Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Yesterday I posted a blog on the newly submitted HB2674. This bill would take away all cities and towns abilities to decide where and how multifamily is developed in a community. It will most certainly affect your property values, no matter where you live. Today the League of Cities and Towns issued this alert. It sums up the effects of the bill and offers a list of the Legislature’s Commerce Committee — all of whom should be contacted to express your disapproval of this bill. Please take a few minutes to contact these representatives.

HB2674 Municipal Zoning; By Right Housing House Bill 2674 municipal zoning; by right housing, sponsored by Representative Steve Kaiser (R-Phoenix) and Representative Cesar Chavez (D-Phoenix) is scheduled for a hearing in the House Commerce Committee Tuesday, February 8 at 2 p.m. This bill will impact all municipalities across the state regardless of whether your community is rural or urban, large, or small. THIS LEGISLATION IS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE AND RESTRICTIVE ZONING MEASURE EVER SEEN IN ARIZONA AND POTENTIALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. Please sign in opposed to the bill using the legislature’s RTS system. Please also reach out to all members on the House Commerce Committee and request they vote NO on HB2674: Chairman Jeff Weninger jweninger@azleg.gov (602) 926-3092 Vice-Chairman Joseph Chaplik jchaplik@azleg.gov (602) 926-3436 Rep. Neal Carter ncarter@azleg.gov (602) 926-5761 Rep. Cesar Chavez cchavez@azleg.gov (602) 926-4862 Rep. David Cook dcook@azleg.gov (602) 926-5162 Rep. Diego Espinoza despinoza@azleg.gov (602) 926-3134 Rep. Steve Kaiser skaiser@azleg.gov (602) 926-3314 Rep. Sarah Liguori sliguori@azleg.gov (602) 926-3300 Rep. Robert Meza rmeza@azleg.gov (602) 926-3425 Rep. Justin Wilmeth jwilmeth@azleg.gov (602) 926-5044 The bill establishes “by right housing” rights with zero obligation to make the units affordable. For example, multifamily developments would be allowed “by right” in any existing agricultural district, single-family residential district, commercial districts, and all districts supporting single-family dwellings, commercial uses, or mixed uses in the general plan. This could include multifamily buildings up to 75 feet in some areas. Single-family and two-family units would be allowed “by right” anywhere except industrial lots. Additionally, eight single-family structures per acre and 12 two-family structures per acre would be allowed “by right” on all agricultural and single-family lots. Multifamily developers could ignore zoning districts, zoning codes, design standards, and adopted building codes. Multifamily projects would be approved administratively with no public process. Residents would have zero notice and no opportunity to learn about the project or provide comments. No rezoning or general plan amendment would be required. The bill would also remove planning commissions from the process and strip local councils of their zoning authority. HB2674 will have the following negative and generational impacts on development in our state in the following ways: eliminate single-family zoning in Arizona.   preempt municipalities and charter cities in all housing matters. violate voter-approved general plans, the general plan statute, and the Voter Protections Act.   eliminate the citizen review process for residential and multifamily developments.   prohibit all zoning district regulations that restrict housing.   provide residential developers special treatment and the right to ignore local requirements such as setbacks, maximum heights, and requirements regarding building materials, exteriors, roofs, patios, garages, landscaping, common areas, open space, parking, and architectural elements.    prohibit any lot coverage maximums and side setback requirements greater than five feet on single family lots   prohibit planning commissions from reviewing housing projects, getting community input, and provide recommendations to local councils.   override all locally adopted residential building codes. As a result, municipalities would be required to follow generic national building codes that do not apply to the locality’s needs and geotechnical conditions.   disrupt state or municipal economic development plans by converting commercial zoned property for economic development for by-right housing without regard for the carefully coordinated economic development plans.