The Planning and Zoning Commission voted Dec. 3 to recommend City Council approval of a zoning ordinance text amendment that implements recently passed state legislation on middle housing, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and objective design standards.

Principal Planner Guadalupe Ortiz Cortez told the commission the amendment creates a middle‑housing overlay to permit townhouses, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes on lots zoned single‑family within proximity to the downtown area, and it expands where ADUs are allowed by permitting them in the vicinity of Phoenix Goodyear Airport (but not near military facilities such as Luke Air Force Base). The amendment also lets the zoning administrator publish addenda to the city’s design guidelines to meet state requirements for objective design standards.

There were no public speakers on the item. The commission took a unanimous voice vote to forward the recommendation to City Council; if council approves the ordinance, staff said it would become effective immediately.