The Hypocrisy of One Scottsdale Preservationist Toward A Wright House Gone Wrong

Preservation of Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountains is one of the finest accomplishments by any municipality in the nation over the past two decades.
Resident John Nichols was a part of those efforts.  He is to be commended.
His recent effort via an Arizona Republic letter to editor supporting the David Wright House in Arcadia and deriding critics as “NIMBYs” is not to be commended.
You see, Nichols and his friends rightfully insisted that preservation of the McDowells be just that.  In other words, protect the critters, the land and don’t permit commercialization.  He was right then. He is right now.
Recently, the Nichols-like constituency in north Scottsdale rallied to condemn an effort to relocate Greasewood Flat, a revered bar, on PRIVATE property just OUTSIDE the preserve boundary.
Yet, Nichols now has the audacity to suggest that the forest of signs dotting the lawns of Arcadia homeowners not wanting  a pending abuse of Wright House preservation into something more akin to Celebrity Theater is “NIMBYism?!”  Please.  
How would Mr. Nichols feel if his next door neighbor, or one down the street didn’t just want to preserve land or home but use it as an excuse to gain a concert venue, wine bar and other extraordinary commercial rights?
How would he feel about creating a wedding venue in the preserve?  Or an amphitheater?
These are rhetorical questions of course for we already know the answers.
Actually, we don’t mean to be too critical of Mr. Nichols.  In many ways he is right about his attitude toward the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, just as residents in Arcadia and Phoenix are about the precedent of allowing homeowners to engage in unprecedented commercial activity.  Neither are NIMBYs.  They are just exhibiting prudence.