As part of the Growing Smarter Legislation, which was passed by voters in November, each sizable city in the state must revamp its General Plan by the end of the year. In Phoenix, the General Plan is divided into 16 elements that cover everything from preserving open space to expanding the city's water supply.

But before the city can put the redrafted General Plan before voters in September or November, it must get the plan approved by more than a dozen advisory committees, including neighborhood-planning groups. The city is asking the groups to review the changes in the plan over the next few weeks and offer their suggestions.

But several of the groups complain that a few weeks to comb through a document as dense and important as the general plan isn't enough time, that they need months not weeks to properly examine the document to determine the impact proposed changes might have on development and growth.

Most of the General Plan has been implemented for years, but there are some new changes, such as imposing impact fees for such services as public transit and preserving open space. Currently, residential developers pay between $4,000 and $10,000 per single-family house, and a new transit fee would add just another $100 to that total, say city planners. Another change could cause a steep increase in fees to residential developers to help the city buy 15,000 acres of land to be preserved as open space and build new hiking trails.

Phoenix city planners hope to use the redrafted General Plan to encourage growth in certain areas of the city that would keep more cars off the road, and foster commercial development in others areas that would continue to stimulate job growth.

Some city council members are considering putting off the citywide vote on the plan until March 2002 to give residents more time to go through the document.

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Groups Feel Rushed to Review New Phoenix Growth Plan

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