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2 open houses planned for Old Town Scottsdale character, zoning feedback

Posted 10/12/21

If you have feedback to give on Scottsdale’s Old Town character and zoning regulations, now is the time to put pen to paper.

The city of Scottsdale is hosting two in-person open house …

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Government

2 open houses planned for Old Town Scottsdale character, zoning feedback

Posted

If you have feedback to give on Scottsdale’s Old Town character and zoning regulations, now is the time to put pen to paper.

The city of Scottsdale is hosting two in-person open house sessions to gather feedback on the city’s Old Town Character Plan and potential zoning updates.

The Scottsdale City Council, on Aug. 24, initiated a non-major general plan amendment to update the Old Town Scottsdale Character Area Plan; and the council initiated a text amendment to various parts of the city’s zoning ordinance. The council voted 5-2 to begin this update, with council members Linda Milhaven and Tammy Caputi dissenting.

The two upcoming open houses each offer three sessions for guests to attend:

Monday, Oct. 18:
  • Morning: 8:30-10:30 a.m.
  • Mid-day: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  • Evening: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 25:
  • Morning: 8:30-10:30 a.m.
  • Mid-day: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  • Evening: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

At each session, the same content will be presented, city officials say. Each session will include a series of presentations and discussion groups to collect public input.

The existing Old Town Scottsdale Character Area Plan was adopted in 2018 by the former City Council. The plan serves as a long-range plan that guides growth and development in downtown Scottsdale. City officials say the plan incorporates community goals, policies and an implementation program.

City officials have broken the update process up into three phases.

Phase 1 was slated to take place September 2021, and included the City Council’s Sept. 21 study session meeting where they discussed Old Town infrastructure and naming/tourism branding.

At that meeting, the council voiced consensus to continue using the “Old Town” moniker.

Phase 2, October to December, includes the project teaming providing public engagement opportunities to provide input. Public input received will be summarized, publicly posted and will inform the creation of draft update amendments to the plan and downtown ordinances.

The third phase, January-March 2022, of the update process includes a public hearing and possible adoption.

The city’s website states that this third phase will include a series of public work study session meetings with the Planning Commission and City Council to review and provide feedback on the draft updates and amendments made for the Old Town Character Area Plan.

When the OTCAP was approved in 2018, public outreach was conducted over a nine-month period.

During this update process, the following items have been outlined as some of the priorities to examine:

  • The provision of quality new development and redevelopment;
  • Development type designations, locations and transitions to one another found in the plan;
  • The consideration of development flexibility in the plan, zoning ordinance and guidelines;
  • Re-examination of the use of downtown land use designations, districts and development types in the plan and ordinance;
  • The provision of more interconnected, public open space areas in Old Town.

For more information, go to Scottsdaleaz.gov.