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Tempe unveils draft affordable-housing "bonus" program offering density and height in exchange for long-term affordable units
Summary
City planning staff presented a draft citywide development bonus program that would let developers receive additional density, height and reduced parking in return for dedicating a percentage of new units at 50%, 65% or 80% of area median income (AMI) for 30 years; residents warned the streamlined, administrative path could reduce public input and may displace existing affordable stock in some neighborhoods.
City of Tempe planning staff on an online public presentation laid out a draft development bonus program that would let private developers opt in to receive additional height, density and parking relief in exchange for providing on-site affordable housing under multi-tiered AMI targets.
Ryan LeVaque, Deputy Director for Community Development and Planning, said the proposal is a draft intended to solicit public feedback before staff prepares an ordinance for formal hearings. "This is a draft proposal, so we're looking to get public feedback on this before, we officially move forward with any final or proposed refinement," LeVaque said. Staff said the proposal is voluntary: developers choosing the bonus would sign a covenant guaranteeing the affordable units for a 30-year term.
The program ties bonus capacity to the city's updated general-plan land-use projections and would operate citywide as an administrative option for sites that already align with the general plan. Jacob Payne, principal planner for long-range planning, explained that legal constraints shape the approach: "In Arizona, the state statute prohibits what's called inclusionary zoning," Payne said, but the same statute permits incentive-based bonus programs. Under the…
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