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Gabriel Harmio, the panel moderator, framed the session as the start of a public conversation as Chandler rethinks land use. Panelists agreed that Chandler’s limited remaining developable land, demographic shifts and regional job growth make single‑family expansion an insufficient strategy.

Mark Stapp, Freddie Taylor professor of real estate at Arizona State University, said Chandler is a mature city and will see redevelopment of older commercial and residential areas. “We have no choice but to densify,” Stapp said, calling for a wider variety of housing types to serve different incomes and household sizes.

Amy St. Peter of the Maricopa Association of Governments urged the city to increase multifamily and “missing‑middle” housing (duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, accessory dwelling units) because those forms use less water per unit and expand options for renters and first‑time buyers. “Close to half of renters in Chandler, are what are called housing burden people,” St. Peter said, noting many households earning under $50,000 are housing‑burdened.

Panelists also emphasized the role of partnerships and incentives. The panel described ongoing local efforts, including the city’s partnership with developer Gorman to redevelop public housing into higher‑quality units. Mark Stapp recommended engaging homebuilders to identify incentives that enable delivery of attainable for‑sale housing without increasing costs.

Beyond housing types and financing, panelists urged planning for social infrastructure. Deirdre Pfeiffer, associate professor at Arizona State University, recommended planning around “third places” — coffee shops, libraries, parks and other spaces that create social connections — and sizing housing and amenities so people can live near jobs, services and community spaces.

Public outreach and next steps: Lauren Schuman, the city’s principal planner and project lead, said the city will hold workshops in May and June, post a draft Oct. 1 for public comment with comments closing Dec. 1, and — if schedule holds — move through hearings in January and council in February before a proposed August 2026 ballot placement for voter approval.

The panel invited residents to the Chandler Listens workshops and the project website to comment and to participate in interactive mapping exercises.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","ChandlerTalks: Shaping The City’s Future Through The General Plan Update","oneSentenceSummary","Panelists told Chandler residents the city will likely need more multifamily and redevelopment to meet regional demand and retain workers; they stressed partnerships, incentives and planning for social connectivity.","taxTitle","taxId",0,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},6062321,"Panel: Chandler’s 100-year assured water supply underpins land-use choices as city plans update",2646,670000,3316000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3278802-b1f17070f0c3728f1e4db4139ef39950&start=670&end=3316","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3278802-b1f17070f0c3728f1e4db4139ef39950/thumbnail_670000.jpg","/articles/6062321/Panel-Chandlers-100-year-assured-water-supply-underpins-land-use-choices-as-city-plans-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6062321-e70da30d59333cb4857a8ac6d0fa7971/orig.mp4?Expires=1771021576&Signature=dsdz1t5Fbdik8B4cXfN3UQNv1Zc7RMRtlIHOV9lLMcNvwwqHB-b9NvSM06NtbK28Kyw~gjLONZvUO7s5nUt75w~UvzG5ruTitWjVxb8CkAx3TJsfw7Z0daRYOqfOe6xXEsLHuIsXfYUIGcKwx9-VBYXL0JeFfkTPZtKnGhsN-hRk-Icx~3gLoKYHSX3igG5g0uMUt0LvfrPHfOkqgYD3SmYDWIuHY8n-O64hkvNkoenT2qmgscQ6~hwZejriyJV2IP0cTTUPCqRA9sZprtrEd8km578UWVWlOUY1v0upyNE1c2Xv-L3GC88MameCWiclTyQvaAyKuysBZbhI5UiKLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chandler — City and university experts at a public kickoff for Chandler’s general plan update on a Saturday afternoon told residents that the city’s designated 100‑year assured water supply is a central constraint and tool for land‑use choices as the city nears buildout.

Catherine Sorensen, director of research at the Kyle Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute and a former water director for Phoenix and Mesa, urged residents to treat the assured supply as foundational. “To get a designation of a 100 year assured water supply, the city of Chandler has to prove to the Arizona Department of Water Resources that it has physical, legal, and, financial availability of supplies to meet current demands,” Sorensen said.

Why it matters: the assured supply designation requires the Arizona Department of Water Resources be satisfied that Chandler has legally and financially available water for existing uses plus 10 years of projected growth over a 100‑year horizon. Sorensen and other panelists described Chandler’s current portfolio — Salt River Project surface water, groundwater, Colorado River allocations and reclaimed wastewater — as robust, but subject to increasing regional competition.

Panelists repeatedly tied land uses to water intensity. Sorensen noted agricultural land often uses more water per acre than suburban residential development in the Phoenix region; she gave cotton (about 3–6 acre‑feet per acre, depending on year) versus typical subdivision uses (about 1.2 acre‑feet per acre) as an example. Amy St. Peter of the Maricopa Association of Governments said multifamily housing typically uses less water per housing unit than single‑family homes, and cited a Phoenix study that found multifamily water use was substantially lower than single‑family use.

Mark Stapp, Freddie Taylor professor of real estate at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business, said Chandler is at a mature stage of urban development and will face redevelopment pressures. “We have no choice but to densify,” Stapp said, urging the city to plan for redevelopment as well as the small remaining supply of undeveloped land.

Panelists described tradeoffs: replacing low‑water commercial or industrial uses with housing can increase water demand and shift the city’s water portfolio and costs. Sorensen said such changes may be feasible but that the city should be prepared for higher water‑system costs and stronger competition for supplies if future land‑use changes raise demand.

What’s next: Lauren Schuman, the city’s principal planner and project lead on the general plan update, told the audience the draft plan will be posted Oct. 1 for public comment with public comment closing Dec. 1 and, if schedule holds, land‑use hearings next January and city council consideration in February; the plan as proposed would go to voters on the August 2026 ballot.

The panel encouraged residents to review technical reports and attend upcoming workshops. Chandler residents were also reminded that state rules and the Arizona Department of Water Resources’ assured‑supply criteria will constrain — and inform — the city’s choices as the general plan proceeds.","Experts at a City of Chandler general plan kickoff said the city’s 100‑year assured water supply and existing water portfolio should guide decisions about redevelopment, housing types and future land uses as Chandler nears buildout.","actionData","errors"]

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Experts at Chandler general plan kickoff urge diverse housing types, partnerships to ease affordability

Panel: Chandler’s 100-year assured water supply underpins land-use choices as city plans update