By Lincoln Shea
Axon’s request to rezone part of its 76-acre Scottsdale campus, near Hayden and the 101, to make way for 1,975 apartments could ground any hopes of expanding Scottsdale’s airport.
The Scottsdale Airport is a significant contributor to the local economy, providing an upscale option for tourists flying into the Valley. It facilitates convenient freight service for the growing businesses at the Scottsdale Airpark. Scottsdale is updating its Airport Master Plan to make sure the airport “stays ahead of industry changes and meets future demand.” Preparing for growth figures prominently in the update.
Meanwhile, Axon wants to upsize its Scottsdale proposed campus, located a short distance from the airport, from a corporate hub to one inclusive of nearly 2,000 apartments too.
But Axon’s profit would be the Scottsdale Airport’s loss.
Existing noise issues were a primary reason for the Scottsdale Airport Advisory Commission unanimously voting to oppose Axon’s apartment request at its January meeting. Thousands of new residents living so close to the airport would generate a tidal wave of complaints. And that could ground any hopes of expanding the airport.
Here’s an excerpt from the minutes of the January 17th Airport Commission meeting:
“Commissioner (John) Spalj commented that the largest volume of noise complaints regarding the Airport in one year totaled approximately 16,000, with 1,450 last year 1,900 the year prior and the addition of 4,000 additional residents in close proximity is a significant concern.”
Axon’s CEO, Rick Smith, is threatening to leave town if the Scottsdale City doesn’t capitulate to his outrageous demands. That could slightly impact the local economy. But imagine the impact if Axon gets its way, which would prevent needed airport growth from getting off the ground.
Is catering to petulance really worth clipping the wings of Scottsdale’s airport?
The first public meeting on updating the Airport Master Plan is October 29th. Here’s a link for additional details.