The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has approved Ordinance 2025-04, amending the Zoning and Development Code to address Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). The decision, made on December 17, brings the county’s regulations in line with House Bill 2928, a law passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Governor Hobbs on May 23, 2025.
House Bill 2928 requires all counties in Arizona to allow ADUs on residential properties. The law limits restrictions that local governments can place on these units. This requirement is mandatory for all counties.
To access the presentation about Accessory Dwelling Units given to the Board of Supervisors, residents can visit the Agenda Center at https://santacruzcoaz.portal.civicclerk.com/event/272/files/attachment/7749. The December 17 meeting where this was discussed is available on the Santa Cruz County YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSh0AFO6jWs&t=6153s.
Recent data from Santa Cruz County show ongoing challenges in education. In the 2022-23 school year, 74.4% of students in grades three through eight did not pass the mathematics section of the AASA exam (https://www.azed.gov/), while 84% of high schoolers failed the mathematics section of the ACT (https://www.azed.gov/). For English, 66.4% of students in grades three through eight did not pass the AASA English section (https://www.azed.gov/) and 72% of high schoolers did not pass English on the ACT (https://www.azed.gov/). More recently, during the 2023-24 school year, there were improvements: 18% of high school students passed mathematics on the ACT (https://www.azed.gov/) and 23.6% of third to eighth graders passed mathematics on the AASA exam (https://www.azed.gov/).
