Surprise staff disputes media count, outlines multifamily inventory and a MAG‑funded housing study update
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Summary
Planning staff told the commission that earlier media reporting understated Surprise’s multifamily inventory, provided updated unit counts across development stages, and said the city received a MAG grant to update its housing study; commissioners requested more granular data on unit densities and rental availability.
City of Surprise planning staff told the Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 16 that recent media coverage understated the city’s multifamily housing inventory and outlined the city’s current multifamily units across several development stages.
Director Abrams told the commission an Arizona Republic article misstated acreage and did not account for multifamily land‑use designations within planned area developments (PADs). Staff reported the following counts: approximately 7,895 constructed multifamily units; 579 units currently under construction; about 2,111 units in design review; 3,854 units approved but not yet permitted; and roughly 472 units in concept review. Staff said many of the city’s PADs include mixed‑use provisions that allow multifamily development.
Staff also said Surprise was awarded a MAG grant to update its housing studies; the updated study and consultant work are expected to help the city identify constraints (including graduated density limits related to Luke Air Force Base), project appropriate residential mixes, and better match development with the general plan. Commissioners requested more detailed future reporting: Commissioner Perry asked staff to provide unit counts by density bands (for example, 8 units per acre and up) and, if possible, data on rental availability and the share of housing that is rental versus for sale.
Director Abrams said the legislature’s comparison metrics can treat cities ‘‘like for like’’ without accounting for each city’s unique constraints and that Surprise must balance dwelling counts with constraints related to Luke AFB. Commissioner comments and a follow‑up email from one commissioner were entered into the public record requesting a more data‑intensive report on multifamily counts and availability at a future meeting.
No formal action was taken on the staff report; the item was informational and will inform future planning work and the MAG‑funded housing study update.