East & West Valley Expansion Raises Traffic Concerns as State Lawmakers Eye Limits on Local Control

State 48 News investigates how controversial legislation could shift more power to the state, potentially making growth-related challenges more difficult from Scottsdale to Goodyear.

In Scottsdale, resistance to new apartment projects is nothing new—it’s practically part of the landscape. But this week, that familiar tension collided with something bigger: state lawmakers unanimously advancing legislation allowing Arizona to override local zoning rules for apartment developments under certain conditions.

This comes just days after State 48 News aired an exclusive interview with Arizona Rep. Joseph Chaplik, who weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding Axon’s push to build apartments—and the proposed state law which could strip residents of their power to push back.

While Scottsdale debates luxury apartments and state preemption, a very different kind of growth pressure is building on the opposite side of the Valley.

On the west side sits one of America’s fastest-growing cities—Goodyear. Here, the stakes are different. At 15% built out, residents have been voicing growing concerns over expanding development… of apartments, warehouses, and data centers.

Now, wit…