As reported here, Axon is plotting to bring its highly controversial and widely opposed plan to build the largest apartment complex in Scottsdale history back to the lame-duck Scottsdale City Council following the November 5thelection. The units would adjoin its previously pledged and approved corporate headquarters.
Axon clearly believes it has the best chance to secure 4 (or 5 votes if a Major General Plan Amendment is needed) with the current council and not the reconstituted one that will be seated in January.
This is where it gets really interesting.
If Axon somehow finds a way to get 4 or 5 votes in November/December despite polling showing Scottsdale voters opposing the Axon plan by nearly 80% a citizen’s referendum is possible if not likely. If the Axon plan goes to a city-wide vote it loses. Period.
And this is where recent history is instructive.
After the 4-3 council approval of Southbridge II in Old Town a few years back a successful referendum was launched. The developer knew he was likely to lose – and he had far better polling numbers than Axon – so he asked the City Council to rescind its approval rather than face the voters. The previous council Yes votes did so fearing the backlash at the ballot box. But in that case approval and rescission was done by the SAME council.
But in Axon’s case were the requisite signatures to be collected for said referendum the NEW council – many of whom have been highly critical of more apartments – would be the ones deciding to rescind. It would not be a foregone conclusion that would occur. For various reasons a majority of the new council may want to have the citizen’s weigh in on the enormous apartment plan.
And there would be nothing Axon could do about it. A proud, public company would be left flapping in the wind, facing the worst issue loss in Scottsdale history, making the lopsided 2018 defeat of the Desert Discovery Center look like a nail biter.
Unknown is what impact that defeat would have on Axon’s stock price and its shareholders, which has been on a tear lately.
Axon’s entire effort has been as poorly managed as it is unjustifiable. The soap opera it has become – even at times allegedly threatening the jobs of the city public servants – could get even more interesting, if that’s possible.