Surprise City Council Work Session and CFD Board Meeting - May 5, 2026

The city council held a work session on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, to discuss two major items: the first of two work sessions on a zoning text amendment to establish a new Desert Rural (DR) residential zoning district, and an update on the city's first Transportation Master Plan (TMP). Following the work session, the council convened as the Marley Park Community Facilities District (CFD) board to adopt a tentative expenditure limitation budget. The meeting included presentations by planning staff and transportation consultants, extensive council questions and discussion, and a unanimous vote on the CFD budget.

Discussion: Zoning Text Amendment for Desert Rural District (FS25039)

• Planning staff presented part one of a zoning text amendment to create the Desert Rural (DR) district, aimed at preserving the character of long-established rural residential neighborhoods. The amendment implements the Rural Residential Overlay from the Surprise 2040 General Plan.
• The presentation covered background, community outreach (12 meetings over two years, heavy engagement with 219th Avenue and Deer Valley neighborhoods), and proposed changes to permissible uses, development standards, and land use buffers.
• Staff emphasized this is a zoning text amendment only, not a rezoning or annexation effort. The DR district would apply to areas currently within city limits (blue on map), with future applicability to county areas (red) if annexed.
• Key proposals include: removing standalone commercial uses but allowing certain home occupations with CUP approval every 24 months (animal clinics, cottage food stands, ranches, residential farms); mirroring existing rural residential development standards (minimum 1-acre lots, 1-2 story height cap); and requiring buffers of up to 150 feet between new development and DR areas, with reduced buffers for larger lots.
• Councilman Haney asked for clarification on cottage food (defined as home-produced foods like bread and tamales sold from a stand). Staff confirmed the new home occupation chapter restructures existing rules for clarity and adds DR-specific uses, based on community feedback.
• The presentation concluded with plans for part two on May 19, covering design standards, animals, and transportation. No public hearing dates have been set yet.

Discussion: Transportation Master Plan Update

• Eric Boyles (City staff) and Brian Snyder (Michael Baker) provided an update on the TMP, describing it as crossing the 50-yard line with the vision and goals phase nearly complete.
• Public engagement statistics: 663 survey responses (July 2 – August 13, 2025), over 100 interactive mapping pins, and pop-up events (Game Night, Surprise Party, Senior Centers) that reached hundreds of residents.
• Key survey finding: 79% of respondents identified congestion as the number one barrier to travel; 36% cited difficulty getting in/out of neighborhoods. Top barriers to walking/biking were poor lighting, lack of ADA facilities, insufficient sidewalks/bike lanes, and lack of shade.
• Transit pop-ups revealed demand for on-demand, door-to-door service (not fixed route), and expanded eligibility for subsidized transit, especially for seniors.
• The draft vision statement: "Surprise is a connected city where a complete multimodal transportation network integrates local and regional systems..." The council discussed emerging technologies (ITS, autonomous vehicles, EV infrastructure).
• Four goal statements presented: (1) Foster roadway expansion and address congestion, (2) Enhance multimodal system, (3) Improve safety across all modes, (4) Incorporate emerging technologies. Each goal includes supporting policies and initiatives.
• Preliminary draft 2030 roadway recommendations were shown, including capacity additions on Peoria Road, Sun Valley Parkway, Patton Road, and a new connection on 179th Avenue to State Route 74. The plan prioritizes projects based on data-driven needs analysis.
• Council members asked about freight/truck coordination with Maricopa County and Glendale (confirmed involvement), traffic calming (targeted at collector/local streets near schools and parks, not arterials), and the importance of deliverable plan with funding strategies.
• Next steps: public outreach round two, prioritize recommendations, draft TMP, and return for formal adoption.

Key Outcomes

• Council provided input on the zoning text amendment, with guidance to continue refining home occupation rules and buffer standards. Staff will present part two on May 19 and return with a full legislative draft for public hearing.
• For the TMP, council expressed general support for the vision and goals, with direction to ensure the plan is actionable and includes funding strategies. Written comments on Technical Memorandum 2 are due within two weeks.
• The CFD board unanimously approved Resolution MPCFD 2026-01 adopting the tentative expenditure limitation budget of $2,349,100 for Marley Park CFD, maintaining the property tax rate of 2.7294 per $100 assessed valuation. The rate has been consistent for four years. The final budget adoption is scheduled for June 2, with the tax levy adoption on June 16.