A. The variance criteria set forth in this article are based on the general principle of zoning law that variances pertain to a piece of property and are not personal in nature. A variance may be granted for a parcel of property with physical characteristics so unusual that complying with the requirements of this chapter would create hardship to the applicant or the surrounding property owners. The characteristics must be unique to the property and not be shared by adjacent parcels. The unique characteristic must pertain to the land itself, not to the structure, its inhabitants or the property owners.

Hardship means a situation that would result from a failure to grant the requested variance under this article. The variance must be exceptional, unusual, and peculiar to the property involved. Economic or financial reasons, inconvenience, aesthetic considerations, physical handicaps, personal preferences, or the disapproval of one’s neighbors are not hardship. All of these problems can be resolved through other means without granting a variance, even if the alternative is more expensive, or requires the property owner to build elsewhere or put the parcel to a different use than originally intended.

B. It is the duty of the City of Phoenix to help protect its citizens from flooding. This need is so compelling and the implications of the cost of insuring a structure built below the regulatory flood elevation are so serious that variances from the flood elevation or from other requirements in the flood ordinance are quite rare. The long-term goal of preventing and reducing flood loss and damage can only be met if variances are strictly limited. Therefore, the variance guidelines provided in this chapter are more detailed and contain multiple provisions that must be met before a variance can be properly granted. The criteria are designed to screen out those situations in which alternatives other than a variance are more appropriate. (Ord. No. G-5707, 2012; Ord. No. G-7116, § 2, 2023)