By CJ Jorgensen and Roland Murphy for AZBEX
Roers Companies is proposing a new 147-unit affordable multifamily project in north Phoenix at the NWC of Deer Valley Road and 30th Avenue.
The developer has requested a rezoning from R-4A Multifamily Residential to Planned Unit Development with modified R-4A development standards.
The sole purpose for the change, according to the submitted narrative, is to allow for additional building height. Roers intends the building to be 60 feet tall, while the current zoning only allows for 48 feet. The parcel fronts to an arterial street, has two streets and backs to the Scatter Wash, which limits the number of units developers could build under the 48 feet height restriction.
Roers is also requesting a minor general plan amendment concurrent with the rezoning request.
The as-yet-unnamed five-story, 147-unit multifamily project is on an approximately five-acre site at 3014 W. Deer Valley Road in north Phoenix, less than a mile away from Interstate 17 and 1.5 miles from Deer Valley Airport. The project will have a building footprint of approximately 36.9KSF and feature 205 parking spaces.
The planned unit mix is comprised of 88 two-bedroom, 45 three-bedroom and 14 four-bedroom apartments. An amenity area will be at the center of the project, including a clubhouse, ramada, playground, dog run and landscaping.
The project will be built at a single parcel site, currently occupied by a vacant office building and parking lot.
Drought tolerant landscaping will be used to conserve water resources, and the development will try to promote walking/public transport to minimize car-use.
The intent is to develop a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit-compliant project with 100% of units’ rents restricted to 60% of the area median income.
This comes as the City of Phoenix is falling short of its housing goals, particularly at lower income levels, with developers citing a current gap of 163,067 housing units, of which 99,581 should be designated affordable to meet the targets.
The narrative cites the project’s location just six miles from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company plant in north Phoenix as a driver for its necessity. “Multifamily units developed at the workforce housing level, which are several hundred dollars lower than Market Rate units are needed in this area,” it says. “For example, based on our research, a one-bedroom unit in this area is renting for between about $1,514 per month and $1,546 per month, and the LIHTC rate for this year is $1,156 per month. High rental prices are due to the shortage of housing in the city generally and because of the need for housing being generated by TSMC and the secondary employment industry it is creating for suppliers to TSMC. All of this has created a massive need for housing, which is undersupplied. That undersupply is creating an increase in housing prices, which have increased faster than salaries. That in turn has created financial strain on working families.
It goes on to say, “The proposed multifamily development is a response to that financial need and will be a great benefit to those families that will live there upon its completion and the many more who will live there over the years. Additionally, providing this type of housing is a direct response to the housing need both nationally and locally.”
Roers Companies is the developer and project owner. The design firm is Kass Wilson Architects,and the civil engineer is Rick Engineering. The project is represented by Earl & Curley, P.C. No hearings or reviews have been scheduled as of press time.
