By J. Graber | Daily Independent
In a rare move of unity, the Scottsdale City Council voted 7-0 during its Dec. 3 meeting to clear the way for construction of the Consanti Commons mixed-use development near the intersection of Shea Boulevard and 70th Street.
The council rezoned the 8.6-acre plot of land in the economically struggling area to allow for a three-story building with 196 apartments and 79,200 feet of commercial space,
Even council members Kathy Littlefield and vice mayor Barry Graham, who have adopted an anti-apartment stance in the past, voted in favor of the project.
Graham said he struggled with the rezoning application but ultimately felt good about it.
“I think three stories for this area is the max – I think that’s what fits in,” Graham said. “I like a few things with the project. I like it’s a reduction from four to three floors. You reduced the units. I like how much it’s over-parked (by 70 spaces) … I like that it doesn’t disturb single-family neighborhoods in the area. I like that it protects almost all of the retail in the area.”
However, he did signal he likely would not vote for similar projects in the area in the future.
“After this, the area is probably full,” Graham said.
The plan originally called for a four-story apartment building with 240 units, but the developer, Highstreet Residential, agreed to remove the top floor based upon the recommendation of city Councilmember Betty Janik, who was chairing the city’s development review board back in April.
“Everyone on the (development review board) thought the four-story architecture was phenomenal and then I poked a hole in their bubble,” Janik said during the Dec. 3 meeting. “I said this is like threading a needle. I walked the area, there are no four-story buildings there. There are three-story buildings, and I don’t want to set a new (precedent) so I was very pleased that the people that represented the developer readily agreed to reduce it to three stories instead of four. I was equally pleased they enhanced the setbacks, which gives it a much nicer, open feel, and that was without any prodding. I feel they have done a lot to enhance what they’re doing.”
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