Government Matchmakers: What if Scottsdale Followed Japan’s Lead?

For all the single people out there, would you like your government to help you find a mate? We’re going to garner a guess that nearly 100% of the responses would range from “No!” to “Hell no!”. But that is precisely what parts of Japan are doing to help stem their population decline due to low birth rates. Scottsdale has … Read More

Out with the Old (and affordable) and In with the New (and upscale) in Scottsdale

Scottsdale is a city of incredible amenities, but of course that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. One complaint that many residents have around the Old Town area is that it’s a relative food desert; as in, there are relatively few supermarket issues in the area. Therefore it was rather disheartening to hear that one of the few options, the Fry’s at … Read More

Don’t Let the Door Hit You…

We have spoken at length about Axon’s unwanted attempts to shoehorn a staggering nearly 2,000 apartments into North Scottsdale; about the apparent bait-and-switch that it pulled with both the city and the Arizona State Land Department, and its aggressive dismissal of the concerns of the area (get up to date here). Well Axon recently announced its quarterly financial results, and … Read More

BOMBSHELL REPORT: What is the REAL Axon?

You are probably aware of the complete mess that Axon put itself in recently with its outrageous plan to dramatically alter zoning laws in order to put up some 2,000 apartments in an area that doesn’t want them and can’t support them (get up to date here). While on its face this attempt is bad enough, a recent bombshell report … Read More

Guest Editorial: Scottsdale’s Allure: Negotiating Exceptional Development

By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead Scottsdale’s world class status can be attributed to our multi-generational commitment to preservation and design excellence in our built environment. The Waterfront, pictured above, showcases both priorities. In 2003, Mayor Mary Manross and the Council approved the project. By trading height for public open space, the approval transformed vacant, blighted land into one of Scottsdale’s most … Read More

Why is Banner Health Looking to Short-Change Arizona? A Story of Zoning Chicanery

The world of zoning rules and regulations can be arcane, byzantine, and frankly…boring. That said, there are times when it truly matters, as it can impact quality of life both locally and for the entire state. A couple of recent developments demonstrate exactly how, and how some of our potential business neighbors may not be the best of neighbors. A … Read More

Is Low Growth Here to Stay in Scottsdale?

It has been no secret that the current make-up of the Scottsdale City Council has been what could be called “growth hesitant”; that there is a concerted effort to focus on what are deemed to be unimpeachably high-quality projects to the detriment of overall growth. We have labeled them “the Council of No” before, where they sometimes seem to look … Read More

Guest Editorial: SB1432 – A Win for Scottsdale, Rio Verde Foothills Residents, and Arizona

By Councilmember Solange Whitehead This past week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB1432 into law with an emergency clause. The bipartisan bill creates a path to water security for Rio Verde Foothills residents. I discussed the new law with Mark Brodie on KJZZ’s The Show this week.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A8w7hlBdFg In passing the law, the State ends a water crisis created in part by … Read More

Guest Editorial: Public Safety is the City’s Job

By Councilmember Solange Whitehead The City’s foremost responsibility is public safety. Scottsdale has over 1,000-lane miles and our traffic engineers are tasked with improving traffic flow and keeping those using the roads safe. Over the past few weeks, residents have written with concerns about road diets because the language in the Transportation Action Plan is ambiguous, there are no timelines, … Read More