By Megan Taros | Arizona Republic
Depending on who you ask, a proposed development in south Phoenix is about the best use of land. Or protecting city plans to preserve the character of the neighborhood. Or creating housing that centers human needs before property.
The development will bring 166 new single-family homes just off 40th Street and Southern Avenue. The City Council voted to approve the developer’s request for a rezone and an amendment to the Phoenix general plan that deems the area a mixed-use agricultural and residential site.
But the plan was marked by tension between some members of the South Mountain Village planning committee, developer Scott Curtis and zoning attorney Jason Morris of the law firm Withey Morris. The committee struck down the developer’s proposals in March with an 11-8 for an amendment to Phoenix’s land-use plan and a 12-7 vote recommending denial for rezoning.
