Good morning, COGS Reader...  These two items are critical.  Please read and ACT.  thanks!!

Desert Discovery Center Community Workshop

COGS encourages all its readers and members to register for a session to become informed on the current status of the Desert Discovery Center currently planned to be located inside the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve in NE Scottsdale. The public sessions will be hosted by the City of Scottsdale and contracted Desert Discovery Center Scottsdale, Inc. The sessions will be led by the consulting designer team from Thinc Design  and the architects from Swaback Partners.

 According to the DDC, Inc. group, "This workshop is an important step in the current process of determining what the DDC concept would cost to build and operate. This planning phase will be complete in August 2017. With this information in hand, the Scottsdale City Council can determine if they want to move forward with the project."

• Please register immediately for the community workshop that will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Registration is required
• A number of time slots are available from 3 to 7 p.m. To register, please select the time that works best for you
• plan on actively participating for about 1 ½ hours.
• One registration per person.

 "Those who register should be prepared to participate in the planning process for the proposed Desert Discovery Center at the Gateway to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve (located at the Preserve perimeter -- Thompson Peak/Bell Road). The Scottsdale City Council has directed further study of the DDC concept at this location." COGS note: This statement appears to discourage attendees who are opposed to the council majority approved location.

Desert Discovery Center Scottsdale has hired Thinc Design as its experience designer for the Desert Discovery Center concept. Thinc Design has developed world-class projects of national and international significance -- most notably the National September 11 Memorial Museum. The firm's focus is on history, natural history, culture and the environment. The Thinc Design team will be sharing more information about the developing concept at the Nov. 30 community workshop. To-date, they have provided a Summary of Outcomes (PDF) for our reader's review.  For additional information on the proposed Desert Discovery Center Concept  visit the website.

Do you want to help protect our existing Rural Neighborhoods?   Are Scottsdale's equestrian and large homes on acreage in danger? YES. Today if an owner of Rural Neighborhood zoned property decides to divide it and to built multiple homes per acre it only takes a majority approval vote of the city council (4-3 is common today). There is hope...the new General Plan 2035 is not finalized yet. COGS and representatives of the former General Plan Task Force reached a consensus to AMEND the Land Use categories to better protect our Rural Neighborhoods.  Recommended: (1) Separate 2 acre and more parcels from 1 acre to less than 2 acre parcels in how rezoning requests are processed (2) Designate Desert Rural Neighborhood for 2 acres and more and Rural Neighborhood for less than 2 acres (3) Require a 2/3 or better city council approval to rezone if it INCREASES density and DECREASES lot size--rezoning becomes a Major Amendment to the General Plan. (4) Requires additional public hearings if rezoning increases density and decreases lot size (5) as now,  Major Amendments to the General Plan are heard only ONCE a year.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?  E mail your support for the Rural Neighborhood separation to Project Coordination Liaison, Sara Javoronok  sjavoronok@ScottsdaleAZ.gov 
Send the same message to all the city council members who will hear the staff report December 1st at 4 pm. at citycouncil@scottsdaleaz.gov  You can review the draft plan and submit feedback at General Plan 2035.

   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