Despite shocking intimidation tactics from Axon, a record number of referendum petition signatures, more than 25,000 have been submitted to place on the ballot a massive, unwanted and unneeded apartment project near Hayden and the 101. The signatures were turned in Saturday December 21st at Scottsdale City Hall. Petition organizers were joined by elected and leaders including Scottsdale City Councilman Barry Graham, Scottsdale City Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield, and Scottsdale businessman Bob Pejman. Incoming Scottsdale Councilwoman Dubauskas, who collected ten pages of petition signatures, could not attend the event because of a family commitment. Incoming Scottsdale City Councilman Adam Kwasman also supports the petition drive but cannot attend a Saturday event (Shabbat).
Seeking to make a fast buck off land it got on the cheap from the State of Arizona, Axon tried to pull a bait and switch and sought to get land intended for its new headquarters rezoned to include a nearly 1900 multi-family units, in addition to its previously approved headquarters. At nearly 1,900 units, the apartment entitlement appears to be the largest in Arizona history. If Axon gets its way, Scottsdale will have the unfortunate distinction of being home to TWO of the largest apartment complexes in Arizona. Optima McDowell Mountain Village tips the scales at more than 1,300 units and would fall to second place.
Surprisingly, Phoenix lags behind Scottsdale in setting such infamous records. Vaseo Apartments at 7th Street and Greenway has 1,222 units. Maryvale’s Del Mar Terrance has 1,012 units.
Axon would make hundreds of millions from the unwanted project that was never mentioned when it bought the property. The renderings it has provided (pictured above) look more like a landscaped prison than apartments.
Throughout the process Axon has been using strong arm intimidation tactics to keep people
from signing petitions. The company hired a legion of “Petition Blockers” who have been harassing signers and circulators to prevent a vote of the people. Scottsdale voters have borne witness to the bullying over the past month.
Intimidation seems to be part of Axon’s playbook. The company is threatening to leave Scottsdale if it doesn’t get its way. It also recently threatened the job of a Scottsdale Planning and Zoning Commissioner who had opposed the rezoning.
After a lame duck city council voted in favor of this zoning change, Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions, or TAAAZE, launched a petition drive and in a matter of weeks collected more than 25,000 signatures, well above the 15,000 City of Scottsdale says is required. In fact, TAAAZE believes the actual number required is about 6,500 (based on the 2022 election) as the Scottsdale City Council affirmed the rezoning before the 2024 election was canvassed. Fewer voters mean fewer signatures required as far less people cast ballots in 2022 compared to 2024. In an abundance of caution, TAAAZE sought to collect the higher number and then some.
Opposition to Axon’s plans crosses political lines with both conservative and liberal citizens and groups lending support. The right and the left may not agree on much, but they do agree Axon’s plans are wrong for Scottsdale. Opponents hail from the neighborhood surrounding the project as well as neighborhoods all over Scottsdale who won’t be bullied.
TAAAZE Chairman and former City Councilman Bob Littlefield said, “To be clear, TAAAZE is not opposed to Axon building a new headquarters in Scottsdale. That’s what was originally promised and that’s what was originally approved. But if keeping Axon in Scottsdale means capitulating to bullying tactics and the largest apartment complex in city history, that’s not going to happen. Now that this hugely unpopular proposal will be on the ballot in November 2026, Axon will learn the hard way what happens when you try to push around the people of Scottsdale.”
To learn more go to www.ProtectOurScottsdale.com.