Phoenix City Living

Gordon wins mayor's race

Gordon sweeps mayor's race, sales tax increase passes:

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon swept to a second term in Tuesday's election and city voters approved an $80 million sales tax increase with the new revenue going toward fire and police departments.

City voters approved Proposition 1, which upped Phoenix's city sales tax rate from 1.8 percent to 2.2 percent. That rate is in addition to the 5.6 percent state sales tax and 0.7 percent Maricopa County levy. Gordon as well as police and firefighter unions and the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce backed the tax boost.

Fair Housing Workshop

The City of Phoenix Equal Opportunity Department is sponsoring a two-hour fair housing workshop next Saturday. Learn all about housing discrimination from the experts who conduct the investigations on real estate practices relating to apartments, houses, condominiums, and mobile home parks.

where: Cholla Branch Library, 10050 Metro Parkway East  map  when: Saturday, September 15  time: 10am-12pm  cost: free

Is Gov. Napolitano about to move up in the federal scene?

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano has formed a federal political action committee likely as a forerunner to a U.S. Senate run in 2010. From the Phoenix Business Journal, Gov. Napolitano forms federal political action committee.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and some of her political backers have established a federal political action committee to create a national presence for her and her agenda.

...Since becoming Arizona governor in 2003, Napolitano has pushed for more state education and university spending, and has supported tax breaks geared toward business research and development.

...Napolitano -- who is in her second and last term as governor -- has taken moderate, sometimes pro-business views on issues such as taxes, immigration and economic development and is liberal on some social issues such as abortion rights. She has supported the Iraq War and has not called for a quick U.S. exit from the conflict.

Napolitano also has been mentioned as a possible cabinet-level appointee (perhaps U.S. attorney general) if a Democrat, such as Clinton or Obama, wins the 2008 presidential campaign.

Phoenix Mayoral candidate forum

The Arizona Republic and the Downtown Phoenix Partnership are sponsoring the event to be held next Monday. Current mayor Phil Gordon and challenger Steve Lory will face questions from the audience moderated by Richard de Ariarte from the AZ Republic. This may be the only common forum featuring the candidates so if you're hearing voices in your head that speak to a common cause check out this event.

where: University of Arizona College of Medicine Auditorium, 600 E. Van Buren  map  when: Monday, August 27  time: 12:30pm  cost: free  parking: UofA College of Medicine parking lot, 7th St, south of Fillmore.

Faking a limp is going to get a whole lot more expensive

Pretending to be something that you're not can be enlightening when you're an actor, but using a handicapped space without a blue permit will open your eyes to a whole new dimension...financial pain.  The City of Phoenix has now upped the fines for the illegal use of a handicapped space to $250 and $500 for those creative enough to alter or forge a permit.  So, take your chances if you're feeling stupid but it's a gamble and soon enough you'll come up snake eyes.

For more:
Handicapped parking fine rising to $250

Napolitano signs state budget

From The Phoenix Business Journal:

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano signed off on a new state budget Monday. The Legislature finalized budget bills last week.

The $10.6 billion budget includes some modest tax relief for business property owners and allows families to set up tax-free college savings accounts.

The budget also includes $500 million to speed up highway construction projects as well as state money for the Science Foundation Arizona biomedical and engineering grant-making group and for a new University of Arizona medical campus in downtown Phoenix.

For more:
Budget measure wins Senate OK

Will a street "czar" make a dent or at least help cars avoid one?

So, Phoenix is going to have a street czar.  Does he get to wear a little furry hat and balloon pants and carry a little dog and a jewel encrusted .....  Yikes, I seems to be off by a century and country or two.  Ok, so let me understand.  This czar will oversee all traffic projects and rights of use including maintenance, utility work, street widening, and special events.  This person will be paid $160,644.  Let's contrast shall we:  the upside is the beau coup pay....an amount any King (or Queen) should be satisfied with especially considering our moderate cost of living.  The downside:  constant stress, ulcers, high-blood pressure, no sleep, no happy compromises, basically no life.  Yes, that seems a reasonable trade-off.  I'll understand your grief my little czar, just don't come a'callin when you're sideswiped by a car.

From the Arizona Daily Star:

The position was created after scores of citizens complained about traffic congestion.  The Phoenix City Council recommended approval of the position during a policy session.  The new post is one of several the city is launching in an effort to improve prospects for small businesses along the light rail line. The council is also expected to discuss whether it's possible to accelerate construction of the line through downtown Phoenix.

The Warehouse District gains a little more credibility

So the height limits have changed in the Warehouse District.  The FAA has agreed to divert all western incoming plane traffic to the Gateway Airport except those flights booked by homeowners within the urban Phoenix market area.  MMMM....not so much (we wish)!  Life will remain the same for most but someday in the near future humans will migrate south of the light rail tracks to the Warehouse District which hopes to morph into the Jackson Street Entertainment District as well as other unique warehouse-retaining and new residential and office projects.  The change: bumping up the height limits to 80 feet from 56 feet and, if a conservation easement is granted which generates money to preserve a historic warehouse property, up to 140 feet.  Or, if someone's feeling really lucky, they can go to airport height, a full 250 feet, if they can persuade city officials to grant them a waiver (those silly busy jets yet the convenience and proximity of the airport - I love them, I hate them, I love them.......).  These new regulations jive with the recent council decision in February to niche 6 blocks (Jackson Street) allowing developers to build as high as 250 feet.

This is a big move to position the Warehouse District as a development zone.  In real estate development it comes down to the bottom line so if the height restrictions were not eased, the entire district becomes less credible as a developers target.  Yes, it's important to retain the character of the district just as others have done in other areas of the city and in the residential historic districts, but if the density makes no financial sense the Warehouse District would remain a largely dark and undeveloped forgotten place in Phoenix's urban renaissance.

Phoenix AM Breakfast Series - 2007 Legislative Agenda

Curious as to what is on the horizon for Arizona's legislature in 2007?  The Phoenix AM Breakfast Discussion Series is hosting Matt Salmon, former Arizona congressman and legislator, for the January program to share his views and expectations of the 2007 legislative session.

Date:  Tuesday, January 9
Time:  7am Breakfast, 7:30-8:30am Program
Location: Tom's Restaurant & Tavern, 1 Renaissance Square
Parking:  Patriot's Park garage - bring receipt for validation

Program is Free (breakfast additional).  Seating is limited.  RSVP to asulectures@asu.edu.

Downtown Small Business, Culture and Arts District

Currently city zoning and regulations make it painstakingly difficult for small businesses to open in downtown Phoenix....this is much to blame for the lack of the "funky" small coffee shops, bookstores, and boutiques in our city center that you find in other cities like Chicago and San Francisco.  BUT don't give-up yet, we are making progress!!!!  The City of Phoenix is currently working on new overlay zoning that would help foster and support small businesses, culture, and the arts.  As stated in the overlay's draft language dated November 16, 2006, "The arts, culture and small business overlay is to allow greater flexibility in land uses and standards that will contribute to the vitality of the downtown area and will enhance community events."  This overlay is different.  Instead of restricting property uses, it is more permissive and the new overlay will take precedence over the underlying zoning in most instances. 

The only exception is with Item E2 of the language in areas that are within historic districts. Item E2 allows building additions to exceed the legal lot coverage by up to 25% and to reduce building setbacks by up to 25%.

The proposed area of the overlay zoning consists of specific smaller areas within the larger area generally bounded by I-10 on the North, 20th Street on the East, Buckeye Road on the South, and 19th Avenue on the West.