Cantor: Trammell Crow Residential shows interest in community unlike others

 Very few people “don’t” know how disgusted I am with our City Council’s way of handling growth. Developers are not held to the tenants of sound responsible high density urban growth. Nor does council respect the “vision and values” of our residents, especially in our older mature neighborhoods. 

Having been a volunteer in our schools and on boards and commissions for the City of Scottsdale for 35-plus years, neighborhoods and neighborhood safety has been the important element in infrastructure. That is not just my take. Before a city can incorporate, one of the things they are required to do by state and federal law is to have an established public safety program.

Our organization, Coronado Neighborhood Schools Alliance has been very concerned about the many high-rise, high density developments being plopped down in southern Scottsdale neighborhoods. In essence putting a vertical neighborhood in the middle of a horizontal neighborhood with as many or more people but in a compacted environment.

Most of these developers do the bare minimum of outreach to find out about their future neighbors.  

 So, you can imagine how surprised we were to find out that a developer was interested in the surrounding community, our schools, our police department and how all these things worked as part of the bigger community. 

It is wonderful to know that our concerns over the years were heard by someone and given serious consideration. The developer is Trammell Crow Residential.  

The now defunct Scottsdale Housing Board followed Trammell Crow and their Chairman Emeritus, J. Ronald Terwilliger, as they advocated for, and created, affordable family housing for many years throughout the country. The quality of construction and design was never compromised.

 It has been a pleasant surprise to know that they are in communication with our neighborhood schools to create partnerships and it was a real surprise to hear that they have offered space in the retail area in there Palm Lane and Scottsdale Road development. For the Police Officers of Scottsdale Association that will serve as their office and meeting place as well as a Beat Office for District 1 Scottsdale police officers. 

 POSA has been a sponsor for several years of the silence and sleigh bells event where police officers take children indeed Christmas shopping they also participate in the back-to-school clothing and school supplies event held at Scottsdale Stadium every year before school starts in August. 

This location for a Beat Office fulfills a part of our city’s community policing program that allows officers to be closer to the neighborhoods they serve.

Would that all developers had the foresight and awareness to try and partner with their neighborhoods.

There is so much developers could contribute to our area, but they are never asked by City Council, the Planning Commission or Development Review Board.

Thank you Trammell Crow for taking the initiative.

Editor's Note: Nancy Cantor is the chairman of the Coronado Neighborhood Schools Alliance.