Why some oppose affordable housing project near Chandler

CHANDLER, AZ (AZFamily) — The fate of a controversial affordable housing development in the southeast Valley will be decided at the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday.

A rezoning request by Dominium Inc., the developer for the proposed Sonoran Landings, is on the agenda to change the land from RU-43 (Rural) to IND-2 with IUPD overlay (Light industrial). The land sits on a county island.

“There is no argument against this proposal that outweighs the desperate need for affordable housing in this community,” said Rev. Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan with Valley Interfaith Project.

Sonoran Landings would provide 272 low-income housing units for seniors and veterans near Arizona Avenue and Ocotillo Road in south Chandler, part of the 23.4 acre site that would also be earmarked for industrial development.

“The fact that there are other sites does not make this site unsuitable,” said Chandler resident Mark Engle.

On Monday, members of the Valley Interfaith Project and Chandler residents held a news conference to show their support for the Sonoran Landings project.

There were also a few Chandler residents who strongly oppose this particular project that showed up.

“Chandler has a really well-thought-out general plan. They have an airpark area plan and they have a water use plan and they also have 14 to 15 locations that would be good for affordable housing,” said Derek Logan.

Sonoran Landings sits just a few miles from the Chandler Municipal Airport.

In late 2022, Chandler City Council passed a resolution opposing a previous version of the development because of its “incompatibility with the voter-approved General Plan, the Chandler Airpark Area Plan, and the Chandler Water Master Plan.”

In a memo sent to county staff in November, the current Chandler deputy city manager said the city is not planning on providing water or sewer service for the development and the previous concerns still apply with the current proposal, which reduced the number of housing units among other changes from the previous proposal.

“I think precedent-setting, and we have to look at the bigger picture because there’s more to this than the housing. We are all for affordable housing, we are all for seniors,” said Chandler resident LouAnn Sedgwick, who is against the rezoning.

The Maricopa County Planning & Zoning Commission did vote 5-1 to recommend rezoning at its November meeting.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to meet on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. for a formal meeting with the rezoning request on the agenda.

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