The challenges of finding adequate housing options for people looking for a home are familiar to most people, and while the Town of Fountain Hills is not typical of the overall general housing crunch, the town has long sought solutions to providing housing for residents.
After a growth spurt that led the nation between 1990 and 2000, Fountain Hills has experienced what might be described as stagnant population growth. Changes in the market made construction of the typical large, upscale custom housing in the community slow significantly. The property available for production subdivisions or multi-family units was limited.
A number of years ago the town council took steps to make it easier for developers to propose multi-family housing on property zoned for commercial development. They came up with a special use permit (SUP) process that would require the Planning and Zoning Commission and the council to review applications and consider whether there are issues related to multi-family housing at the proposed location. Specifically, consideration is given to the General Plan as well as zoning ordinances. The General Plan provides for encouragement of using commercial zoning for multi-family use, particularly in the downtown and Shea corridor areas in Fountain Hills.
