by Bob Christie
capitol media services
PHOENIX — A Republican state senator pushing for a sweeping overhaul of zoning rules, which he claims will encourage more affordable housing construction, said his plan’s efforts had been halted by opponents of the Arizona Municipal League of Municipalities. and agreed on a slimming plan. Last 6 months.
And the vote could take place as early as Monday.
Senator Steve Kaiser told Capitol Media Service that the most controversial parts of the original proposal are already gone. These include provisions that give developers absolute rights to build multi-family dwellings on land near light rail and streetcar lines regardless of current zoning, significant restrictions on parking requirements for new construction, and approval of zoning applications. It included a strict schedule for development plans and provisions to limit public opposition to the development plan. .
And he raised the population threshold for cities and towns that the state preempts some of the existing urban planning limits from 25,000 to 50,000. The change means only 20 of the state’s 91 cities and towns will be affected.
The amendment, which league lobbyist Nick Ponder said the group agreed to support, would allow cities to approve detached backyard mansions, known as subdivisions, for people over 55 to share. It is required to establish an area where private rooms in a house with a kitchen and bathroom can be rented. And developers with approved proposals are given the right to rate properties without waiting for additional inspection.
And affected cities and towns will have to adopt two of the other three major changes, all of which involve builders targeting vacant lots and redevelopment in municipal urban centers. It’s designed to go and go. These include designating areas where duplex, triple or quadruple units can be built, authorizing manufactured homes for use, or building a home on a small lot of 5,000 square feet. In addition, each municipality will have his two-year deadline to conduct a housing needs assessment.
“This is really becoming a great solution for filling that makes the most efficient use of metropolitan areas possible,” Kaiser said.
“And given last week’s water announcement, I think that’s exactly what we should be focusing on because we’re not talking about large subdivisions here. he said. Our existing metropolitan areas, cities and towns make efficient use of land. “
Governor Katie Hobbs and state water officials announced last week that due to a lack of adequate groundwater, new developments outside of the Phoenix Metro, which lacks an external source of water, will not be approved.
Cities were briefed on the final language on Thursday and Friday, and Ponder said he had agreed to negotiate directly with Kaiser. We’ll have to wait until Monday to see if everyone agrees or disagrees, but Kaiser said the House plans to amend the existing bill in line with the terms of the deal.
Much of it may depend on what each city has already enacted.
For example, the city of Tucson uses zoning that allows single-family subdivisions to be built alongside existing single-family homes. The new proposal will affect the rules, but the impact will be minimal.
For example, additional parking requirements for adding dwelling units are prohibited, but Tucson’s ordinance, which took effect in early 2022, exempts parking only for dwellings near transit stops. As of December, the city has approved 24 casitas.
Phoenix is also eyeing zoning changes that allow for the addition of a backyard.
The second part of the proposal deals with multifamily housing near light rail and streetcar lines and would primarily affect Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa and Tucson, but Kaiser said the exact details are still fluid. said.
The plan would allow developers to add apartments if they agreed to reserve some of the units as “affordable.” The increase in density is intended to reward developers with lower-rent housing. And all affordable projects are given density. Or grow taller.
Rep. Annalize Ortiz (D-Phoenix) said Democrats have been working with Kaiser on the affordability clause for several months and will sponsor an amendment to add the clause to the bill. He said he wants to ensure housing remains a top priority for Congress and that the budget will prove bipartisan negotiations are possible.
He noted that $150 million in state housing trust funds is included in the budget that could help fund low-income housing development.
“This policy change will simply ensure that these funds are actually put to use to expand the housing stock and ensure that low-income families find somewhere to call home,” Ortiz said.
Municipalities other than Yuma, Lake Havasu City, Flagstaff, Tucson, and neighboring Marana are located in the Phoenix metropolitan area or in fast-growing Pinal County. Some communities in the Phoenix area have too few residents to cover, including Paradise Valley, Guadalupe, Tolleson, El Mirage, Litchfield Park, Carefree, Cave Creek, and Fountain Hills.
Three other locations, the Oro and Prescott Valleys in southern Arizona, and the Prescott Valley in northern Phoenix, could also be subject to regulation within a few years if they continue to grow as expected.
The stated goal is to increase the supply of affordable housing, which will affect not only Arizona but many other states.
The state’s housing supply is overwhelmingly composed of single-family homes.
Builders offer few starter or small housing options, but soaring rents are making it impossible for many retirees, single adults, and low-income families to afford decent housing. In testimony earlier this year, developers complained about “NIMBY-ism” (not my backyard) and the “missing middle” supply of small, affordable homes.
The provision seeks to partially address and desensitize the issue of local opposition.
Under current law, projects approved by the city council must be remanded for reconsideration if 20% of neighbors sign a petition to the contrary. Reauthorization currently requires a supermajority vote in parliament, but Kaiser said the change would return that to a simple majority.
And there are some provisions that have nothing to do with zoning. One allows Arizona residents to receive priority subsidized housing vouchers over out-of-state residents, including shopping statewide for open program slots and recruiting local residents. Some people are kicking them out.
Kaiser said the bill would actually require developers to build affordable homes, small backyard homes, studio occupancy units, small lots for single-family homes, or two-, three- or four-unit multifamily homes. not yet, but argues that there will be cheaper alternatives.
“All of these things are affordable. They are all low cost and create the housing variety we need,” Kaiser continued. 4% are multifamily. “
Cities, meanwhile, argue that focusing on cities as the cause of the state’s housing problem is misplaced. Although he agreed to the changes, Ponder ended up with more than 80,000 approved sites with guaranteed water supply and an additional 7,000 acres in the central Phoenix metropolitan area zoned for single-family homes or multifamily homes. He said he could not control the builders that are occupying the land. Investors simply maintain development while land prices rise.
Political is at least part of the reason for cities’ apparent acquiescence in overriding their own planning and building codes.
Cities began pushing for their own changes in the spring, seeing zoning preemptive and a push for bipartisan support in Congress. Many of their counterproposals were eventually agreed upon.
“We didn’t say no, we just said it’s not what you’re trying to do,” Ponder said. gave me the opportunity to sit down,” he said. Please solve this problem with him. “
Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozaczyk said the deal was acceptable and far superior to Kaiser’s original proposal, which the cities found unacceptable.
After being briefed on the plans on Friday, he told Capitol Media Services: “Obviously they removed all the bad parts we objected to, so they listened to us. That’s it,” he said.
And Mr. Kozaczyk said that the differences from the city’s policy, such as the size of subsidized units, were not so large as to adversely affect the neighborhood.
Mesa City Councilman Jen Duff also liked what she saw.
“This agreement is a positive step in addressing the housing crisis by facilitating the development of different types of housing options, including accessible housing units, triplex and duplex zoning, and highly designed homes.” said Mr Dunn. The League’s Neighborhood, Sustainability and Quality of Life Commission “I support this measure and appreciate the state’s work with cities to find smart housing solutions.”
Kaiser’s original plan met with vociferous opposition from cities, towns and federations, all of whom argued that zoning was a typical local problem and that the state should oppose it. Residents of established districts also complained, fearing that the forced rezoning would transform their local communities.
The bill was defeated in a bipartisan vote in the Senate in February, but Kaiser split the bill, removing some provisions and reviving it. Still, it stalled, awaiting negotiations to get the cities to agree.
Kaiser said most of these neighborhood issues have been resolved and most proposals still need to go through a local neighborhood planning process overseen by the city.
He admitted that the original proposal had fallen far short of what he had hoped, but said cities and towns did as well.
“It’s Congress’ role to work with them to find a middle ground, and we’ve done it,” Mr. Kaiser said.
“We’re a little bit unhappy with what we got. They’re a little unhappy with what we’ve given up,” he said. So when people are getting a little frustrated, I think that’s when the good bills come. “
The bill will amend two existing bills, Senate Bills 1161 and 1163, awaiting introduction in the House of Representatives, after lawmakers passed a budget bill they negotiated with the governor on Monday, before the Republican majority voted to vote. will start moving when returning from the one-month hiatus requested by. Katie Hobbs.
Zoning proposals, a bill that would allow Maricopa County to ask taxpayers to approve an extension to the current transportation tax, and a Republican push to stop cities from collecting rental taxes are among the items awaiting action. is.
Ponder, a league lobbyist who worked out the details of the Kaiser deal, said the backyard unit would be limited to the same number of floors as the main house, less than half the square footage, and would be barred from short-term use. rental.
Several states have approved or are pushing for permits to build sub-housing as a way to address their housing shortages, but neighbors have complained that new sub-housing towers over their once-private backyards. there is
“What we didn’t want was a six-story ADU overlooking a neighbor’s backyard. I think it should,” Ponder said. Convert the area into an apartment complex. “
Kaiser said state legislation is needed because some cities and towns already allow some items in the bill, while others do not.
“Yes, some places do ADU,” he said.
“Some are already doing small lots, some are doing double and triple,” Kaiser said. “But this is like creating a good statewide standard for what a population center of over 50,000 needs.”
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Twitter: @AZChristieNews
