Chandler planners see new homes, subdivisions on horizon

For the first time since housing prices collapsed, zoning requests for new Chandler subdivisions are coming in to city planning offices - a sign that the worst of the residential real estate meltdown is over, officials say. Three subdivisions - all in the southern part of the city - are the first to make their way to zoning hearings in about three years, said planner Erik Swanson, who is overseeing two of the requests. It is still uncertain when houses will go up on acreage that has languished during the recession. "We're not out of the woods yet," Swanson said. "Homebuilders are competing with foreclosures and houses that are empty. They constantly have to rework themselves to compete in that business." Before the recession, buyers gravitated toward new homes. Now they can buy a "slightly used" home for considerably less, he said. The latest Chandler subdivision proposals also mark a change in platting and housing style that meets market demand for more affordable living. One - Autumn Park - is for 99 tract homes on 36 acres southwest of Riggs Road and 116th Street. Three years ago, the land was zoned for the upscale Galileo Piazza and 38 custom homes. "Custom homes are harder to sell these days," Swanson said.

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