by Cameron Arcand
A Scottsdale city ordinance on housing is raising red flags among some Republicans in the state legislature.
Majority Leader Leo Biasiucci and Majority Leader-Elect Michael Carbone are asking for the city to revise Ordinance No. 4651, which explains how the city would go along with two housing bills recently signed by the governor, according to State Affairs.
The letter sent by Biasiucci (pictured above, right) to Mayor David Ortega and the Scottsdale City Council ahead of the council meeting on Monday argued that it limits the number of buildings that can qualify for commercial to multifamily purposes and adds an additional timeframe for when building conversion could be done and guidelines related to Scottsdale Airport.
“However, the map provided on page 65 of the City’s presentation goes beyond this intent, exempting areas far beyond the airport vicinity, including portions of Phoenix Sky Harbor’s flight path. This overreach severely limits the number of eligible buildings for conversion,” the Republican lawmaker wrote. “Furthermore, the City imposes additional height restrictions, even though many existing structures in Scottsdale already surpass the height and density standards outlined in the legislation.
On Tuesday, Biasucci and Carbone (pictured above, left) said the ordinance undermines work the state government did with cities on the legislation in order to “alleviate the housing crises” in the Grand Canyon State.
“We are disappointed that the City of Scottsdale chose to ignore those concerns, voting to pass the agenda item during Monday’s council meeting. Furthermore, Scottsdale failed to reach out to the legislature, or stakeholders, to suggest potential fixes to the language, an option we would have welcomed,” the pair stated.
“With the City’s passing of the ordinance, Scottsdale is now in violation of the laws passed in HB2297 and in HB2720. We are hopeful the City of Scottsdale will use the next 30 days to cure the violation. We also encourage the City of Scottsdale to reach out to the Legislature to address their concerns with the existing law,” the statement continued.
One council member raised concerns about how the city can enact House Bill 2720, adding that the city is “struggling” as a result of short-term rentals as felt that her concerns raised to the state government fell on deaf ears.
“As the mayor has said multiple times, we are seeing our governing power significantly reduced, along with our revenue,” Councilwoman Solange Whitehead said regarding House Bill 2720, which allows casitas statewide, during Monday’s meeting.
“This bill is probably my least favorite since 1487 and the short-term rental law. This is an assault on our local control in our neighborhoods,” she added.
The City of Scottsdale did not respond in time to a request for comment.
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Cameron Arcand is a staff reporter for The Center Square covering Arizona. A contributor since 2022, Arcand previously worked for Salem Media Group and The Western Journal.
Photo “Michael Carbone” by Michael Carbone. Background Photo “Scottsdale” by Joseph Plotz. CC BY-SA 3.0.
