Staff to host first community meeting on zoning-code rewrite implementing Chino Valley 2040 plan

Planning staff told the Chino Valley Planning and Zoning Commission on April 7 that the town is undergoing a zoning-code rewrite to implement the 2040 General Plan and that a consultant team hired last September will lead community engagement. Miss Lanberry said the consultant’s first community meeting is scheduled for April 8 at 5:30 p.m. in the same meeting room.

Staff explained that the existing code does not separate light and heavy commercial or industrial uses clearly. The rewrite will retire some legacy district names, create new district types (especially commercial and industrial categories), and align zoning provisions with updated engineering standards. Staff said the work will be time-consuming due to legal and internal consistency checks and estimated code completion around April next year.

Commissioners asked how retiring older districts would affect uses such as marijuana cultivation; staff clarified that existing uses permitted under current districts would remain allowed where they already exist, but retiring a district would prevent rezoning new property into that retired designation. Staff also emphasized that property owners who want to keep current zoning may do so; rezoning would be voluntary when property owners seek it.

The consultant presentation and follow-up are intended to explain process, property-rights implications, and choices for property owners. The community meeting on April 8 will provide public information and an opportunity for residents to ask questions.