There is more than an undercurrent in the business community, within and outside Scottsdale, as to whether future investments in the city are worth the perceived political challenges spawned by November’s election results.
Some of the concerns are not misplaced, but as we have opined before the Scottsdale City Council that is seated on January 12th should be given more than a chance in this regard.
Last night, there were encouraging signs.
Yes, Councilmembers Kathy Littlefield and Solange Whitehead voted against the Scottsdale Collection, a request to redevelop in and around the bar district at Scottsdale and Camelback Roads. But the dissent was more procedural than on the merits. Each, along with Councilwoman-Elect Betty Janik, wanted the new City Council to rule on the project. While their efforts were rejected as a 4-3 majority decided to approve the Collection it’s what happened next that was noteworthy, and in keeping with the governing style of Whitehead and Littlefield.
Immediately following the vote on the Collection there was another zoning request to allow slightly more height for The Palmeraie, a retail and residential experience adjacent to the new Ritz-Carlton straddling Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, now under construction. The height was requested for the first in the nation Fendi Residences. Fendi is, of course, one of the world’s great fashion brands and that they have selected a site in Scottsdale to project says a lot about the Scottsdale brand.
Littlefield and Whitehead got it, along with every other councilmember except Guy Phillips. It surely helped that no one spoke against the project at Planning Commission or City Council and that public support was very strong. Still, Littlefield and Whitehead rejected the argument proffered by new Planning Commissioner Barry Graham during that hearing criticizing a little more height at the location.
As the business community tries to decipher what happened in Scottsdale, and what will in the coming years, the sagacity of Whitehead and Littlefield is encouraging. They will have at least two more years on City Council and will be favored to stay longer if they decide to run for re-election, which we hope they will. And their discerning votes last night are in keeping with the way each has voted on key cases over the past two years. They can’t be pigeon-holed into the no-growth camp. And in so doing they may have sent a key message that Scottsdale may be more discriminating in future years, but it won’t be too operose either.