By TAAAZE (Taxpayers Against Awful Apartmentment Zoning Exemptions)
(Scottsdale, Ariz.) Senate Bill 1352 has been stopped in its tracks at the Arizona State Senate. The bill could have canceled a November 2026 Scottsdale election challenging Axon’s rezoning proposal to build some 1,900 multi-family units near Hayden and the 101 and allow the rezoning to stand. That rezoning is believed to be the largest apartment entitlement in terms of units built in Arizona history.
The legislation would have prevented voters in any Arizona, city, town, or county from referring rezoning decisions made by local governments to the ballot, robbing residents of the right to preserve their quality of life.
A number of elected leaders came out against SB 1352, including District 3 State Representative Joseph Chaplik whose district includes Scottsdale.
On February 14th he made the following post on X:
“The Axon Lobbyist Bill is dead in the AZ Senate. This is a HUGE WIN for #Scottsdale voters. Senate Pres. Petersen has assured me it will not move an inch further. I will keep working for my constituents to ensure it isn’t revived. I know my home city and want what the residents want. Thank you to everyone in Scottsdale who helped spread the word that they continue to oppose this project, no matter who tries to ram it through.”
Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions or TAAAZE is leading the effort to oppose the unwanted apartment proposal and led the petition drive that placed it on the ballot. A random sample projection of those signatures, certified by the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, estimates more than 19 thousand valid signatures were submitted. The city claims about 15 thousand are needed to get on the ballot.
TAAZE Chairman Bob Littlefield said, “While all of us here at TAAAZE worked tirelessly to make this happen the real credit goes to all of you, Scottsdale citizens, who contacted your legislators to urge them to support your right to vote on the Axon rezoning and any other controversial or unpopular rezoning decision. This bill would have gutted constitutional rights Arizonans have enjoyed since statehood. It was an outrageous attempt to eliminate the rights of every Scottsdale resident and indeed of every Arizonan all for the sake of their 1,900 apartments, the biggest entitlement in state history. This should infuriate anyone who values our constitutional rights.”
TAAAZE also engaged former Arizona State Lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita to spread the word in opposition to SB 1352. Ugenti-Rita represented Scottsdale for 12 years while serving in the Arizona House and Senate.
Littlefield said he still supports Axon’s previously approved plans to build its new corporate headquarters in Scottsdale. He just doesn’t think it should be tied to a massive apartment complex that Axon later attached to the project.
When Axon bought the property from the Arizona Land Department, it was not zoned for apartments and Axon gave no indication it planned to build apartments on the site. Axon stands to make a nine-figure windfall profit if its ‘bait and switch’ rezoning attempt is allowed to stand. Littlefield added, “Should the unthinkable happen and this project moves forward, Axon should pay the State of Arizona State some nine figures more for ripping off the Arizona State Land Trust, which funds public schools.
To learn more, go to www.ProtectOurScottsdale.com.