“In the third installment of the question-and-answer series provided by Independent Newsmedia, those running for Scottsdale City Council are asked to explain their views of the small but mighty Old Town Scottsdale area.” — Melissa Rosequist, Scottsdale Independent
•What do you believe will be the future of Old Town Scottsdale?
Scottsdale’s downtown is one of the most vibrant and popular neighborhoods in the Valley. Restaurants, galleries, public events, music, clubs, museums, Civic Center Plaza, and Fashion Square form the tapestry of Downtown Scottsdale. There is something for everyone. Downtown housing is in high demand, and the market will continue to push for Class A office space and premier hotels. This is great news for Scottsdale, as Downtown is one of our critical economic drivers and contributes substantially to our city sales tax revenue. This winning formula of economic vitality allows Scottsdale to have great amenities, high quality of life, and low property taxes.
As your councilperson, I will work to support appropriate world-class projects, large and small, that add value and bring public benefits to our Downtown and promote its live, work, play lifestyle. I will also support the Downtown bike plan that will provide greater bike and pedestrian connectivity to the Greenbelt, the canal and the city’s excellent system of bike lanes.
•There are many opinions on what is right for Old Town. If elected to council, how will you balance all of the different view points as the area evolves?
The General Plan, in conjunction with the well thought-out Old Town Character Area Plan, help provide a citizen-defined and approved vision for Downtown.
Hopefully we will soon have an update to the General Plan, more closely reflecting the needs and desires of our current population. These aspirational goals will help guide us, while the zoning code provides specific instructions on development. We can’t bubble wrap the city; we must keep evolving into the future, and we need to make sure everyone has a voice at the table. We’ve seen how effective collaboration and citizen outreach can produce outstanding results to move the city forward in the recent bond package and projects like Museum Square. We need to continue this model of involving the citizens in the process early and often.
•Multi-use development --- residential units, hotel, office space or a combination of the three --- appears to be a trend occurring in Old Town in recent years. What are your overall feelings on these large-scale projects?
Old-town is four square blocks and must be preserved as a historic district. Downtown Scottsdale is about 2 square miles: 1% of our land mass. The area zoned for Type 3 height is only a few square blocks. I support the Old Town Area Character Plan and the years-long process that developed it. Larger-scale projects are appropriate in a few very specific areas. Mixed use developments allow people to live, work, and play downtown, creating a thriving, walkable, year-round venue for residents and tourists. Downtown activity generates the crucial revenue that keeps our property taxes low and our quality of life high. A few select larger-scale projects are essential for maintaining our economic reality.
I can’t judge any project until I see it, but we have excellent examples of projects such as Museum Square that are beautiful, revitalize the area, achieve wide-ranging support, and provide enormous public benefits. We can strive to maintain excellence while improving economic vitality.
•Is there a problem with Old Town Scottsdale? If so, how would you propose to fix the area?
Downtown has seen declining revenues over many years, and its small businesses face competition from online shopping and other shopping hubs. Some of the buildings are over 50 years old and at the end of their usable lives. The land is so expensive that it’s a challenge to balance the cost of improvements with increases in height and density. We need to support our small businesses, and support efforts to make Downtown a year-round destination for tourists and residents of all ages. In some cases we should support adaptive reuse, in other cases spectacular new architecture. We must always prioritize the voices of our local residents, and make sure that any new development enhances the community and protects our established neighborhoods.
