In a 5-1 vote, Maricopa Planning and Zoning Commission gave their stamp of approval Monday night to advance Maricopa’s general plan to city council next month.

Commissioner Bill Robertson made the dissenting vote.

Required by state law, the general plan is a blueprint created with residents and city leaders to guide the city’s growth and development over the next decade. This includes envisioning what land use, housing, recreation and transportation, without locking in specific projects or timelines.

The 223-page document has been in development for more than a year, with city staff and consultants gathering input throughout the process. The meeting marked the commission’s second and final public hearing on the plan, giving residents one last chance to make recommendations before council considers adoption.

But Monday’s discussion centered largely on what some said plan lacks.

Several residents and current council candidates called for more detail, questioning how the document’s goals would be achieved.

“The general plan is full of great rhetoric, but light on specific results and time frames … How can true progress be measured if there are no financial goals or time frames,” asked Glennwilde resident Ron Angerame.

Former commissioner James Singleton — who is also running for Maricopa city council — said he wanted to see more “specificity” in the plan, an idea he shared in a 32-page document on social media.

Robertson highlighted those issues, saying he felt “painted into a corner” to vote on a plan that lacked clarity and did not account for residents’ concerns. He brought up Singleton’s document and city council candidate Tena Dugan’s comments on infrastructure development.

“There’s no way we can consider [those] tonight,” he said.

However, Matthew Klyszeiko of Michael Baker International, the firm helping to draft the plan, told commissioners they could move the document forward while still citing concerns for city council to review.

The commission ultimately chose that route.

City council will host a work session May 19, followed by an adoption vote on June 2. From there, it would go to the voters for ratification in the November general election.