I recently moved to the condos at Villages North, and outside the back my condo is a secure gate to Horizon Park, where the pup and I visit daily.
The park has four terrific baseball fields (where my son played little league in the early 2000s) has what seems like a fine rec center although I have not visited, a basketball court, and several pickle ball courts.
I am happy in this “hood,” as it is already built up, no political zoning surprises to come, versus my former “hood” where city council decisions in the past are now destroying the area. And now they are not constructing the dog park approved in the bond passage at Thompson Peak Park, about which I communicated with staff folks and could never get an answer that made any sense as to why the park was not being built-just a bunch of mumbo jumbo about utilities, lines, etc, yet they were able to construct several pickle ball courts there.
That is all in the rear view mirror, an area being changed for the worse, for sure.
And so to my point, yes, I understand the terrible errors/mistakes made by council and the supposed smart “guys/gals” on staff who do all that research.
And that is the problem, an assembly of folks who apparently did not take Finance 101, nor ever look at, nor study a balance sheet or future projection of cash flows and not consider how variables such as escalating interest rates, labor costs, product costs, and inflation just might impact plans.
Back to Horizon Park, where renovation/construction is currently going on in the open area/kids area adjacent to the pickle ball courts.
Construction workers have taken down the former kids playground, and are in the process of installing new swings, jungle gyms, etc. There is heavy construction present, CAT equipment, etc. I have been told by residents here that approximately five years ago kids play “stuff” was installed, only to be taken down and replaced about two years later, and now once again more of the same a couple years later.
If all of this is true, it is a 100% manifestation of complete mismanagement by Parks and Rec, council, or whomever is responsible. I assume council and staff approval of such. And yes, I totally understand that staff is appointed by council, and so they too are political animals, wanting that lush six-figure job to endure.
Yes, I am coming closer to complete understanding of the incompetence we elect, who hire more incompetence, and we taxpayers foot the bill for the errors in judgment made along the way. We need to elect competent people to council, who have made it past 12th grade, and who have the wherewithal to hire intelligent staff, who have some degree of advanced education.
Yes, Scottsdale, we can do better, we need to do better, before it is too late, and we have lost the city that we once cherished, and was nationally recognized. And it is not just about downtown/Old Town, Scottsdale extends beyond!
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