COGS Newsletter

Good evening, Coalition of Greater Scottsdale (COGS) E-Newsletter Reader,  This April newsletter has some important neighborhood information—please check for your area and alert any of your friends in other parts of the city.  You are always encouraged to forward our COGS e-Newsletters to anyone of your choice.   Thanks so much!

LOVE DOGS? HOW ABOUT K-9 POLICE DOG COMPETITION? Scottsdale hosts the Desert Dog Regional competition for K-9 teams this coming Saturday, April 14th from 9 am to 3 pm. It is FREE to sit in the stands at the Scottsdale Stadium. Your family will be thrilled to watch the K-9 teams compete in the open fields with different crime scenarios. Location—NE corner of Osborn and Drinkwater Blvd.

POLITICAL CANDIDATE SCOREBOARD: City council candidates now total 12 (for 3 vacancies)..mayoral candidates now 3   They all must secure 1,000 valid Scottsdale registered voter signatures to qualify.  Reminder: YOU cannot sign more than 3 city council candidate petitions.

COUNCIL APPROVED: R-1-7 Residential Exterior Enhancement Program  Good news! If you are a homeowner on a R 1-7 zoned (single family residential lot of 7,000 sq ft) this new program might be for you.

Was your home built 1979 or before?  (But you can’t be located in a Planned Community or Planned Residential Development. ) You can apply for up to $5000 city funding to improve your front façade where visible from the street.  Examples would be: roof, foundation, exterior walls, porches, carports, windows, doors, masonry, trim, reversal of alterations (such as carport to garage or garage to living space) stucco  or reconstructions of details and additions.

Perhaps when you converted your carport to a garage the materials available did not match the rest of the home.  Perhaps you would like to improve the exterior to be more compatible with nearby homes. COGS will alert you when the program is up and running.  Application forms will be available on line and evaluated on first come-first served basis.

The Neighborhood Advisory Commission will review the applications then approve, approve with stipulations or deny a request. When you complete your exterior improvements your receipts are submitted for reimbursement up to the approved funding for your application.  Details will be available in the near future. Thank Councilman McCullagh for promoting this program.  rmccullagh@scottsdaleaz.gov  Mayor Lane and Councilwoman Milhaven voted no.  It passed 5-2.

DO YOU LIVE IN THE NAVAJO GRADE SCHOOL AREA? If so, please mark your calendar for this Wednesday, April 11th and be in the Navajo Grade cafeteria at 6 PM. The community will be discussing traffic calming options for the 82nd Street and Camelback Road intersection (currently a 4 way stop) and the road segment eastward to Granite Reef Road.

City staff will present options that include a round-a-bout at 82nd Street/Camelback Road and center island planters (examples could be similar to Oak Street west of Scottsdale Rd or perhaps as luxurious as on Sweetwater between Scottsdale Rd and Hayden Road?).  If you cannot attend the meeting, send your comments/opinion to Kathy Kleinschmidt, Traffic Dept.,  kkleinschmidt@scottsdaleaz.gov

CHANGES TO LEGAL PROTEST AND ZONING ORDINANCE  Do you agree with the proposed changes? Proposals under consideration could result in substantial changes to zoning districts and more limited revisions to zoning rules. Changes under consideration include rules governing legal protest  (a process where neighboring property owners can challenge a proposed project) and definitions used in the Commercial Office, Planned Commerce Park and master plan sections of the ordinance.

City staff describes that the goal is to create a more useful, easy to understand Zoning Ordinance. Two open houses are planned where residents can learn more about the proposed changes and provide input:

• 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 9, at the Scottsdale Airport, Terminal, 15000 N. Airport Drive
• 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at the One Civic Center building, 7447 E. Indian School Road  Additional information on the proposed changes is available at www.scottsdaleaz.gov/codes/zoning/update.

WANT TO HAVE BREAKFAST WITH THE MAYOR and CITY COUNCIL ? The topic this month is transportation planning. You’re invited to learn about the city’s commitment to transportation planning at an upcoming Mayor and City Council Breakfast. The free program is from 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday, April 12, at Indian School Park, 4289 N. Hayden Road, Ramada 7.

Scottsdale is focused on providing alternative means of transportation. Come learn more about riding the trolleys, transit network and our bikeways system. We’ll also hear from four ambitious women about their amazing cross country bicycle trek benefiting bicycle safety advocacy efforts and safe routes. RSVPs are not needed, but you can call 480-312-7977 for more information.

WANT AN UPDATE ON THE MCDOWELL SONORAN PRESERVE?  …thinking of wildflower strolling? The City of Scottsdale is planning to acquire another 6400 acres to add to the recently acquired 6,800 acres of State land that will link Scottsdale’s Preserve to the Tonto National Forest. The City is hosting a series of public open houses where you will have the opportunity to view current trails and access plans, and provide input for possible revisions. Each open house will focus on a specific region of the Preserve, but you can view plans and provide feedback on any portion of the northern region at any of the open houses.

• Region: 136th Street area, north of Rio Verde Drive,
  Monday, April 16, 4:00 to 6:30 PM
  Loma Vista Farm, 15217 East Rio Verde Drive – enter via 152nd St.
• Region: 122nd to 136th Street corridor, S. of Rio Verde Drive
  Thursday, April 19, 4:00 to 6:30 PM
  Loma Vista Farm, 15217 East Rio Verde Drive – enter via 152nd St.
• Region: Troon North area
  Monday, April 23, 4:00 to 6:30 PM
  Florence Ely Nelson Desert Park, 8950 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd.
• Region: Pima Rd. north of Dynamite, Legend Trails, Stagecoach Pass east of Pima Rd.
  Monday, April 30, 4:00 to 6:30 PM
  Legend Trail Community Center, 34575 N. Legend Trail Pkwy

If you can’t attend one of the open houses, you can view plans and provide feedback directly through the City’s website: www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov/Preserve. For questions please contact Scott Hamilton, Preserve Planner, at 480-312-7722 or shamilton@ScottsdaleAZ.gov.

TRACKING SOME PROJECTS THAT MIGHT BE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD:

Miller Road just north of Osborn:   Bristol Lofts 3510 N. Miller Rd is back again to be heard on April 19th at the Development Review Board.  Their previous presentation was advisory but they did not receive verbal support from the commissioners.

The proposed high rise apartment project requests using the Infill Incentive District that could allow their planned 5 story buildings on Miller graduating to 9 stories (approx 90 ft) toward the west.  The commissioners commented that the project was incompatible with the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

COGS Chair presented 38 pages of city code enforcement records that evidenced that this long-time property owner/developer has blighted his own property dating back to 2004.  Significant fines have been levied by Scottsdale and in 2005 the property owner was responsible for 6 of 12 criminal counts filed including counts for both exterior and interior violations. The one-story, rental units (22) have been vacant for years.

Peaceful Valley and other area residents are encouraged to send your comments/opinions to the Development Review Board through Dan Symer at dsymer@scottsdaleaz.gov  or to attend the 1 pm DRB hearing on Thursday the 19th (next week).

Chaparral Road/7100 block:   The Portales project hearing has been moved to the May 8th, Tuesday, City Council agenda.

Camelback Road/68th Street:  The Optima Sonoran project has requested to separate a portion of their “final” approved site plan and to apply for Infill Incentive District zoning.  This would allow them to build taller and add more apartment units which would increase the density.

The most recent proposal available to the public shows an 11 story tower.  The Arcadia East neighborhood to the south of the project would see 3, 4, and 5 story structures closest to their neighborhood.  COGS will be researching the city’s Optima Sonoran case file on Monday morning and will report specifics of the most recent proposal and when the public hearings will be scheduled. Open the attachment sent to COGS at the top of this newsletter to see the taller building perspective as seen from that person’s Arcadia East home. He has 5 pages so locate the arrow at the top margin of his attachment.

Sereno Canyon Resort:  They have requested a Planning Commission hearing change from the April 25th date to a date to be determined in order “to refine their application”.

For the Coalition of Greater Scottsdale Board of Directors, Sonnie Kirtley, Chair           e-mail: cogsaz@cox.net        cellular: 602 717 3886 anytime

Annual dues are a whopping $10… mail to COGS 3370 North Hayden Rd suite 123 PMB 766, Scottsdale Az 85251    Thank you.