By Ronald Sampson
Photo Credit: scottsdale.org
When it comes to a city like Scottsdale, where there are precious few issues to complain about, the silliest and smallest things sometimes get elevated to crisis mode. We all need something to talk about, after all. And one of the silliest pseudo-scandals in recent memory is now getting new life and a public hearing.
Behold, Scottsdale’s latest urban drama: the proposed $1.6 million parking garage in Old Town, or what was deemed “ParkingGate”. Because nothing says “historic charm” like a two-story concrete monolith near a 15-year-old farmers market, Mayor Borowsky proposed a design by developer David Hovey Jr., one that he purportedly made as a favor and had no interest in developing, since his projects usually have a dollar amount with a couple extra zeroes at the end. But since he was a supporter of Borowsky and she has some enemies on council, the gloves came off and quite the battle ensued.
City Council’s February 11 meeting was a real page-turner, featuring debates over aesthetics, necessity, and the potential displacement of local vendors. Mayor Lisa Borowsky, channeling her inner preservationist, suggested a 30-day pause to explore alternatives that wouldn’t bulldoze community staples. Meanwhile, residents were split—some envisioning a parking utopia, others questioning the need when existing garages sit emptier than a desert mirage.
The city has since swooped in and decided that sunlight was necessary as a disinfectant for council infighting, and so on Wednesday morning there will be a public meeting about this potential project, an airing of grievances if you will. Battle lines are already drawn, with a group named Citizens for Preserving Our History has placed ads in the Scottsdale Progress stating that the proposed project “will obscure the historic Old Adobe Mission,” displace a farmers market. Standard NIMBYism or the battle between the Mayor and Council going in a new direction? Tough to tell at this point, but one thing that is clear is that nearly anything that happens in Council will turn into a fight.
The saga continues, as Scottsdale grapples with balancing growth and its quaint identity. On its face it’s all so incredibly silly, as much of this year has been in the city. But other cities have real problems, and we wage war over parking structures like we’re the movie Mean Girls was written into the city charter, so things could be worse I guess.
Stay tuned for the next episode of “Parking Wars: Old Town Edition.”