Understanding Zoning

May 28, 2008 | By Kelley Koehler | Filed Under Tucson Homes Explained

There’s a lot of people who don’t really understanding what zoning is – thinking that an R1 lot means only one house on that lot and an R2 lot means 2 homes on the lot. This is not always true.

Zoning, in general, limits the density and use of a property. So you can have an R1 lot with 2 residences if the lot is big enough and meets the other requirements. And you can have an R2 lot that’s too small or the setbacks too large to be able to build a second unit. If you’re wanting to build additional units, it pays to investigate the zoning thoroughly, as well as any recorded easements and setback requirements.

Here’s the City of Tucson land use code, which describes the zoning, among other things, and here’s the Pima County zoning code.

tags: zoning, tucson

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