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Page 1 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee General Plan Resident Advisory Committee Regular Meeting June 25, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. Chandler Public Library- Downtown Copper Room South 22 S. Delaware St., Chandler, AZ Roll Call The meeting was called to Order by Chairman Dunn 3:04pm Committee Members Attendance:` Chair Boyd Dunn, Vice Chair Jack Sellers, Michael Monteilh, Peppur Chambers, Rene Barrios, Jess Lopez, Chris Dobson, Lori Collins, Terri Kimble, Michael Pollack, Brennan Ray, Shannon Portillio, Chrissy Rodriguez; no members virtually attended Excused Absent: Crystal Blackwell, Alison Garrard, Lisa Grayer, Garry Hays, Rick Heumann, Spike Lawrence, Jyoti Pathak, Micheal Underwood Committee has a quorum. Consent Agenda 1. May 1, 2025 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Move Resident Advisory Committee approve the General Plan Resident Advisory Committee meeting minutes of the May 1, 2025, meeting. Page 2 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee Motion passes 12-0 *Committee Member Ray abstains from voting on minutes due to absence from previous meeting. Discussion 2. Housing Rick Merrit from Elliot D. Pollack & Company introduced the Chandler Comprehensive Housing Plan, explaining the process and the current stage of data collection, public engagement, and housing gap analysis. o Data Collection: Rick Merrit explained that the data collection phase involved gathering extensive information on housing needs and trends within the community. This data is crucial for identifying gaps and formulating effective housing policies. o Public Engagement: Public engagement in the housing plan is essential for understanding local needs and ensuring that the plan addresses the concerns of residents. o Housing Gap Analysis: Rick Merrit discussed the housing gap analysis, which aims to identify the shortfall in housing availability and affordability. This analysis helps in targeting specific areas where intervention is needed to improve housing conditions. • Affordable Housing Definitions: Rick Merrit discussed the definitions of affordable housing, including attainable housing, workforce housing, and missing middle housing, and the goal of paying no more than 30% of income on housing. Committee Member Kimble requested these definitions be made clear and included in the plan for reference. o Affordable Housing: affordable housing is housing that costs no more than 30% of a household's income. This includes various types such as attainable housing, workforce housing, and missing middle housing. Page 3 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee o Attainable Housing: attainable housing is designed for households earning between 60% and 120% of the median income, making it accessible to middle-income earners who do not qualify for low- income housing but cannot afford market-rate housing. o Workforce Housing: workforce housing is housing for essential workers such as teachers, police officers, and firefighters. These individuals earn too much to qualify for low-income housing but still struggle to afford market-rate housing. o Missing Middle Housing: Missing Middle Housing includes housing types like duplexes, fourplexes, and townhomes. These types of housing provide more affordable options between single-family homes and high-density apartments. • Chandler Demographics: highlights include the low median age compared to the state average, high median income of approximately $105,000 per year, placing it among the top cities in the state for income levels, and highly educated population with nearly half of residents over 25 holding a bachelor's degree or higher. This contributes to the high median income and strong job market in the area. • Commuting Patterns: A significant number of people leave and enter Chandler for work daily, with only a small percentage living and working in the city. o Commuting Out: approximately 106,000 people leave Chandler daily to work in other areas, highlighting the city's role as a residential community for many workers. o Commuting In: around 112,000 people commute into Chandler each day for work, indicating a strong job market that attracts workers from surrounding areas. o Local Workers: only about 27,000 people both live and work in Chandler, suggesting a need for more local employment opportunities to reduce commuting. o Balanced Housing Plan: Rick emphasized the goal of creating a more balanced housing plan to encourage more people to live and work Page 4 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee within Chandler, reducing the need for long commutes and easing the burden on roadways. • Population Forecast: The population forecast for Chandler projects an increase of 18,000 people (from 286,000 to 304,000) and 6,800 new households over the next 15-16 years. o Housing Demand: including a vacancy rate, the demand for new housing units could reach about 7,200 units, highlighting the need for strategic planning to accommodate this growth. • Housing Market Trends: Market trends include essentially all housing types. 14% of single-family homes in Chandler are rented, a decrease from the post-Great Recession period but still significant. About one-third of all rentals in Chandler are single-family homes, indicating a strong demand for rental housing in this category. The shift from single-family to multifamily housing is notable in recent years, driven by market conditions and land availability. o Apartment Market: There has been significant increase in average rent for apartments in Chandler by 27% in 2021, reflecting a significant rise in housing costs. Increased competition in the apartment market has led to more competitive rents, although they remain high compared to previous years. o New Units: New apartment units built in recent years are more expensive, with rents for units built before 2023 averaging $1,650, while those built after 2023 average over $1,900. o Cost Drivers: High rents can be attributed to factors such as land costs and construction expenses, which have driven up the price of new apartments. • Affordable Housing Efforts: Rick Merrit acknowledged the city's efforts in addressing affordable housing, including public housing projects, scattered site housing, and housing vouchers. o Public Housing Projects: The city has an initiative to replace four public housing projects with two new ones, one of which is under Page 5 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee construction and the other set to break ground soon (Villas & Haven). Chandler is moving away from City led public housing. o Scattered Site Housing: Chandler’s scattered site housing program, which provides affordable housing options throughout the community. o Housing Vouchers: Chandler offers approximately 1,100 housing vouchers to assist low-income residents in affording housing. o Nonprofit Partnerships: Rick Merrit acknowledged the contributions of nonprofits like, ARM, Habitat for Humanity and Newtown CLT (Community Land Trust) in providing homeownership opportunities and affordable housing in Chandler. • Housing Pipeline: Rick Merrit presented the pipeline of approved but not yet built housing units, indicating a good supply of apartments still to come. o Approved Units: there are approximately 2,150 housing units approved but not yet built in Chandler, indicating a strong pipeline of future housing. o Occupancy Rates: current occupancy rates for apartments are high, with many complexes reporting 90-95% occupancy, reflecting strong demand for rental housing. • Ownership Market: The ownership market shows an increase in housing costs and the challenges in finding affordable homes. • Housing Gap Analysis: Committee Member Ray asked for an estimation of the gap between what Chandler has, what they need and what they have potential to build. Rick Merrit explained the housing gap analysis, highlighting the deficits in affordable housing for both renters and owners. o Mr. Mayo explained the beginning of the Chandler Housing Gap analysis project that will be starting in the next few months. He expressed that whereas the General Plan exists at a “30,000 foot level”, his goal to have Chandler be a leader in setting standards for workforce housing with this Gap Analysis at a ’10,000 foot level’. Chandler is providing information to MAG on this front. Page 6 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee • Barriers to Affordable Housing: Rick Merrit identified the barriers to affordable housing, including limited land, rising construction costs (TSMC draw on local resources, tariffs, etc), lengthy review periods, and in some cases restrictive zoning regulations. • Solutions for Affordable Housing: Some potential solutions (in the form of Goals and Objectives for the Housing Plan) to support the production of affordable housing, such as using the government property excise tax (GPLET), establishing a Community Land Trust, and implementing voluntary inclusionary affordable housing policies: o Workforce Housing Policy: creating a workforce housing policy that includes fee waivers, expedited plan reviews, and reimbursement of infrastructure costs. o Housing Trust Fund: establishing a Housing Trust Fund to support affordable housing projects and continue to work with nonprofit partners. Tempe is an example of a community with a voluntary trust fund. o Promoting Housing Types: promoting various housing types, such as townhomes, duplexes, and small lots, and evaluating development standards and regulations. o City-led redevelopment projects: The school districts forecast a decrease in students by nearly 10,000 students in the next ten years. School districts may be looking to diversify landholdings. • Education Campaign: An education campaign on the benefits of affordable workforce housing and working with nonprofit groups would improve public perception. Committee Member Collins stated concerns about the increasing cost of living within the city resulting with the young professionals not being able to live in the community. Committee Member Pollack suggested good density is the only solution to the housing issue due to cost of development and today’s interest rates. More single-family residential products will not improve housing deficits. Within mixed-use developments, first floor commercial does not survive Page 7 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee when parking is not available unless the overall density is comparable to New York City. Committee Member Lopez asked about when/how the historic preservation piece enters the conversation. Mr. Mayo explained the Middle Housing legislation that will take effect on January 1, 2026. The new law will allow up to 4 stories and up to two units on all lots within 1 mile of all downtown core areas. Chandler’s historic overlays are in place and may help offset the impacts of the law. 3. Public Participation Update: Numerous community input opportunities have already taken place both in person and online with positive feedback and good participation rates. The next General Plan Update workshops will take place in early August. RAC members are encouraged to attend at the Chandler Museum on Tuesday, August 5 | 5:30-7:30 pm and Saturday August 9 | 11:00 am -1:00 pm. Chairman Dunn asked how information about events was being disseminated. Consultant listed the email group from the city, social media, electronic billboard downtown, and the project website as conduits for outreach. 4. Vision Statement Discussion: Consultant facilitated a discussion on the vision statement for the general plan, gathering feedback and suggestions from the participants. Vision Statement Options: Option 1: A City Rooted in Community and Vision Chandler is a forward-thinking, inclusive city that values thoughtful planning, civic engagement, and balanced growth to preserve its unique character. We champion innovation, sustainability, and affordability to ensure every resident—past, present, and future—can thrive in a safe, connected, and vibrant community. Option 2: Thriving Together Across Generations (preferred option with edits) Page 8 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee Chandler is a resilient and welcoming city where families, small businesses, and diverse communities grow together. With a strong foundation in education, safety, and responsible development, we prioritize quality of life and opportunity for all generations. Option 3: Purposeful Growth, Shared Prosperity Rooted in collaboration and guided by community voices, Chandler embraces purposeful growth that supports affordability, innovation, and environmental stewardship. We are committed to being a city where residents feel proud to live, work, and participate in shaping a prosperous and inclusive future. • Vision Statement Ranking: The consultant conducted an interactive poll to rank the vision statements and gather input on potential changes. The group discussed and refined the final vision statement, ensuring it aligns with the values and goals of the community. o Chairman Dunn asked for a motion on the amended statement. Committee Member Kimble moved to approve the vision statement with edits. Motion was seconded by Committee Member Lopez. Motion passed unanimously with no abstentions. • Statement 2: The committee agreed that Statement 2 was the preferred choice with minor amendments reflected: Chandler is a welcoming and resilient city where families, businesses, and diverse communities grow together. With a strong foundation in education, safety, and responsible development, we prioritize quality of life and opportunity for all generations. Calendar The next Regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 29, 2025 at 4:00 P.M. at the Chandler Nature Center 4050 East Chandler Heights Road, Chandler, Arizona 85249. Page 9 of 9 General Plan Resident Advisory Committee Public Comment No public comments. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned by Chairman Dunn at 5:15 p.m. ______________________________ ______________________________ Lauren Schumann, Secretary Boyd Dunn, Chairman