Grassroots effort prevailed: 61% of the vote went to Kevin Sartor for Mayor of Surprise
On July 30th the people of Surprise overwhelmingly supported Kevin Sartor to be their next mayor (61%), a man who began and ran his campaign from the grassroots of citizens banding together in support, and building momentum towards victory.
FUN FACT: On August 12, 2024 the City of Surprise Council ratified the election results and Kevin Sartor won all but one precinct in Surprise (Aly Cline took just one of the precincts inside The Grand). Go to http://VoiceofSurprise.com or click the link to find out more.
Industry Lobbyists, Legislators Aiming for Zoning Deregulation
Feb. 7th 2024 ALERT:
Last spring/summer Arizonans united to strongly oppose legislative bills that would remove local control over development (SB1117). Well, the legislator who proposed these ridiculous bills (Steve Kaiser) has left the Senate when these bills failed and is now working privately to push these same offensive bills for developers and private interest groups.
Once again here in the Spring of 2024, we have to stop state legislation that will override the future of our local communities.
The Neighborhood Coalition of Greater Phoenix wants to make you aware of a pair of identical bills at the Arizona Legislature that would largely deregulate residential zoning in many cities across Arizona, with the potential to harm neighborhoods.
The bills, HB2570 in the House and SB1112 in the Senate, would help provide affordable housing--supporters claim--by prohibiting municipalities with populations over 50,000 from regulating many aspects of residential construction.
Among the items prohibited from regulation by municipalities include:
* Maximum or minimum lot sizes
* Minimum sizes of homes
* Setbacks limited to 5 feet
February 19, 2024 UPDATE:
As you'll read below, since this early February post we've discovered additional bills that are a part of breaking these devastating changes up into multiple pieces to achieve their ultimate goal of removing our local voices from the property decisions process. Please use the RTS (Request to Speak) system at http://azleg.gov to oppose them all (NOTE: A personal visit to their Kiosk downtown is necessary to complete the process)
Senate Bills of Concern
The following are Senate bills pending in the Senate. Passage would send these bills to the House. Call the offices of your district’s senator's office and request a “no” vote on the bill(s) of concern to you.
SB1112: This bill would effectively deregulate single-family residential zoning and allow construction of inappropriate types and sizes of housing that could damage the character of existing neighborhoods. FYI: So far this bill is a twin of HB2570 (below), which puts them on a fast track.
SB1506: This bill would require cities with populations of at least 150,000 to allow residential or mixed-use development on 75% of the land now zoned for commercial uses. The bill’s one-size-fits-all approach to requirements and prohibitions disregards infrastructure capacities and local characteristics.
SB1415: This bill would require cities to allow accessory dwelling units without consideration of parking, building type, public infrastructure, setbacks and height. For Phoenix, it would override the thoughtful approach the city took in its recently enacted ADU ordinance. The bill so far is a twin of HB2720 (below), which puts them on a fast track.
House Bills of Concern
The following are House bills pending in the House. Passage would send these bills to the Senate. Call the offices of your district’s two representatives and request a “no” vote on the bill(s) of concern to you.
HB2720: This bill would require cities to allow accessory dwelling units without any consideration of parking, building type, public infrastructure, setbacks and height. For Phoenix, that would override the thoughtful approach the city took in its recently enacted ordinance. The bill so far is a twin of SB1415 (above), which puts them on a fast track.
HB2721: This so-called “middle housing” bill would require cities with populations over 75,000 to allow development of duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, fiveplexes and townhomes in any new or existing neighborhood zoned for single-family housing. It would eliminate requirements for off-street parking and that would strain on-street parking.
HB2734: This bill’s current wording would make it harder for residents to voice their views on zoning cases. The bill would allow only two public hearings on those requests. For Phoenix, that likely would curtail hearings before Village Planning Committees – the level of city government closest to the people.
HB2570: This bill would effectively deregulate single-family residential zoning and allow construction of inappropriate types and sizes of housing that would damage the character of existing neighborhoods. So far this bill is a twin of SB1112 (above), which puts them on a fast track.
Make your Voice Heard
PASS IT ON! You can now officially record your position on any bill being considered in the Arizona House or Senate, and it's desperately needed to preserve our freedoms in Spring of 2024.
Upcoming Events that can use Citizen Participation
This calendar of events is collaboratively shared by concerned citizens across the state of Arizona.
Check the information on the left, and if you can make it and/or sign up to speak, showing up matters. Thanks!
Latest News & Information
Join the movement across the great State of Arizona
January 23, 2023
The challenges facing two groups* of citizens on both sides of Maricopa County the past several months marks the genesis of Arizona's Voice.
We hope you'll join with us in this effort. http://ArizonasVoice.com has taken root and with your support we can grow across all of Maricopa County and across the state to provide the opportunity for everyone around the state to join in and participate in a common goal for giving the voice of the people the power it rightfully has in governing our state and local politics.
If you wish to be a part of our distribution group (called Arizona's Voice and managed via Google Groups--here's a direct link--where you can personally control your subscription and frequency of emails), please go to this form to provide at a minimum your email.
PRIVACY MATTERS: The administrators of Arizona's Voice can assure you that your information will not be improperly handled--neither sold to nor shared with any third parties that seek political gain, monetary gain, or have any other unrelated interest.
Arizona's Voice is by and for the people to amplify our voices back to our elected officials and public servants to remind them what matters to us, and from where their power is derived. After an election, many of them quickly forget in the face of special interests with influence, money, and power.
* The two groups that started this movement are the Voice of Surprise and the Voice of Chandler.
Jan. 26th UPDATE: Welcome visitors who attended Dominium's community meeting at Hamilton High School last night--we also welcome listeners of James T Harris who attended last night too and mentioned Arizona's Voice at about 6:50 and 8:30 am this morning on his 6-10 am weekday broadcast on KFYI AM 550 News Talk Radio.
You might want to know a bit more about Dominium who will be building and managing these apartments proposed for Chandler and Surprise.
Learn more at dominium.news
2nd & 4th Thursdays @9 pm Zoom calls:
Starting Thursday, February 9 we'll plan to meet bi-monthly (2nd & 4th Thursdays) at 9 pm (so we can give our kids the evenings they deserve) while we begin to unite citizens from across the great State of Arizona to take on the challenges ahead presented by special interests and their flunkies--our local leaders who have forgotten Arizona's Voice. Meeting links will be posted here below at arizonasvoice.com
Join Zoom Meeting every 2nd & 4th Thursday at 9 pm:
Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83897247047?pwd=WENhSm5YRVUwUmN3cVFJckIrRTNiQT09
Meeting ID: 838 9724 7047
Passcode: 883322
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,83897247047#,,,,*883322#
Dial in (audio only): +1 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 838 9724 7047
Passcode: 883322
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kec4nXqG3Y
The struggle is real!
Click here for "The Facts" on the challenges the citizens of Surprise (current & future) face.
Surprise Citizens are uniting as a community to drive Dominium to provide a better alternate proposal for their future residents with lower density and more amenities--instead they wish to exploit an accidental loophole in the 2008 PAD and maximize their profit under Section 42 and LIHTC with a whopping 21 units per acre--that's way above anything this City has ever seen--just to maximize profits with no consideration for the safety, comfort, and living experience of its future residents. This kind of density will be dangerous to public safety and emergency response and there are no plans to add more schools which are already overcrowded in our area.
On August 16th (thanks to those who showed up) our City of Surprise Leaders said yes to Dominium. This was met with a resounding support of 5000+ residents for a referendum to STOP IT but the city has refused to proceed claiming an error in the application--which is not grounds under Arizona statutes for stopping a referendum, and the Maricopa Court of Appeals is currently reviewing the case.
On Jun 16th the P&Z Commission Meeting (thanks to those who attended) said they couldn't vote against this because the law didn't let them.
You can still contact your Surprise City Council Member, and let them know that the people of Surprise will no longer tolerate our leadership not listening to us. Get your neighbors and friends involved to send a clear message back to City Hall that their power and authority lies with us, the people.
What has Dominium been saying about YOU and our Surprise City Leaders? The Phoenix Business Journal tells us...
Despite Dominium grossly abusing an unintended loophole allowing them under the 2008 PAD Zoning to put have 15-21 units per acre, they are pushing the max at 21.
"Despite our best efforts to work with the community, we
feel the city has created roadblocks to us utilizing the
existing PAD zoning and that we are not being treated
equitably compared to other projects with similar PAD
zoning approvals from the same era," [Owen] Metz [of Dominium] said. "Instead, the city's actions appear to be more of a direct response to
strong NIMBYism — not the fair and equitable application of
zoning laws."
"Dominium hitting glitches with Surprise" by Angela Gonzalez - Phoenix Business Journal https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2021/11/03/affordable-apartment-glitches-west-valley-city.html