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Scottsdale council candidate Q&A with Tom Durham

Posted 10/4/20

Scottsdale City Council candidate Tom Durham, one of six candidates, points out the need for guidelines, design standards and following protocol when it comes to big projects in Scottsdale. …

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Ask the Candidate

Scottsdale council candidate Q&A with Tom Durham

Posted

Scottsdale City Council candidate Tom Durham, one of six candidates, points out the need for guidelines, design standards and following protocol when it comes to big projects in Scottsdale.

Leading up to the Nov. 3 general election, the Scottsdale Independent is hosting an ongoing question-and-answer series with candidates for local government.

This week’s topic is development — a hot issue in the 2020 election — as many people talk about factions of Scottsdale being pro-development, or pro-growth.

Related to Scottsdale’s development, Mr. Durham talks about the city’s design standards, putting projects in appropriate places and the voice of the residents that is perceived to fall upon deaf ears at City Hall. Read below to learn more about Mr. Durham’s point of view on development.

1. Museum Square, the Marquee and now maybe, if it comes to fruition and is approved, the Scottsdale Collective. Are you supportive of the revitalization that’s happening in Old Town Scottsdale, which includes all of the downtown area?

Old Town Scottsdale needs revitalization, no question about it. But revitalization needs to fit with the city’s design standards and the context of Old Town. We shouldn’t settle for “good enough.”

We need absolutely first-rate development. Museum Tower is a bit removed from the “heart” of Old Town and is smaller in scale than the other named projects, so I don’t have a problem with it. The Marquee is a disaster, if it ever gets built. It lacks the stepbacks and setbacks the zoning code requires.

The newest version of the Marquee reduced available parking. The north face is a long, unbroken wall of glass — another feature which the zoning code prohibits. It didn’t include any significant public space. Many people have derided it as resembling a cruise ship parked on Scottsdale Road. In fact, the city staff criticized the project, saying “[t]he proposed Development Plan and associated standards may not be ‘context-appropriate’ with the existing adjacent buildings as it pertains to transition in building mass and form to the street” and “the proposed development plan proposes tall, vertical planes adjacent to Shoeman Lane, with minimal stepback in massing, which are inconsistent with the recommendations of the [Urban Design and Architectural Guidelines].”

In layman’s terms, this means it would stick out like a sore thumb. But the City Council approved it anyway.

Southbridge I was a very nice project, which added to the enjoyment of the Canal and the Old Town area. If Southbridge II had matched the scale of Southbridge I, I would have enthusiastically supported it. But it didn’t. Southbridge II included very tall, elongated buildings that would have cut off access to the Canal, the sky and views to Camelback Mountain.

Once again, the city staff criticized Southbridge II as being out of compliance with the Urban Design and Architectural Guidelines.

I have been given a tour of the proposed site of the Collective, and have an open mind on the project. It includes generous public space and artwork, and proposed cleanup of the Canal would be very beneficial. While the buildings max out on height allowances, they have pretty generous stepbacks and setbacks and don’t have the unbroken bulk and length of the Marquee.

2. The residents of Scottsdale have used their collective voice twice in recent years to stop Desert Edge and SouthBridge Two. Is a message being sent by the residents? And, is it being listened to?

Yes, a message was definitely being sent in the case of the Desert Edge and Southbridge II, but, as usual, the City Council wasn’t listening. In the case of the Desert Edge, the 4-3 Council majority fought for the Desert Edge until the bitter end, even though it was obvious the citizens didn’t want it and the Edge violated the City Charter. I was proud to play a role in stopping the Desert Edge. It has been my experience at City Council meetings the 4-3 majority regularly ignores the concerns of citizens, sometimes ridiculing them, and fawns over favored developers.


Now, three members of the four person Council majority will be gone, and we will have a new day in Scottsdale if we choose wisely on the new members of the Council.

Southbridge II had similar problems. It was too bulky for its location and would have drastically changed the character of Old Town. The 4-3 majority didn’t listen to complaints, and the citizens were therefore required to petition for a referendum to have their voices heard.

3. Do you believe multi-acre, mixed-use developments, such as Museum Square or what Southbridge Two was planned to be, is what is needed in Scottsdale?

I have no problem with multi-acre, mixed-use developments in Scottsdale. In the right places, they can bring life to the city. But they need to follow the rules. We need open space and landscaping, appropriate setbacks and stepbacks to avoid the bulk of projects like the Marquee, appropriate parking and height, the preservation of neighborhoods, and — above all — such projects must be consistent with the wishes of residents. Projects must comply with the Urban Design and Architecture Guidelines where required.

4. What is a misconception the public has about development in Scottsdale?

I am not sure the public has any major misconceptions about development.

Their views on the Desert Edge, the Marquee and Southbridge II were spot-on in my book. We have a very strong tradition of public participation here in Scottsdale. We are a growing city, however, and we do need to make room for growth. Citizens may need to compromise a bit more on development issues. But we need to insist on following the rules I have outlined here.