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Pace: My rebuttal to Scali's untrue assertions

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Terry Scali making personal attacks against me and endorsing a third term for the mayor and a fourth term for Councilman Paul Dembow as private property rights advocates demonstrates some of the reasons that we need a “refresh” of who serves as mayor and on Town Council.

Do not be fooled by the propaganda machine of falsehoods being used by some pro-development interests in our town, and the mayor and Dembow in trying to stop preservationists like me and others from being elected.

But one should ask why they want to protect being re-elected so much they go personal and negative, instead of on the merits.

I have been serving this town and leading grassroots efforts repeatedly and successfully to preserve Paradise Valley for many years. I have a strong and consistent track record to preserve our town. My opponents, the mayor and Dembow, do not.

Where do you stand? Your vote is critical on Aug. 2.

My opponents try to undermine preserving the town with phrases like “private property rights, prop 207 lawsuits, and due process” to scare voters away from standing up for preservation. Hogwash. We all know how to do things legally and protect our town.

We have six resort projects coming and increasing development pressures threatening our special town. Our unique town could be lost with this election.

Are you willing to take that chance given the track records of my opponents?

If you want Scottsdale, don’t vote for me.

The mayor and Dembow:

  1. Continue to actively support reducing front yard setbacks from 20 feet to 10 feet for view and combo fences on 14 miles of our town’s roads. This will cause a tunneling effect on our roads, reduce open space, and our Planning Commission opposes it 7-0, and our residents oppose it. But that is not stopping the mayor and Dembow.
  2. In 2019, a five-unit party house and wedding complex with a 24-foot high rooftop deck and bar was proposed by a resort overlooking and adjacent to Theresa Mao’s backyard. The mayor and Dembow supported moving it forward for further consideration. I led efforts to fortunately stop it even though it had four votes to move forward.
  3.  Delayed addressing the town code ambiguity regarding fill dirt and the building pad heights issue. Instead the mayor and Dembow orchestrated attacks in a public meeting against the preservation council candidates who were helping residents. If an ambiguity exists, we as a town should stop, conduct due diligence, get a resolution and then move forward, which is what we eventually did thanks to myself and Councilmember Ellen Andeen and others. This was the prudent action to take.

This topic is what Scali was referring to in an out-of-context attack about the November 2020 discussions about the ambiguity issue on building pad heights.

This town code topic had nothing to do with him or his project, but involved residents living in the foothills of Mummy Mountain and in flatland locations in our community.

Now, let’s talk about Scali’s project to scar Camelback Mountain and his false statements.

First, Scali is not a neighbor and does not live in Stone Canyon.

Second, I do not live 200 feet or 1,000 feet below his property and there are streets and many houses in between me and the top of Camelback Mountain. But everyone in town can see Scali’s proposed project at the highest level on Camelback Mountain. Check out the attached

(Imagine provided by Julie Pace showing a graphic illustration of Mr. Scali's proposed home) 

Third, I have never implemented any plan to sue Scali.

Fourth, no one that I am aware of has sued Scali over his project. But Scali has sued at least three residents to try and reduce their one-acre residences to create a 600-foot driveway over their homes to create a mega-mansion that will also require variances. He proposes a 300-foot building at a 53-degree slope.

Five to eight years ago, thousands opposed Scali’s project and hundreds stood up at meetings at town meetings.

Senator Barry Goldwater who fought to save Camelback Mountain from over-development said “If we ruin Camelback, people will think we made something ugly of the most beautiful thing we had.” That is why I will continue to fight and protect one of our town’s most critical and beautiful assets.

We stand on the shoulders of our founders and we are straying towards Scottsdaleification. Let’s remember why PV was created and focus our energy on preserving our town.

On a constructive note Mr. Scali, please consider utilizing the preservation easement option for a tax benefit to donate the land, or let the community buy the property and place it in the Paradise Valley Mountain Preservation Trust to increase the mountain lands that are set aside for their natural beauty.

Choose positive and good works to preserve our town. You have a choice.

It’s time for our town’s leaders to stop the use of surrogates of negative campaigning tactics and focus on the issues that really matter to our residents.

Seasoned and experienced leaders would not tolerate it. Paradise Valley and its residents deserve better.

I am excited and looking forward to working with a council that will be able to work together for the benefit of the town without the negative fraternity type distractions we continue to experience. See paceforpv.com for more information and vote for me for mayor on Aug. 2 to preserve Paradise Valley!

Editor’s Note: Julie Pace is a Paradise Valley council member, former vice mayor, lawyer, and a candidate for mayor.