Good evening COGS E-News Reader. Because we have no local government Primary Election this August, the campaigns probably won’t intensify until late August.  Below is a June forum cancellation and important information on voter registration and early ballot requests. The final piece in the Special Event Ordinance “drama” of this spring is the Handbook Draft discussed below.  Summer weekend events are listed for your selection as well as new land/project cases to evaluate their impact on your neighborhood.  Stay cool this weekend.  We don’t have it so bad; in the country of India it was 123 F this week!

CANCELLED MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM: The June 8th, Granite Reef Senior Center candidate forum has been cancelled.  With only two mayoral candidates there will be NO Primary Election in August—nor for the 4 city council candidates. Co-Hosts-- The Community Council of Scottsdale and COGS-- will determine 4 forum dates and times in late August through October that will be located in convenient southern, central and northern facilities.  The dates will be advertised to encourage voters to meet personally with the candidates and to have their questions answered in a non-partisan setting. 

NOVEMBER ELECTION: More than 100,000 Scottsdale residents receive early ballots.  But in the last election fewer than 30,000 actually voted and returned them (about 31 percent). You are encouraged in the fall to avoid long lines on Election Day and return your postage-paid early ballot. What positions are vacant in our city government.?...1 mayoral seat and 3 city council seats. Who has qualified to be on the ballot?  Incumbent Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane and former City Council member Bob Littlefield are in the mayor’s race. Four candidates--incumbents Suzanne Klapp, Virginia Korte and Guy Phillips, and resident Dan Schweiker, will run for the three seats on the City Council. Contact information for the candidates and links to their websites are at www.scottsdaleaz.gov , search “candidate listing.”. For voter registration and early ballot request go to www.scottsdaleaz.gov   and search “elections”.

ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS TO ENJOY IN JUNE: Fridays-Native American  Dancing at the Hyatt Regency 5 pm to 5:30 pm....Saturdays and Sundays Scottsdale’s Old Town Farmers’ Market from 7 am to 11 am at SW corner Brown Ave/1st Street....Sundays only- Free concerts in McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park 7:30 pm to 9 pm. SE corner Indian Bend Rd/Scottsdale Rd.  For the featured musicians go to www.therailroadpark.com 

SPECIAL EVENTS UPDATE: The new ordinance that governs “special” events anywhere in the city has been approved by the city council. MOST important are the instructions and checklists for any event promoter or host available in the Handbook Draft available on line today, June 3rd.  The public has until the end of the month to comment before it becomes finalized.  The plot may not be exciting reading but the enforcement of these procedures will determine if events will be controlled to provide sufficient neighbor notice and to reduce negative impact on residential and business areas of our city. The Handbook also specifies the  rental fees charged for the use of your public property.   Details are available at this link http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/codes/special-events-ordinance-update 

New Project Cases—Are any near you?

Near Cave Creek Road and Pima Road. The applicant is requesting a major amendment to the city of Scottsdale General Plan 2001 to change the land use designation from Employment, Commercial, Office, Developed Open Space and Rural Neighborhoods to Suburban Neighborhoods and Developed Open Space (Golf Courses) on a 93-acre property, located northwest of the intersection of Cave Creek Road and Twilight Trail.  CASE#5-GP-2016

Citywide. The city of Scottsdale is requesting a Major General Plan Amendment to adopt the General Plan 2035, in order to revisit and revise the community's long term objectives and land development policies for future growth, development and redevelopment and to amend existing General Plan elements and add new General Plan elements required by State law. General Plan 2035 is intended to comply with State law requiring cities to revisit and adopt a General Plan every ten (10) years and send the adopted General Plan to the voters for ratification.  CASE#6-GP-2016 

 Citywide. The city of Scottsdale is requesting to amend the city’s Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 455) for the purposes of modifying the Sign Requirements for Temporary, Semi-permanent and Special Event signs. CASE#2-TA-2016

 Near 77th Street and Antioch Way. The owner is requesting to abandon portions of the northern and eastern 33-foot General Land Office Patent Easements leaving a 25-foot half-street right-of-way along N. 77th Street with Single-family Residential, Environmentally Sensitive Lands, Foothills Overlay (R1-70 ESL FO) zoning, located at  27990 N. 77th St   CASE#6-AB-2016

Near Scottsdale Road and Granada Road. The applicant is requesting to amend the stipulations for case 38-UP-1991 to allow the carwash to be relocated into the addition recently approved under case 52-DR-2015, with Highway Commercial (C-3) zoning, located at 1815 N. Scottsdale Road.    CASE#38-UP-1991#2

 Near 84th Street and 83rd Way. The owner is requesting the renewal of a Conditional Use Permit for an existing Type 4 Alternative Concealment Wireless Communication facility (WCF) l within a 55-foot-tall artificial palm tree, with associated ground mounted equipment with Industrial Park District (I-1) zoning, located at 15695 N. 83rd Way. CASE#6-UP-2011#2

   For the Coalition of Greater Scottsdale (COGS) Board of Directors, 
 
     Sonnie Kirtley, Chair e-mail sonniek@cogsaz.net 
     Coalition of Greater Scottsdale
     7904 E. Chaparral Rd., Suite 110, PMB 127
     Scottsdale, AZ 85250