Summary:
The Study Session presentation will be delivered in two segments. 1) Assistant City Manager Rick Buss will provide an overview of the results of the 2024 Legislative Session and discuss the priority areas that are projected for the upcoming session in 2025. 2) Planning Director Chris Jacques will summarize and seek policy input on the three (3) Code Amendments that are required to be in place by January 1, 2025.
Background:
The 56th Arizona state legislature passed a number of bills this session that have been signed into adoption by the Governor pertaining to municipal zoning. These bills were intended to facilitate greater housing affordability by increasing opportunities for diverse housing types and streamlining processes. Four (4) of these bills require local municipalities to amend their Zoning Code. The four bills are:
- HB 2720: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU's)
- HB 2297: Adaptive Reuse for Multifamily Development
- SB 1162: Rezoning "Shot Clock"
- HB 2721: Middle Housing
Of these bills, the first three listed have a deadline of January 1, 2025 for municipalities to amend their Zoning Code. The fourth listed item ("Middle Housing"), has a deadline of January 1, 2026 for local code adoption.
The Code Amendments are currently in draft form and being refined for Council and public input. Mr. Jacques will outline the schedule and process moving forward.
Attached is a Briefing Sheet prepared by the Planning Department summarizing the bills. The fifth bill, HB 2210: Zoning & Permitting Stats, outlines new on-going reporting requirements that must be sent to the Arizona Commerce Authority by September 30th of each year, and is provided herein for informational purposes only.