[Source: Jahna Berry, Arizona Republic] — City officials want to change the 37-year-old rules that cap building heights near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The plan, which will go before the planning commission on Wednesday and possibly to the City Council in June, would cap the size of future buildings at 700 feet in some areas and as low as 200 feet in others — depending on how close they are to the airport.
The proposed rules are unlikely to affect landowners anytime soon, city officials say, because the proposed limits are much higher than what people can build under city rules now. The change is a safeguard against future proposals taller than what is envisioned right now, they say. While some owners support the zoning plan others worry the change could bring more airport noise to their neighborhoods. The proposed changes involve thousands of properties — the airport has sent nearly 60,000 notices to landowners. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]