Tucson Proposes Development Code Changes to Ease Reuse and Expand Business Options

TUCSON, AZ (Oct. 20, 2026) — Tucson is advancing a package of 78 proposed development code amendments intended to simplify reviews, remove barriers to housing and give businesses more flexibility to occupy existing buildings. The changes address adaptive reuse, parking, permitted uses and development procedures, alongside new battery storage standards.

Mayor and Council will discuss CODE Tucson ’26 during its October 20 study session, which begins at 1 p.m. at City Hall, 255 W. Alameda Street. Final approval is not expected at that meeting. Staff is requesting a November 17 public hearing, according to Council Member Miranda Schubert’s October 16 newsletter. As of October 19, that remains a proposed hearing date rather than a confirmed adoption vote.

The Planning Commission recommended conditional approval following two study sessions and a public hearing. Council members are expected to review those conditions as the package moves forward. The proposal follows an earlier code cleanup in 2023 and incorporates surveys, community meetings, stakeholder briefings and written comments.

For commercial property owners, adaptive reuse is a significant component. The draft would replace the fixed 2005 eligibility cutoff with a rolling standard covering qualifying improvements in existence at least 10 years before an application. It would also expand restaurant access to adaptive reuse options and remove an overlay-zone limitation.

Other amendments would broaden business options in office and commercial areas. Proposed changes include accessory retail in office zones, additional cultural and personal service uses, and food service occupying up to 25% of a retail use’s gross floor area. Perishable goods manufacturing, including bakeries and coffee roasting, would gain opportunities in commercial zones, subject to applicable standards.

Parking changes could make existing sites easier to adapt. The draft would simplify mixed-use calculations, remove outdoor seating from required-parking calculations and expand access to individual parking plans. Those plans would carry additional documentation requirements. Certain food and alcohol-related drive-throughs, however, would face a two-lane limit and clarified pickup-window rules.

Housing provisions would raise the general site-plan threshold from three units to five, establish land-division standards for eligible one-to-four-unit development and clarify conversion of existing accessory structures to living space. The city also proposes clarifying restrictions on adding ADUs to three- or four-unit sites and parcels created through a Middle Housing Subdivision.

Several changes target approval procedures. Qualifying substation upgrades and water well projects could move through director review. Flexible Lot Developments would use mailed application notice instead of a required neighborhood meeting. Other applicable neighborhood meetings could occur up to 90 days before application submission, rather than 60 days.

The package also proposes taller accessory structures and perimeter walls, fewer cistern placement restrictions, simpler sign review and a minor-review option in the Rio Nuevo overlay. Battery energy storage would receive defined use categories and operating standards.

For Tucson’s business and development community, the proposal offers a practical opportunity to address rules that complicate reinvestment. Its eventual value will depend on the adopted language and implementation: whether applicants experience clearer requirements, more predictable reviews and fewer avoidable delays. The immediate next step is Council’s October 20 discussion, followed by a public hearing if scheduled.

Sources:

City CODE Tucson project page
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Planning-Development-Services/Planning-Initiatives/CODE-Tucson-26

Proposed UDC edits dated September 30, 2026
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/pdsd/documents/boards-committees-commissions/planning-commission/10.07.26/attachment-d-code-tucson-udc-edits_clean_oct2026.pdf

Ward 6 Council newsletter October 16, 2026
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZTUCSON/bulletins/42f0f27