Peoria, AZ Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Downtown Area boundary
- 85th Ave, Peoria Ave, Grand Ave, Monroe St
- Governing design guide
- Peoria Community Design Guidelines, Sec. 21-619(B)
- Compliance required for
- all permitted uses, Sec. 21-622(A)(1)(a)
- Conflict rule
- Downtown standards override Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 21-620(C)
- Sub-districts
- D/CM and D/RM, Sec. 21-621
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 2025-01, Jan. 14, 2025
Summary
Peoria's Downtown (D) District, bounded by 85th Avenue, Peoria Avenue, Grand Avenue and Monroe Street, requires every land use, even one permitted by right, to comply with the Peoria Community Design Guidelines on top of the Zoning Ordinance's own use-specific standards. Where Downtown District rules conflict with the general Zoning Ordinance, the Downtown-specific standards control.
The purpose of this Downtown (D) District is intended to provide the necessary land use regulations and development standards to implement the goals and policies as set forth in the Peoria General Plan, along with support the principles and guidelines within the Peoria Community Design Guidelines in furtherance of these objectives.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-9: Supplement contains: LLocal legislation current through Ord. 2026-15, passed 6-16-26).
Full Breakdown
The Downtown Area covers roughly the old town core: 85th Avenue on the west, Peoria Avenue on the north, and Grand Avenue on the east, with the southern edge running along Monroe Street from 85th Avenue to 83rd Avenue, then south on 83rd Avenue to Cotton Crossing (Sec. 21-620(A)). Inside that boundary the Zoning Ordinance splits the District into two zoning sub-districts under Sec. 21-621: Downtown/Commercial Mixed-Use (D/CM), for retail and service businesses mixed with residential, cultural and entertainment uses, and Downtown/Residential Mixed-Use (D/RM), reserved primarily for single- and multi-family housing with limited small-scale, pedestrian-oriented commercial uses.
Sec. " By-right status does not exempt a project from the design review baked into the guidelines. Sec. 21-620(C) resolves conflicts in the Downtown District's favor: where Downtown standards clash with any other part of the Zoning Ordinance, the Downtown District's own regulations govern. The current framework was adopted by Ord. No. 2025-01 on January 14, 2025, replacing the former Old Town Mixed Use (OTMU) District and Old Town Core Area designation referenced in Sec. 21-619(A). The Planning and Community Development Department administers Downtown design and land-use review, and the Zoning Ordinance's Enforcement Official (Sec. 21-114) is responsible for compliance across Chapter 21 generally.
Violations & Fines
A Downtown project that skips the required Community Design Guidelines review does not qualify for by-right treatment under Sec. 21-622(A)(1)(a) and instead needs discretionary Planning Department sign-off before a permit issues. Beyond that, general Zoning Ordinance violations, including construction without required approvals, are enforced under Sec. 21-114(B) through civil citations processed under Chapter 5 and Sec. 17-51, criminal misdemeanor charges, or a City Manager abatement order under Chapter 17, Sec. 17-59, at the Enforcement Official's discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Downtown Area's boundary in Peoria?
Do I still have to follow the Community Design Guidelines if my use is allowed by right?
What happens if Downtown District rules conflict with the general Zoning Ordinance?
What are Peoria's two Downtown zoning sub-districts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Peoria
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