New developments in northeast Phoenix are in the works. The area will offer residential development projects as well as retailers and a Mayo Clinic lab.
Developers have begun planning a new housing development in the northeast region of the city. The development will offer five single-family housing projects, a golf shop, a storage facility, and a 5,373-square foot single-story lab near the Mayo Clinic. Construction has begun on the storage facility, and the golf shop opened already. The housing subdivisions are to be completed on separate timelines. Phoenix officials are pleased with the growth, noting that single-family developments tend to precede retail and job growth. Private companies addressing a particular region’s demand will most likely fill in the gaps, taking over vacant parcels to the north.
While residential development tends to occur before any further growth in a region, retailers and employers generally follow close behind. For employers looking to enter the area’s market, zoning of the available land parcels is important. Zoning restrictions may sometimes hinder developers and cause confusion and frustration. Challenging a zoning regulation is a possibility, but can be difficult to accomplish.
Additional options exist, however, to accomplish the same purpose. A landowner that was not able to successfully challenge a restriction may try to get an amendment of the zoning regulation. Generally, however, an amendment requires a showing of a change in character of the disputed area. Another possible form of relief is a variance, where an exception is given upon a finding that unnecessary hardship would result to the landowner otherwise. A final option includes applying for a special use permit. This would allow the landowner to show the ordinance’s conditions have been met without violating the neighborhood’s scheme.
Developing a new area of land can seem to result in endless details of compliance regulations, especially when an area includes both residential and commercial properties within close range. An experienced real estate attorney may be able to help reduce the stress and clarify the necessary steps in order to allow a developer to continue with a desired plan of growth.
Source: Azcentral.com, “New developments taking shape in northeast Phoenix,” Betty Reid, Oct. 31, 2014
