|
3
<br />E·12 Wed., Jan. 4, 1984 'i'he PhOenix Gazette
<br />Reporter goes out on a limb
<br />with predi,ctions for 1 84
<br />By Rusty Foley
<br />Gazette Southeast Bureau
<br />· SCOTISDALE -Perched out on a limb to predict
<br />· the unfoldings of 1984, we find few earth-shaking
<br />observations. '
<br />: Much of what will happen in '84 is all too·
<br />predictable. Not that it doesn't hold import for many
<br />years to come, but it simply will not be too surprising.
<br />: You might say we hold these sooths to ·be self-
<br />~vident:
<br />. : • The Downtown Plan may be dead by. the end of
<br />1984 unless it regains community support and a way is
<br />found to fund it.
<br />: : What had been an overwhelming consensus in favor
<br />of the Downtown Plan in April had come apart at the
<br />$'earns by December.
<br />; • The siren songs of the destruction came from so
<br />many corners that the City Council decided to shelve
<br />the plan for awhile. , .
<br />·· • : : If the plan does survive the year, we see drastic
<br />· changes to its street-system portion.
<br />It will snow for Christmas in Scottsdale before we see
<br />.· a:. five-lane Civic Center Plaza bisecting the world-
<br />i'enowned Scottsdale Mall.
<br />:,: If the city sticks with the couplet plan (dual,
<br />eastside-westside five-lane roads to draw traffic off
<br />Scottsdale Road), the east leg will be Hinton Avenue
<br />east of the library and City Hall.
<br />. • '!'here will be some adjustment in building-height
<br />limits to promote building downtown, City officials
<br />probably will be able to sell most of the community and
<br />the council on some modifications of the zoning
<br />··ordinance. There still will be no high-rises or even
<br />·. midrises, merely an adjustment in select parts to a
<br />maximum of 60 feet.
<br />. • Mayor Herb Drinkwater will bury opponent Bob
<br />Field in a landslide despite Field's surprise appearance
<br />as opposition for the mayor. I ··-· .
<br />) However, Field and at least three other "anti-
<br />,establishment" candidates could generate some useful
<br />discussion if they succeed in articulating an alleged
<br />. element of disillusionment with City Hall.
<br />·Heat has been caused by the north area annexations,
<br />·the Downtown Plan and concern over maintaining the
<br />c;ity's master plan. As a result, the campaign for
<br />:Drinkwater and incumbent Councilman Jim Bruner
<br />, ,l ~ill be tougher than might have been predicted a year
<br />ago.
<br />Their campaign workers -undeniably "establish-
<br />ment" --. will find themselves· stumping more
<br />vigorously than they've had too in many years.
<br />They will prevail,. however, and the winners of the
<br />two seats being vacated. by Jeff Schubert and Charlie
<br />Smith probably will be cut from similar cloth.
<br />• We wouldn't be surprised if United Cable .Co.
<br />'executives are just biding their time until they can find·
<br />a buyer for the Scottsdale system. City officials will'
<br />continue dealing with the Denver-based company,
<br />wli:id1 has been so recalcitrant about fulfilling the more'
<br />costly provisions of its contract with the city.
<br />. ,)f UtJited is planning to sell, it had bett.er.~peed ~p·
<br />its age~~~· ~ow~ver, ~~cil~~e c!tY officials will go
<br />t~.ro~gn with their threatened license-revocation pro-.
<br />cee~mg~
<br />. It. that happens; it will be Scottsdale, not the
<br />company, who decides who gets the next cable license
<br />jn the city. , " ·.
<br />--~------~~--~·
<br />B-2 Wed., Jan. 18, 1984 OMST
<br />lllt::IIIIIIIIIIID*•+n'zt=:•=malll!l.'l¥s~alllll:lllllllallllllllllfl:l:!lllllll-----~~--·! , I.,
<br />Comm¢ntary ·' I
<br />o The Scottsdale Unified School District will have
<br />little trouble gaining vot'er approval to seek a long-terin
<br />lease on the Scottsdale f!igh School property. We were
<br />right on the money when we suggested that Scottsdale
<br />High, not Arcadia, would be targeted for closure. Sure
<br />'enough, the venerable 62-year-old school is shuttered.
<br />. Debate, however, continues over whether the original
<br />school -the "300 Building" -will be preserved.
<br />Citizens pressing for preservation may want further·
<br />assurances that the board will not allow the 300
<br />Building to be leveled~ The school board will pa8s that
<br />political hot potato 1 to city planning and 'zoning
<br />authorities and the City Council. ·
<br />We also scored when we said the Arizona Legislature.
<br />would approve a long-term lease bill. School district
<br />officials wasted no time in using the bill. They've
<br />scheduled an election Feb. 14 on whether to lease the
<br />idle Scottsdale High property. ·
<br />The best to be hoped fpr is th~t the board may smile
<br />upon bidders who propose to integrate the building
<br />into an office and commercial development.
<br />• There may be some fallout from ·all the turbulence .
<br />in district affairs over the last two years. The seats of
<br />board members Anne Hickie, Don Swanson a·nd Laurel
<br />Kimball are up for grabs in November; and it is
<br />possible at least one incumbent will not run again.
<br />The pot also may be stirred by the entry into the
<br />race of a candidate from the Arcadia area. Residents.
<br />still jittery over last year's recommendation to close the
<br />. district's westernmost high school· may feel the need to·
<br />field their own candidate to protect their interests.· To
<br />be sure, with one high school closed, candidates will be.
<br />forced to deal seriously with the issue of declining
<br />enrollment in this go-round.
<br />• The talk of incorporation in Carefree and Cave
<br />Creek will continue in 1984, especially in light of
<br />Scottsdale's annexation to their ~oorsteps. Some
<br />_Carefree community leaders already are talking of
<br />1 another drive but are not ready to go public, yet.
<br />Carefre~ voters rejected incorporation in 1983, partly.
<br />because supporters never proved enough population to.
<br />legally qualify as a town.
<br />• Look for an agreement between the Combined
<br />Road Districts and Fountain Hills developer MCO
<br />properties on how to fund future road-building. They.
<br />will take the conservative course, encouraging as much
<br />building as possible along existing thoroughfares to
<br />increase the district's tax base.
<br />Meanwhile, proponents of Fountain Hills incorpora-.
<br />tion say they'll try again in 1984. They'll have . to
<br />convince voters that incorporation will lower· taxes,
<br />however. '
<br />• The idea of a mountain preserve in Paradise Valley
<br />has not fizzled. By the end of 1984, the town should
<br />control150 acres. · ·
<br />What will be interesting is to see }f more proponents
<br />of the preserve follow .the example of FoormanMueller
<br />and actually donate land to the town for. use in the
<br />fund~ raising. . v . . . .. ·. . i • ;
<br />. e The Paradise .Valley Town --Comicil probably will
<br />.be re-elected en masse, .and, iri turn, will 're-elect J.,
<br />:nuncan Brock as mayor. The only question mark might
<br />:be Dick Baxter, whose heart, reportedly, was not really;·
<br />in his decision to seek re-election.
<br />The Phoenix Gazette
<br />'
<br />·Surplus f};tJDV!Y. 6'/-o~c-rrc /~11-~/f: \ • • •
<br />-i
<br />. -. .. . . r
<br />and that's not all the good PV news · 0 • •
<br />By Diana Balazs
<br />Gazette Northeast Bureau
<br />PARADISE VALLEY-Rosy.
<br />That's the word for this year, town officials
<br />predict.
<br />on the south side of Mummy Mountain was
<br />created in the 1950s before the town was
<br />incorporated. Town officials have encouraged
<br />the private sector to repair the scar. The town
<br />does not own the property.
<br />politically. A new To~n Council will be ~l~cted:
<br />and ~ with 14 residents vying for seven seats
<br />-there could be some new faces.
<br />"I think that all of the candidates, of course,
<br />are interested in the same. thing (accomplish-
<br />Residents can expect additional acquisition
<br />of open space -on Mummy Mountain, further
<br />· annexation of unincorporated county islands
<br />and continued good government, they say.
<br />· "I'm going to work extra hard in 1984 and I
<br />have reason to believe that we'll solve that
<br />problem," Butt said.
<br />ing the goals of the town)," Butt said. ·
<br />"In 1984, I would like tO see, of course, the
<br />elimination of county islands entirely," Butt
<br />add£d.
<br />"I look for great things to happen," Town
<br />Manager Oscar Butt ·said, including another
<br />budget surplus, a trend the town has main-
<br />, tained for the past decade.
<br />Mayor J. Duncan Brock, who met recently
<br />with one of the persons owning property
<br />affected by the scar, said he was told by the
<br />owner that he was "going to do it (repair the
<br />cut section of the scar) right away."
<br />"We're optimistic that will be accom-,
<br />plished."
<br />The Paradise Valley Country Club, 7101 N.
<br />"I think we will add to the mountain
<br />preserve. The gift Foorman Mueller gave us (of
<br />a one-acre parcel) will be the start of that,"
<br />Butt said.
<br />The owner, who plans to build homes on the Tatum Blvd., is expected to be annexed
<br />sometime this year.
<br />If he had to list a disappointment in 1983, it
<br />was that the scar on Glen· Drive was not
<br />repaired as expected. The man-made eyesore
<br />· property, also would be willing to create scenic
<br />easements and place the homes on lower levels
<br />of the mountain, Brock said. The mayor
<br />predicted the repair work would be done
<br />sometime this month.
<br />"We will probably begin to develop a more
<br />conscious direction relative to sewage· treat-
<br />ment and wastewater disposal which would
<br />also indirectly relate to water and water ·
<br />usages," Brock predicted. This year also will be an active one
<br />·Paradise Valley_
<br />• ~(~01./S {Jfl l-f":: p (2(.! G If r!S s { ( f 7-f g 1 crlme goes down
<br />By STEVE RYAN
<br />Progress Staff Writer
<br />Following a 15-percent
<br />decrease in 1982, major crimes
<br />reported in the town of Paradise
<br />dropped annther 15 percent in
<br />1983, according to Police Chief
<br />Peter Wainwright.
<br />There were no homicides kid-. ' nappmgs or rapes reported in
<br />the town in 1982 or 1983 the
<br />police chief said. '
<br />"I am very pleased at the
<br />drop, particularly the drop in
<br />burglaries," Wainwright said
<br />Wednesday. ·
<br />The number of residentalf
<br />burglaries reported in the town
<br />decreased from 128 in 1982 to 9f.
<br />in 1983, Wainwright said. .
<br />He attributed the drop· 'tc•
<br />"sting operations," whic;,
<br />authorities from surrounding ·
<br />cities have used to· arrest
<br />burglars who might have vic-
<br />timized Paradise Valley
<br />residents.
<br />In addition, many residents
<br />have installed burglar alarms to
<br />discourage CJ;iminals, he said.
<br />Police still have not solved a
<br />rash of approximately 14
<br />burglaries believed to have been
<br />committed by the same criminal
<br />within the past three months
<br />.,said Wainwright. None of thos~
<br />crimes occurred in homes with
<br />b?,rglar alarms, he said.
<br />;',But officers on Dec. 29 ar-
<br />rested a 15-year-old town resi-
<br />/lent on s~spicion of committing
<br />. at least SIX other burglaries at
<br />/hote)s and homes in the tomi.
<br />Wainwright said. t
<br />The youth, a Saguaro High · .··
<br />• School student, allegedly stole .
<br />./. ' camera equipment and other ex-
<br />1 . 1 pensive items, such as an at-
<br />tache case full of jewelry that in-'
<br />I' 1 'd · · · c u ed a $20,000 necklace, "over
<br />the last few months "said Wain-
<br />' wright. '
<br />Stereo equipment and other
<br />Ifimer items also allegedly were -
<br />takeri by the youth, he said. ·· · / ·
<br />·· Much of the property, in-: c~uding the jewelry, has been
<br />, .. :-%o:vered, Wainwright said.
<br />\v \_t~arges of posession of stolen
<br />''ilfoliCrty', also could be filed
<br />· agaifjo':!t youths believed to have
<br />purchased stolen items from the
<br />burglary suspect, although this
<br />might ·not occur "because
<br />everyone has been very
<br />cooperative," Wainwright add-
<br />ed .
<br />The number of reported
<br />burglaries from motor vehicles ,
<br />dropped from 72 in 1982 to 53 in
<br />1983, while burglaries from · 7
<br />1
<br />hotel~, churc?es _and other coni-·
<br />mercia! or Institutional struc-I
<br />tures fell from 79 to 44. J
<br />.. , The Phoenix Gazette Wed., .>on. ll, 1984 NE-7.
<br />\ __ ._\hJ(]ney R~~neh tstates . ~ .
<br />end(!)rsed by pianners ,;;
<br />' .(· J ~-•
<br />. Gazette Northeast Bureau
<br />PARADISE 'VALLEY -'-The
<br />preliminary plat of Cheney Ranch
<br />Estates . should b.e ·approved, the
<br />Town Pl'auning and Zoning Com-
<br />mission recommends.
<br />. I
<br />17ZXit $:. #&"t\l! \i; I . ·~R@Mt¥ '*·A"--.. ]
<br />PVTown· ...
<br />11aU
<br />New appointment . .. : . ·
<br />The proposed 15-lot~ :;;ubdivision
<br />•would be built at Mockingbird Lane Miusi Johnsen, a memberofth~·
<br />and Morning Glory Road. , . ·. .. . · Town Planning and ZOning Com-
<br />mission, has been· appointed· to tho·
<br />Last week, the c<imm.isskinalsci .Town Hillside Building Committee~:
<br />informally discussed expansion and . Puzzling gift '
<br />remodeling plans for the Sl{e\-aton
<br />Scottsdale Inn, 7200 N. Scottsdale Town Clerk Mary Ann Brines.
<br />Road. · loves puzzles. So what would make·
<br />Resort officials are requesting an
<br />amendment to their existing spe-
<br />cial-use permit to· add 144 C!lits,.
<br />including 63 lofts, and to remodel
<br />and refurbish existing facilities.
<br />. At its Dec. 20 meeting, tLc
<br />commission heard the proposal b•1t.
<br />.continued action until Jan. 17.
<br />a better Christmas gift? .
<br />She received one from Town·
<br />Council member Joan Lincoln: The:
<br />custom-made puzzle contains more
<br />thnn 3,000 pieces carved in a variety
<br />of sh:1pcs. · . . . · ,,·,:
<br />When Brines puts it all together,.
<br />·.the puzzle will depict ll map __: but
<br />iwt just any ;nap. It will be a map or'
<br />the town. · · ·-··
<br />Scottsdale resort .clears commission hurdl·e
<br />By Diana Balazs
<br />Gazette Northeast Bureau
<br />SCOTTSDALE - A request by the Sheraton
<br />Scottsdale Inn to amend its existing special-use permit
<br />to expand and renovate the resort received a favorable
<br />recommendation Tuesday from the Town Planning and
<br />Zoning Commission.
<br />.. The 5-2 vote· did not come easily, however, as
<br />·commissioners debated the application for 2l!z hours.
<br />• Sheraton officials are seeking approval for work on
<br />the existing. resort, 7200 N. Scottsdale Road, and
<br />expansion on 20 acres south of the resort.
<br />The developers had resolved several concerns raised
<br />by the commission at its Dec. 20 meeting, including
<br />emergency vehicle access and lighting.
<br />A major concern debated again Tuesday was whether
<br />proposed loft units on the southern parcel were
<br />actually lofts or second-story living quarters, which are
<br />prohibited under the town's resort zoning.
<br />At one point, commissioners looked up the definition
<br />of a loft in a dictionary but decided it was not helpful.
<br />Resort officials said the units would have no outside
<br />stairways and would have an entry that could be
<br />opene.d by only one key.
<br />They also could not be sealed off to form two
<br />separate living areas.
<br />The two who voted against the application were
<br />James Coffee and Donald Schwenn. Schwenn made the
<br />motion to recommend approval with a number of
<br />stipulations attached. •
<br />Coffee moved to amend Schwenn's motion to
<br />prohibit the loft units because he said they were two-
<br />story units. His amendment was defeated 4-3.
<br />There was no public comment at the meeting. The
<br />application will be heard by the Town Council Feb. 9.
<br />In other business, the commission unanimously
<br />recommended approval of a staff initiative to amend
<br />the town's zoning. ordinance. The amendment would
<br />add a new country club use under special use permit
<br />that would apply solely to the unincorporated Paradise·
<br />Valley Country Club, 7101 N. Tatum Blvd., upon its
<br />annexation into the town.
<br />The matter will be considered by the council Jan. 26.
<br />Town Manager Oscar Butt said today that annexa-.
<br />tion talks between the cou~try club and the town "are.
<br />going very well." ·
<br />"We are continuing to make progress."
|