♪.

TED: COMING UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," THE LATEST REGARDING CHANGING FEDERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON COVID-19 VACCINES.

>>> ALSO TONIGHT, WE'LL HEAR ABOUT A LAND DEAL INVOLVING PEORIA AND THE BUILDING OF A MASSIVE NEW SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGING FACILITY.

>>> AND RESIDENTS OF WILLO DISTRICT SAY THEY ARE ADOPTING A LAW THAT THREATENS ARIZONA'S HISTORIC HOMES.

THOSE STORIES AND NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

.

TED: GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

THE CDC'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES MEETS THIS WEEK TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS WHETHER OR NOT CERTAIN VACCINES SHOULD BE USED AND WHO SHOULD BE USING THEM?

THESE RECOMMENDATIONS GO A LONG WAY IN TERMS OF VACCINE COSTS AND ACCESSIBILITY.

WE WELCOME WILL HUMBLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ARIZONA HEALTH ASSOCIATION.

WILL, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES, WHAT DOES IT DO?

>> IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE MOST OBSCURE COMMITTEES IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

NOW IT'S NO LONGER OBSCURE.

PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT ON THE SHOW, FOR EXAMPLE.

IT'S A COMMITTEE THAT LOOKS AT THE VARIOUS VACCINES THAT THE FDA LICENSES AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION WHAT POPULATIONS SHOULD GET THE VACCINE.

AND THE REASON THAT RECOMMENDATION IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE HARD WIRED INTO OTHER PARTS OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, COMMERCIAL HEALTH PLANS DON'T HAVE TO COVER VACCINES THAT AREN'T RECOMMENDED BY ACIP.

THEY CAN.

BUT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT SAYS IF IT'S RECOMMENDED BY ACIP, YOU HAVE TO COVER IT, NO COPAY, NO DEDUCTIBLE.

SAME THING WITH THE VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM AND MEDICAID, OUR STATE AHCCCS, THEY COVER VACCINES RECOMMENDED BY THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

SO THAT'S THE PAY FOR SIDE OF THINGS.

IT ALSO IS HARD WIRED INTO STATE LAW BECAUSE PHARMACISTS, THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO GET VACCINATED, ADULTS GET VACCINATED, PRETTY MUCH, THEY CAN ONLY ADMINISTER VACCINES THAT ARE RECOMMENDED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION, SO CAN YOU LOOK AT IT AS THE ACIP CAN AFFECT WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR IT, WHO'S NOT AND WHO CAN ADMINISTER, WHO CAN'T?

THEY NEVER WENT TO SENATE CONFIRMATION OR ANYTHING.

KENNEDY DISMISSED THEM ALL AND REPLACED HIM WITH HIS ANTI-VAX FRIEND.

TED: WITH THAT IN MIND, HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?

HOW DO THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT TO RECOMMEND AND NOT RECOMMEND?

>> I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS AS IT'S BEEN FOR THE LAST FEW DECADES, WHICH THEY HAVE ADVISERS AND EXPERTS THAT ARE ON COMMITTEES THAT STUDY IT IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETINGS.

THEY DO SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF STUDIES, NOT JUST IN THE U.S.

BUT AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD, REALLY, AND THEY USE THE INFORMATION TRADITIONALLY THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN USED TO MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

WHAT THIS COMMITTEE DOES, I DON'T KNOW, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WITH THIS NEW COHORT OF PEOPLE THAT'S ON THIS COMMITTEE.

TED: WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING COVID, WE'RE TALKING RSV, MEASLES, MUMPS RUBELLA?

>> YEAH, THE MEETING IS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, COVID IS THE ONE THAT HAS THE BIGGEST -- IT HAS IMMEDIATE IMPACTS LIKE TODAY IN TERMS OF VACCINE ACCESS, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT THE MMRV, MEASLES, MUMPS, RUBELLA AND VARSELLA, CHICKEN POX AND RSV.

ALL THOSE COULD CHANGE.

TED: IF THEY DO CHANGE, AND CAN YOU GET IT AT THE LOCAL PHARMACY, AND YOU DON'T GET INSURANCE ALL CHANGES, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

WHAT ARE THE RAMIFICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH?

>> THAT'S WHY GOVERNOR HOBBS DID THE EXECUTIVE ORDER LAST THURSDAY, TO FIND A STATE WORK-AROUND FOR FOLKS WHO ARE UNDER -- THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO KEEP IT FOR 65 AND UP.

I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP THAT RECOMMENDATION, BUT MAY MAKE IT MUCH HARDER FOR PEOPLE UNDER 64 TO GET THIS VACCINE.

THAT'S WHERE HOBBS' EXECUTIVE ORDER COMES IN, WHERE IT CHARGES THE THREE STATE AGENCIES, STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO DO A STANDING ORDER WHICH STANDS IN PLACE OF A PRESCRIPTION.

THEN THE PHARMACY BOARD TO GIVE PHARMACISTS COMFORT THEY CAN USE THE STANDING ORDER IN LIEU OF A REGULAR WRITTEN PRESCRIPTION, AND THEN THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO COMBELL THE HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS TO COVER IT ANYWAY.

TED: THAT'S WHAT THIS STATE IS DOING?

FLORIDA IS DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT HERE.

NO VACCINE MANDATES FOR KIDS?

>> THAT'S WHAT THE SURGEON GENERAL -- THEY CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR SURGEON GENERAL, HE SAID WE'RE GETTING RID OF SCHOOL VACCINE MANDATES.

HE HASN'T DONE IT YET.

HE HAS TO GO THROUGH A YEARLONG ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, HE SAYS HE STARTED THAT, AND WILL HE FINISH IT?

I DON'T KNOW.

OVER TIME, THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY PUT THE KIDS IN FLORIDA AT HIGHER RISK, AND BY THE WAY, RISK OUTBREAKS AT PLACES LIKE THE DISNEY OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED.

>> I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT, WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WANTING TO VISIT DOWN THERE?

THE PUBLIC HEALTH RAMIFICATIONS OF SUCH A MOVE, TAKE IT A YEAR OUT, WHENEVER IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE?

>> RIGHT, THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE AT HIGHEST RISK WILL THEN BE THE KIDS OF PARENTS WHOSE CHOSEN NOT TO VACCINATE THEIR KIDS, AND IMPORTANTLY, THERE ARE KIDS WHO HAVE MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS, THEY CAN'T GET VACCINATE BECAUSE OF IMMUNE SYSTEM PROBLEM.

THOSE KIDS ARE ALSO AT RISK.

THEIR PARENTS CAN'T VACCINATE THEM.

THAT'S THE IDEA OF HERD IMMUNITY, YOU VACCINATE EVERYBODY THAT YOU CAN EXCEPT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN'T, AND THAT WAY YOU CAN PROTECT THEM.

TED: THERE IS INCREASING CONFUSION, SEEMS THERE IS INCREASING CONFUSION, REGARDING WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR COVID VACCINES?

WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE?

WHERE DO YOU GO?

WHERE DO YOU NOT GO?

IT SEEMS ON THE SURFACE HERE, WILL, THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> CORRECT, BECAUSE THERE'S NO ANSWERS.

BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT COMMITTEE IS GOING TO DO IN TERMS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR IMMUNIZATION PRACTICE.

THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, DEPENDING WHAT THEY DO, THEN WE CAN START FIGURING OUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

ALSO, PHARMACIES ARE LIKE WE'RE NOT BUYING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO DECIDE AND WE ORDERED A BUNCH OF VACCINES THAT OUR PHARMACISTS ADMINISTER, WE'RE SITTING ON INVENTORY WE CAN'T MOVE.

TED: DIDN'T CVS GET OUT OF THE VACCINE BUSINESS ALTOGETHER?

OR CLOSE TO IT?

>> IT'S SUSPENDED.

THEY'RE MAKING MULTIMILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS DECISIONS IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE IS THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE FULL OF ANTI-VAXXERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT TIE DIRECTLY TO THE PRODUCT THAT THEY BUY AND THE PHARMACISTS HAVE BEEN USED TO ADMINISTERING.

TED: ARE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW NOT GETTING VACCINES AND GETTING VACCINATED BECAUSE OF THIS CONFUSION?

>> THEY'RE BEATING THEIR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.

PEOPLE WANT TO GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE, IT'S AVAILABLE, IT'S READY, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T ORDERING IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO DO AND HAVEN'T SEEN THE EFFECTS OF THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER WITH RESPECT TO THE STANDING ORDERS, CAN THE PHARMACISTS ADMINISTER.

TED: YOU HAVE THE PRO-VAX CROWD AND THE ANTI-VAX CROWD AND ALL SIDES IN BETWEEN.

IF ANY SIDE IS NOT HAPPY, THEY COULD GIVE THE THUMBS UP AND THE ANTI-VAX CROWD IS GOING TO GO NUTS, SAME THING FOR THE PRO-VAX.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE RESULT?

>> IT'S SECRETARY KENNEDY.

TED: BASICALLY, HE'S THE GOALIE HERE?

>> AND THE STRATEGIST.

TED: HE'S THE HEAD COACH, THE FORWARD AND THE GOALIE.

>> AND THAT'S THE THING.

THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER.

MANY DECADES.

WHEN THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT CAME IN IN 2010, THEY HARD WIRED THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PROVISIONS INTO THIS COMMITTEE, NOT ANTICIPATING THAT 15 YEARS LATER, THERE WOULD BE SOMEBODY LIKE SECRETARY KENNEDY MAKING DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, PUTTING PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE THAT AREN'T QUALIFIED.

TED: FOR THE HOCKEY FANS, I MEANT WINGER, NOT FORWARD.

LAST QUESTION HERE, ARE COVID CASES IN ARIZONA ON THE RISE?

>> YES.

TED: WHY?

IS IT THE NEW STRAIN?

>> YOU GET THE NEW VARIANTS, THE NIMBUS AND STRAT US THEY'RE CALLED, THEY'RE STILL IN THE OMICRON FAMILY, BUT BECAUSE THEY'VE MUTATED JUST ENOUGH FROM PREVIOUS INFECTIONS AND PREVIOUS VACCINATIONS, SO THOSE ARE ON THE RISE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T 2020 AND 2021, NOT LIKE THAT.

TED: RIGHT, AND THE VARIANTS AREN'T NEARLY AS SERIOUS?

>> RIGHT, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ON THE SHOW.

VIRUSES, ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS MAKE NEW COPIES OF THEMSELVES.

THEY WANT TO REPRODUCE.

HOW DO YOU REPRODUCE?

YOU HAVE TO TRICK YOUR HOST INTO MAKE MORE VIRUS, AND IT DOESN'T HELP IF YOU ARE KILLING YOUR HOST.

SO OVER TIME, VIRUSES GET LESS LETHAL AND MORE CONTAGIOUS.

TED: CRAFTY VIRUSES, AREN'T THEY?

>> NATURAL SELECTION.

TED: WILL HUMBLE, ARIZONA PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

.

TED: THE CITY OF PEORIA WAS A SUCCESSFUL BIDDER IN A RECENT PUBLIC AUCTION OF STATE LAND.

THE CITY PLANS TO USE THE LAND AS PART OF A DEVELOPMENT DEAL WITH AMKOR TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD A NEW SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGING FACILITY.

JOINING US IS THE MAYOR OF PEORIA, JASON BECK.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

TED: THANKS FOR COMING IN.

HOW MUCH LAND ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

>> WE ACQUIRED 840 ACRES ALTOGETHER, BUT PART OF A GREATER PARTNERSHIP WITH ARIZONA STATE LAND, OVER 7,000 ACRES, WHICH WE CALL THE PEORIA INNOVATION CORE.

TED: WHERE EXACTLY ARE WE TALKING?

>> 303, THE WEST CORNER.

TED: THE LAND SWAP WAS INVOLVED, AMKOR IS INVOLVED.

>> IT IS.

TED: WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> APPROXIMATELY IN LATE 2024, AMKOR HAD TOLD US INSIDE THE CITY, INSIDERS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GO FROM 500,000 SQUARE FEET TO 2.1 MILLION SQUARE FEET.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING AN AIRPORT IN NORTH PEORIA, WE PIVOTED AND WENT THE STATE LAND AUCTION PROCESS AND KNEW WE NEEDED TO PIVOT BECAUSE WE COULDN'T KEEP IT IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA.

WE NEEDED TO WIN THE AUCTION AND SWAP THE LANDS AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME OUT AS WINNING BIDDER.

TED: THE SMALLER LAND SWAPPED.

>> BACK TO THE CITY OF PEORIA AND AMKOR GETS LITERALLY 140 ACRES APPROXIMATELY.

TED: WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE SMALLER LAND.

>> WE HAVE HONORHEALTH AND WEST MEK COMING IN AND FUTURE HOSPITAL SITE AS WELL.

TED: WOW.

AMKOR BUILDS A TEST FACILITY ON 100 SOME ODD ACRES.

>> YES, SIR.

TED: HOW MUCH ARE THEY INVESTING?

>> 2.1 MELL SQUARE FEET, APPROXIMATELY $2.5 BILLION BEING INVESTED.

APPLE IS INVOLVED.

THIS IS A MASSIVE DEAL FOR THE STATE.

TED: WHAT KIND OF JOBS INVOLVED?

>> OVER 2,000 JOBS, NOT INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION JOBS GOING ON.

OVER 2,000 JOBS PLANNED FOR THE LOCATION.

TED: WHAT KIND OF JOBS?

JOBS THAT ARE SUSTAINED THROUGH THE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

EVERYTHING FROM PEOPLE DOING THE PROCESSING THEMSELVES, SO ALL THE WAY UP TO ENGINEERING AND PLANNING.

TED: WHEN IT COMES TO THE SEMICONDUCTOR SUPPLY CHAIN WHICH IS A BIG DEAL AROUND HERE, AND A BIG DEAL AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> MASSIVE FACTORY.

TED: WHAT DOES THIS DO?

>> IT ADDS TO WHAT I WOULD CLASSIFY AS THE TSMC BUMP.

ADDING THE SIX FABS, HOPEFULLY BUILD MORE IN THE FUTURE.

THE SIX FABS THAT ARE PLANNED.

THIS ADDS TWO FABS TO THE SPECIFIC AREA TO DO THE PACKAGING FOR THIS.

THE AMKOR SITE WILL BE THE LARGEST ADVANCED PACKAGING COMPANY INSIDE THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.

TED: THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT TSMC?

>> IT DOESN'T.

IT REALLY TOOK THE CITY EMPLOYEES TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

WE TOOK A LOT OF GRIEF OVER IT AND RIGHTLY SO, I CAN UNDERSTAND.

BUT THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITY AND RIGHT THING FOR THE STATE.

TED: WHAT KIND OF GRIEF?

THE OPPOSITION, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

>> BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS WITH THE STATE LAND DEAL AND BECAUSE OF THE AUCTION PROCESS, WE DID NOT TELL EVERY SINGLE DETAIL THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, WE COULDN'T, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE HAD OTHER PEOPLE ENTER THE AUCTION.

I TOOK A LOT OF HITS FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND WE STAYED THE COURSE TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITY, LONG TERM.

TED: 46.7 MILLION?

>> YES.

TED: HOW IS IT PAID?

>> WE'RE PAYING IT AS WE ACQUIRE THE LAND ITSELF, AND OVERALL PROCESS, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY GOING IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, SO PART OF THIS IS WE GET UP TO $500 MILLION OF REIMBURSED INFRASTRUCTURE.

FIRST TIME IN THE STATE'S HISTORY MUNICIPALITY AND A STATE LAND DEAL HAS DONE THAT, BUT WE'RE USING TAX DOLLARS TO FUND THAT AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS FUNDING THAT AND THAT GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS.

TED: LIKE 10% DOWN AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

>> YES, SIR.

TED: LET'S GO BACK TO THE INNOVATION CORE.

WHERE IS THIS?

HOW BIG IS THIS?

WHAT ARE THE PLANS?

>> MASSIVE.

7,000 TOTAL ACRES.

ABOUT 6200 OF IT IS DEVELOPABLE, ALTOGETHER.

OUT OF THE 6200 ACRES OR 7,000, WHAT THIS ALLOWS US TO DO IS GO AFTER EVER SINGLE COMPANY THAT IS A SUBCONTRACTOR TO TSMC AND TRY TO HELP WORK IN THE AREA.

RIGHT NOW 85% OF OUR CITIZENS LEAVE THE CITY OF PEORIA TO WORK SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEY'RE TRAVELING 35 MINUTES, 45 MINUTES ONE WAY, SO AN HOUR AND A HALF, TO TRAVEL ON A DAILY BASIS.

OVER 250, 300 HOURS A YEAR THAT FAMILIES ARE TRAVELING.

OUR JOB AS CITY LEADERSHIP IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BRINGING THOSE JOBS AND REHOME OUR OWN EMPLOYEES TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILIES, SPEND MORE DOLLARS IN THEIR OWN CITY AND HAVE A BETTER LIFESTYLE.

TED: YOU TALK ABOUT JOBS AND SUSTAINABLE JOBS, YOU NEED CERTAIN TRAINING WHEN WALKING A PREFAB FACILITY.

>> WHICH IS WHY WEST MEK IS IMPORTANT.

TED: THIS IS AN ACCELERATOR FOR OTHER THINGS.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?

>> IT IS.

IT ACCELERATES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN AND OUR FUTURE.

THAT'S WHY WE WERE ABLE TO EASILY RECRUIT WEST MEK AND HONORHEALTH.

WEST MEK WATCHED THE PROGRAM TO ENTER OUR STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE INTO THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY.

SAME THING WITH THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY AS WELL.

THAT'S WHY WE CAPTURED HONORHEALTH IN THE LAND SWAP.

THE FUTURE OF -- IF WE WANT TO KEEP OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS AT HOME AND ENEMIES AT BAY, WE NEED TO REHOME THESE INDUSTRIES THAT MAKE SURE OUR CELL PHONES AND TECHNOLOGY IS DRIVEN HERE.

WE SAW THAT DURING COVID.

YOU TALKED ABOUT ASPECTS WHEN IT COMES TO VACCINES, EVERYTHING HAS A CHIP IN IT.

TED: TIMETABLE FOR AMAND/OR WEST MEK?

>> WE SIGN THE DEAL ON THE 27th, 28th THEY MOVE EQUIPMENT.

FOLLOWING MONDAY GROUND STARTS MOVING.

ON OCTOBER 6, WE HAVE THE OFFICIAL GROUNDBREAKING, WE'RE MOVING DIRT THE OFFICIAL DAY.

RIGHT AFTER THE SEMICONDUCTOR EVENT ON THE 7th.

WE'LL LOOK AT TWO YEAR HORIZON TO PUT BODIES OUT THERE.

WEST MEK AND HONORHEALTH, WE HOPE THEY START CONSTRUCTION IN THE NEXT SIX OR NINE MONTHS.

TED: MAYOR BECK, A LOT OF THINGS MOVING IN PEORIA.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU, SIR.

.

TED: RESIDENTS OF PHOENIX'S WILLO NEIGHBORHOOD BE FIGHTING AGAINST A NEW LAW THAT YOU SAY COULD DESTROY THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD'S HISTORIC HOMES.

THE LAW ALLOWS DUPLEXES, TRIPLEXES AND TOWNHOMES TO BE BUILT ON SINGLE FAMILY LOTS AND AREAS WITH 75,000 OR MORE PEOPLE.

OPAL WAGNER IS CO-CHAIR OF THE SAVE HISTORIC AZ.

WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, TED.

TED: THE WILLO NEIGHBORHOOD IS WHERE?

>> WILLO IS MIDTOWN PHOENIX NORTH OF DOWNTOWN, BUT RUNS FROM McDOWELL UP TO THOMAS AND FIRST AVENUE TO 7th AVENUE.

TED: BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THERE, HISTORIC HOMES, A SPECIAL PLACE FOR A LONG TIME.

THIS LAW WOULD POSSIBLY DO WHAT TO THAT SPECIAL PLACE?

>> WELL, THE LAW, WHICH WAS PASSED AS HOUSE BILL 2721 ACTUALLY IS A HUGE CHANGE FOR ZONING TO OUR AREA OF CENTRAL PHOENIX, AND WHAT IT ALLOWS IS MIDDLE HOUSING IS UP TO A FOURPLEX ON LOTS THAT ARE ZONED FOR SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES ONLY.

TED: AND THE IDEA, WE TALKED ABOUT IT MANY TIMES ON THE SHOW HERE.

THERE IS A LACK OF HOUSING IN ARIZONA, LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE PHOENIX AREA, THIS IS ONE WAY TO ATTACK THAT.

DO THE PROPONENTS HAVE A POINT?

>> THEY DO HAVE A POINT, TED, AND THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT ARIZONA DOES HAVE A PRETTY SEVERE HOUSING SHORTAGE AT THIS TIME.

WE FEEL AS THOUGH WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT IN CENTRAL AREA OF PHOENIX.

PHOENIX HAS 15 URBAN VILLAGES AND OUR VILLAGES ARE THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED IN PHOENIX, AND WE HAVE ALSO HAVE APPROVED OR RECOMMENDED MANY, MANY HOUSING PROJECTS, MIDDLE HOUSING AND HIGH-DENSITY HOUSING IN OUR AREA ALREADY, AND WE FEEL AS THOUGH WE CAN HAVE THE DENSITY AND MAINTAIN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT.

TED: HOW BIG ARE THE PROPERTIES IN THE WILLO DISTRICT?

>> AVERAGE LOT SIZE OF 6500 TO 7,000 SQUARE FEET.

TED: THAT'S NOT A LOT OF SPACE.

>> IT IS NOT.

IT IS NOT VERY LARGE COMPARED TO SOME OF THE LOTS AND HOME SIZES IN MOST OF PHOENIX, WE'RE SMALLER THAN THAT.

TED: IS IT BIG ENOUGH TO ADD ADDITIONAL HOUSING THAT CAN HOUSE HUMAN BEINGS INSTEAD OF A DOG HOUSE?

>> IT COULD, IF THE HISTORIC HOMES WERE TORN DOWN, YOU CAN BUILD A FOURPLEX, IF IT'S TWO ON TOP OF TWO.

TED: THE IDEA OF MESSING IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT WITH A HISTORIC HOME, MY EXPERIENCE ALONG THOSE LINES, WHAT I HEARD CERTAINLY, IS THAT YOU GOT TO JUMP THROUGH A LOT OF HOOPS AND HURTLES TO TOUCH A HISTORIC HOME AND ESPECIALLY IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, ARE YOU SAYING YOU COULD BLADE THESE PLACES?

>> YES, THERE ARE HOOPS AND HURTLES, A DEVELOPER WHO WANTED TO DO THIS WOULD HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH.

THERE IS A DEMOLITION HOLD FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES, ONCE THE DEMOLITION HOLD IS GONE, THERE IS NO FURTHER PROTECTION FROM SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BLADE THE LAW AND BUILD A FOURPLEX.

TED: WOULDN'T THERE BE A RAFT OF PERMITTING NEEDED?

>> THERE WILL BE PERMITTING DONE.

THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THE LAW STATES THIS IS BY RIGHT.

IF SOMEONE WANTS TO BUILD A FOURPLEX ON A HISTORIC HOME REPORT, IT IS BY RIGHT, SO IT BYPASSES THE LAWS IN PLACE CURRENTLY.

TED: NEIGHBORS SAY THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT WORTH OF MY HOME, THE REAL ESTATE PRICE, ALL OF THAT?

>> EXACTLY.

EXACTLY.

YES, THIS IS SURPRISING TO US TOO, BUT THE STATE LEGISLATURE BECAUSE OF THIS HOUSING CRISIS, USED PREEMPTION, WE.

ING CITY CODES AND ZONING ORDINANCES.

IT'S A WHOLE NEW LEARNING CURVE FOR US.

>> HOUR YOU DEALING WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE?

>> WE ARE HOPING TO GET THE MIDDLE HOUSING LOT TWEAKED TO OFFER EXEMPTION FOR RESORTIC DISTRICT.

WE HOPE TO WELCOME MORE ARIZONANS WITHOUT TEARING DOWN HOMES IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.

TED: TAKE THE OTHER SIDE, WHY SHOULDN'T PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO BUILD MIDDLE HOUSING ON PROPERTY THAT ISN'T ALLOWED OR ENCOURAGEED?

>> THERE REALLY IS NOTHING LIKE IT.

PEOPLE WORK VERY HARD, STARTING IN 40+ YEARS AGO TO PRESERVE THEM, AND THE CITY OF PHOENIX THOUGHT THEY WERE WELL WORTH PRESERVING AND PUT SPECIAL PLANNING DISTRICTS IN PLACE TO DO THAT.

SO THE HOMES ARE SPECIAL.

WE SEE A LOT OF HOMES TODAY THAT ARE, YOU GO INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL HOMES BUT LOOK SOMEWHAT ALIKE, VERY COOKIE CUTTER.

WHEN YOU COME TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, WE HAVE ARCHITECTURAL STYLES OF ALL DIFFERENT TYPES, LOT OF DIFFERENT BUILDERS AND ARCHITECTS AND PEOPLE LOVE COMING IN.

WHEN I HAVE VISITORS, PEOPLE SAY I LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THE HOMES ARE DIFFERENT.

TED: LAWMAKERS SAY I LOVE THE IDEA OF MAKING HOUSING MORE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE AND THIS IS A TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX.

>> YOU'RE RIGHT.

IT IS ONE TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX.

THE LEGISLATURE GAVE US A BIG TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX THAT WAS PASSED AROUND THE SAME TIME IN 2024, AND THAT IS A GREAT SOLUTION FOR ADDING DENSITY TO HISTORIC DISTRICTS BECAUSE YOU CAN BUILD AN ADU IN YOUR BACKYARD, SUBORDINANT TO THE HISTORIC HOME AND YOU WILL WALK DOWN THE STREET AND SEE LOVELY HISTORIC HOMES AND NEVER KNEW THERE WERE R-1 OR R-2ADUs IN THE BACKYARD.

THAT IS A WAY OF ADDING COMPATIBILITY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE.

TED: THIS ISN'T AS MUCH AS NO BLADING?

>> WE'RE NOT NIM BEE, WE FEEL WE HAVE WELCOMED A LOT OF NEIGHBORS IN.

WE ARE NEIGHBORS FOR MORE NEIGHBORS, AND THIS IS JUST ASKING THE STATE LEGISLATURE, GIVE US A LITTLE CARVEOUT TO SAVE OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS.

TED: OPAL WAGNER, SAVE HISTORIC AZ CO-CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

TED: AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.