Court rules Surprise overstepped by rejecting signatures opposing affordable housing
Surprise NIMBYs hoping to block more than 600 units of much-needed affordable housing for families and seniors were handed a win recently, although the city and/or developer could still have a play. It started when a group called Voice of Surprise submitted more than 5,400 signatures to the city in September 2022 asking for a referendum on the city council’s approval of the project. The city clerk at the time rejected all of the signatures on a technicality, but the Arizona Supreme Court ruled she overstepped her authority. It’s back in the courts now; Dominium filed a counterclaim against Voice of Surprise. Meanwhile, the developer is moving forward with the project and got the OK from the city’s planning and zoning commission for a site plan in May.
