When asked about Old Town Scottsdale redevelopment, Betty Janik, one of six candidates for Scottsdale City Council, wants more residents to be a part of the discussion.
Leading up to the Nov. 3 …
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When asked about Old Town Scottsdale redevelopment, Betty Janik, one of six candidates for Scottsdale City Council, wants more residents to be a part of the discussion.
Leading up to the Nov. 3 general election, the Scottsdale Independent is hosting an ongoing question-and-answer series with candidates for local government.
This week’s topic is development — a hot issue in the 2020 election — as many people talk about factions of Scottsdale being pro-development, or pro-growth.
Related to Scottsdale’s development, Ms. Janik talks about including all stakeholders in project-specific conversations and evaluating each project individually. Read below to learn more about Ms. Janik’s opinion of Scottsdale’s construction work.
1. Museum Square, the Marquee and now maybe, if it comes to fruition and is approved, the Scottsdale Collective. Are you supportive of the revitalization that’s happening in Old Town Scottsdale, which includes all of the downtown area?
My support of this revitalization in Old Town Scottsdale comes with limitations. Each project needs to be reviewed and the citizens need to be part of the discussion. Museum Square was unanimously approved by City Council, which is a positive for Scottsdale. The Marquee is too big for a small lot.
Hundreds of citizens objected but were ignored. Scottsdale Collective has yet to be presented to City Council.
The projects may not even be undertaken as approved because of COVID and possible reduction in demand. The citizens need to approve a general plan that gives guidance and direction on how they want their downtown to grow. Once done, this should limit the controversy and confusion that comes with each new project.
2. The residents of Scottsdale have used their collective voice twice in recent years to stop Desert Edge and SouthBridge Two. Is a message being sent by the residents? And, is it being listened to?
The rejection of the Desert Edge/Desert Discovery Center and the Southbridge II projects at a cost of over $500,000 paid by the citizens is a strong message of no confidence in the current City Council majority. The majority of four are out of touch with the citizens. I personally worked for the passage of Prop 420 for nearly three years. It was obvious to me that the citizens did not want the Desert Edge. The message from the citizens is still being ignored, just consider citizen objections to Marquee and Canalside, but both passed. The citizens had the ultimate say as judged by the primary vote. They are tired of the status quo.
3. Do you believe multi-acre, mixed-use developments, such as Museum Square or what Southbridge Two was planned to be, is what is needed in Scottsdale?
As I said above, some of these projects are acceptable, others not. Southbridge II was too big of an ask that would change the very fabric of our downtown.
Many City guidelines were cast aside with the design of SB 2. Multi-acre, mixed-use developments can work in downtown, but must include input from local merchants/property owners and follow the zoning. Bonuses are not a given for any of these projects. Compatibility of the project with the neighborhood, consensus among the Council, the citizens, the developers and the neighboring property owners is mandatory for approval.
4. What is a misconception the public has about development in Scottsdale?
The misconception of the public is that the City Council would put the citizens first and listen to the citizens’ opinions. Ignoring what the citizens expressed about the Desert Edge, Southbridge II, the Marquee, and Canalside, the same City Council majority felt they knew better than the citizens and approved these projects. The citizens want a Council that understands the essence of our community, not just the wishes of the developers who contribute to their campaign war chests. The citizens believe that their city government should work for them. I have taken a pledge not to take contributions from developers or their associates with business before the city. Tom Durham has taken the same pledge, and we challenge the other candidates to do the same.
Let’s make City Council responsive to the citizens and free from the influence of developer money.
Melissa Rosequist Managing Editor | East Valley @mrosequist_
I first started my journalism portfolio at the age of 15 while in high school before going on to study at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Being in the journalism field is the only professional avenue I was ever interested in, and have worked hard covering topics from school boards to hard news while working for the Independent, where I have been awarded for my reporting.
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