

in effect

11-66-7: - ZONING ADMINISTRATOR A. Establishment of the Office of the Zoning Administrator. The office of Zoning Administrator is hereby established in the Mesa Development Services Department. The Zoning Administrator shall be designated by the Development Services Department Manager and serves under the direction of the Planning Director. B. Authority and Duties of the Zoning Administrator. The Zoning Administrator is the city official established pursuant to A.R.S. § 9-462.05 and charged with responsibility for enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance. In addition, the Zoning Administrator acts in either an administrative role or as a Hearing Officer and shall have the following duties and authorities: 1. Zoning Administrator in Administrative Role: a. Accomplish all administrative actions required by this Ordinance, including the giving of notice, scheduling of hearings, preparation of reports, and receiving and processing appeals. b. Interpret the Zoning Ordinance to the public, City Departments and other branches of government, and subject to general and specific policies established by the City Council. The Zoning Administrator may determine which requests for interpretations may be decided through an administrative process or reviewed and decided through a public hearing process as described in Item 2, below. c. Undertake preliminary discussions with, and provide advice to, applicants requesting assistance. d. Serve as Secretary to the Board of Adjustment, or delegate such duties to qualified parties. e. Make recommendations on changes and improvements in Ordinance regulations and procedures. f. Determine the location of any district boundary shown on the Zoning Map adopted as part of this ordinance when such location is in dispute. g. Review, consider and decide exceptions and alternative plans or alternative standards as authorized by this ordinance, based strictly upon the limitations and criteria specified for that exception, alternative standard or alternative plan. h. Review, consider and decide Zoning Permits, Administrative Use Permits, and Temporary Use Permits as authorized by this ordinance, based strictly upon the limitations and criteria specified for Zoning Permits, Administrative Use Permits, and Temporary Use Permits. i. Interpret any provisions of this ordinance. j. Make decisions on other sections of the City Code which are within the jurisdiction of the Zoning Administrator. k. Refer any matter within the Zoning Administrator's authority to the Board of Adjustment. 2. As a Hearing Officer conduct public hearings to: a. Interpret any provisions of this Ordinance when the Zoning Administrator, acting in administrative role, refers an interpretation to the Hearing Officer. b. Hear and decide Special Use Permits, Development Incentive Permits, and Substantial Conformance Improvement Permits as required by the City Code. c. Authorize variances from the terms of this Zoning Ordinance pursuant to the provisions of A.R.S. § 9-462.06. d. Prescribe in connection with any Special Use Permit, Development Incentive Permit, Substantial Conformance Improvement Permit, or any Variance such conditions as deemed necessary in order to fully carry out the provisions and intent of this Ordinance. e. Refer any matter within the Zoning Administrator Hearing Officer's authority to the Board of Adjustment. C. Limits to Authority and Duties. The Zoning Administrator shall not make any changes in the uses permitted in any zoning classification or zoning district, or make any change in the terms of the Zoning Ordinance; provided that the restriction in this paragraph shall not affect the authority to grant variances.

Source: City of Mesa, Arizona, Mesa City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/az/mesa/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT11ZOOR_ART7AD_CH66PLAG_11-66-7ZOADFetched: 11/1/2026