ARIZONA DAILY STAR:  Tues., Sept. 16, 2008

Opinion:  Land-use code in need of fixing 

Tucson's byzantine land-use code has very few defenders. Nor should it. It requires a major overhaul to become a clear, coherent, 21st-century document that will help the city achieve its goals, both urban and suburban.  We hope the City Council decides to move forward to simplify and reorganize the code during today's council meeting.

Problems with the code are legion. Here are a few examples:

● In some parts of the code, the language is not only confusing, it's contradictory.  Council member Steve Leal of Ward 5 told us that the code is so vague that one city official can give a businessman who is moving into an existing building detailed instructions for, say, plumbing upgrades — and then a second official who comes back to inspect the work may demand a 180-degree change. And both officials can defend their orders by pointing to language in the code.

FULL OPINION:    http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/257655