Phoenix’s Arcadia community south of Camelback Mountain is known for its ranch-style homes and large front yards, set back from the streets.
But some residents in the area fear a trend of building bigger homes on existing lots could detract from the neighborhood’s charm.
Each year since 2010, Phoenix has approved a handful of requests for variances to allow increased lot coverage in Arcadia.
In 2010, five such requests were approved in the area. In 2011, that increased to seven. So far this year, seven have been approved, according to city records.
But, some residents worry that even a handful of annual home-expansion requests will start to change the character of Arcadia.
Builders and developers say most people probably don’t notice the increase in lot coverage.
Larger lots
Richard Rea is president of the Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association, which includes almost 2,000 homes in the area from 44th to 64th streets and from Indian School Road north to Camelback Mountain.
Rea said large lots are one of Arcadia’s attractions, and expanding homes in a way that covers more of the lot is a concern for some residents in the area, he said.
“It’s not that there is a tremendous number of these large homes, but people like the large lots, the large yards, and houses that aren’t cheek to jowl,” he said.
Phoenix zoning administrator Alan Stephenson said in order for the variance to be approved, there must be a public hearing and four tests need to be met and approved by a zoning-adjustment hearing officer. In addition, nearby property owners and neighbors must be notified.
Stephenson said much of Arcadia is typically zoned for homes on 35,000-square-foot lots allowing 25 percent coverage, requiring large setbacks and more restrictive lot coverage than other large-lot residential zoning districts in the city.
The approved variances allowed exceeding that percentage, sometimes by only a few percentage points, records showed.
Some newer development districts allow for up to 45 percent lot coverage.
“(Arcadia’s) lot coverage allows for less buildable area per lot and the setbacks create additional space between other buildings in the neighborhoods,” Stephenson said.
From a developer’s standpoint, Arcadia is very desirable, with good schools, central location and a non-city feel, with homes on bigger lots than most parts of Phoenix, Rea said.
Applying for a variance to increase the lot coverage in Arcadia is an easy sell for developers, he said.
“The developers’ only job is to make as much money as he or she can, and the way to do that is to have the most square-footage,” Rea said.
Mike Krogh, a developer who specializes in the area, said a small group of area residents seem to fight every Arcadia variance request submitted to the city, even if they don’t live near where the home is located.
He said this isn’t in everyone’s best interest.
“Arcadia is a well-educated and active neighborhood, and they will fight a variance that adversely impacts their neighborhood,” he said. “So, the variances are being granted because the neighbors recognize it does not impact their neighborhood. If the surrounding neighbors support the variance, why do others, outside of the immediate surrounding area, feel the need to get involved?”
Newer trends
Architect Erik Peterson said his Arcadia clients are not requesting bigger homes so much as requesting added outdoor areas — garages, patios and storage space.
A newer trend includes adding guest homes, he said.
“Some of our younger clients are having their parents move in with them vs. putting them in a home,” Peterson said.
Stephenson corroborates Peterson’s findings.
He said many residents have come to the planning department in recent years to add onto their homes.
“In years past, they might have sold their house and bought a new one, but because maybe their finances are such that they can’t do that, they might add a room or guest house,” Stephenson said.
Arcadia resident Kara Burke said she increased the coverage on her lot from 25 to 29 percent last year for a number of reasons, including additional closet and bedroom space for her 9-year-old son.
In the end, she said, they added very little square-footage to their ranch-style home.
“Our son is getting older and he needed a bigger room, desk space for studying and larger bed. When we decided to expand our son’s room, it didn’t make much sense not to do the other front bedroom, from both an economic and aesthetic sense,” she said.
“Closets in a 1960 house are too small for typical family needs today, I think most would agree.”
Other side of the mountain
In Paradise Valley, on the north side of Camelback Mountain where residents similarly cherish their homes on larger lots, there have been no requests for floor-area ratio increases — Paradise Valley’s version of lot coverage — since at least 2010, officials said.
The town largely is zoned residential for homes on one-acre lots.
Senior planner Molly Hood said most plans top off at 25 percent, allowing 10,890 square feet on a one-acre lot.
She said applicants must demonstrate a “true hardship” to receive a variance approval.
“When we conducted the visioning process in preparation for the General Plan update, the townspeople concluded they pretty much like their one-acre lots,” she said.
