Azure: Shea Homes community sign, walls approved for Paradise Valley neighborhood. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Shea Homes.) “A monument sign [for] Shea Homes’ new [PV] residential neighborhood has gained a recommendation vote from the municipality’s Planning Commission.” With walls 11-feet high and “flanking the approved guardhouse,” the home builders “sought to create a cleansing experience for residents as they leave the hustle-and-bustle of the city…” Jordan Rose: “The gates open [to a ‘very modern, elegant, clean’] reveal of the mountain and Shea Homes.” Further details and renderings in PV Independent. http://bit.ly/2Arknw5
Judge rejects True Life’s plan for Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course. “[Judge John R. Hannah Jr.] on Tuesday rejected The True Life Companies’ plan for houses and other amenities on the defunct Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course [and he] also ordered True Life to pay the attorney fees of the two residents who sued to have the course restored.” Calling it a “complete win” for the two residents, AFN looks at how the “ruling sets the stage for an intriguing future for the course.” http://bit.ly/2Cqc0D9
Biltmore’s best new build: Montecito by Green Street Communities.(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Green Street Communities.) Arizona Foothills Magazine gives a rave review of the Montecito gated community, boasting that it “opened to the public on November 11 and is already the fastest selling community in all of Biltmore with more than 50% already sold out.” Featuring a short VIDEO tour guided by Green Street founder and CEO, Derek Jarr. –> http://bit.ly/2Apbtj3
Robson Ranch closes on 1,000th home. “To celebrate the milestone, Edward J. Robson, chairman of Robson Communities Inc., along with additional Robson team members, welcomed [the new residents] in person after the couple closed on their home…” And Eloy Enterprise has the pic to prove it, giant purple ribbon and all! http://bit.ly/2CD8HeR
ULI Arizona program brings urban planning to the classroom. “The UrbanPlan curriculum is the result of a partnership between the Urban Land Institute Arizona District Council and Desert Vista High School.” KEY QUOTE: “Once students get into UrbanPlan, it’s the coolest thing to see how much they light up.” KEY IMAGE: Real estate consultant and ULI member Jim Belfiore in the classroom, giving “UrbanPlan students feedback on their projects.” At AzBigMedia. http://bit.ly/2CqcGbF
How ‘Not in my backyard’ became ‘Not in my neighborhood.’ “In Seattle, the neighbors don’t want apartments for formerly homeless seniors nearby. In Los Angeles, they don’t want more high-rises. In San Jose, Calif., they don’t want tiny homes. In Phoenix, they don’t want design that’s not midcentury modern…Homeowners in each of these places share a common conviction: that owning a parcel of land gives them a right to shape the world beyond its boundaries.” This New York Times piece explores that notion — its roots and the far-reaching impact (or at least as far as “five blocks over”). http://bit.ly/2lXkI4O
National housing outlook 2018: 6 predictions from the experts. “With few clear signs of supply relief and the impact of the new tax law still being digested, reading the housing tea leaves is particularly challenging this year, but here are six things experts expect to happen…” Forbes. http://bit.ly/2EYNMkT
How U.S. home builders can attract global buyers. “Many [U.S.-based builders] have upward of 20% or even 50% shares of foreign nationals in their buyer base — and they’re well-equipped to keep those numbers high.” Builder presents six “tips and tricks’ — “strategies” — home builders use for “understanding foreign buyer segments, meeting their needs, and ultimately making the sale.” http://bit.ly/2CHHc53
What does $100M buy you? Fab renos at this Fountain Hills resort.(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents CopperWynd Resort and Club.) “Thanks to the Fountain Hills Town Council’s support, [CopperWynd] will be renovating and expanding to the tune of $100 million. What does that kind of money buy?” Get an overview of the three-phase makeover in Arizona Foothills Magazine. http://bit.ly/2CEVrYb
Chandler growth creating demand for office, industrial space. “With demand for high-end office and industrial space on the rise throughout the East Valley [largely driven by tech companies], developers are making investments in mixed-used properties in Chandler to meet that pent up demand.” East Valley Tribune. http://bit.ly/2CEyymK
2018 Ahwatukee forecast: Big changes in the political and desert landscape. “By far, politics will be one of two dominating themes for Ahwatukee in 2018 — the other, of course, being the South Mountain Freeway.” Ahwatukee Foothills News takes a look at these and a handful of other “major changes awaiting Ahwatukee.” http://bit.ly/2CFIYT4
Peoria: 2017 Year in Review. A month-by-month look back at headline-grabbers in Peoria Times. Among the major stories: Settlement of Tohono O’odham Nation casino litigation, selection of Jeff Tyne as new city manager. relocation of the Challenger Center, and approval of a $70 million multi-specialty health center. http://bit.ly/2qrsdq4
Willmeng Construction begins expansion of BASIS Flagstaff. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents BASIS.) “The 34,867-square-foot school… will have an additional 30,877 square feet. BASIS Schools is the developer, Chermack Consulting Group is the development manager, and Carhuff & Cueva Architects designed the expansions… Construction will be completed in October 2018…” Get reno details and view the rendering at AZRE. http://bit.ly/2CD0WXc
Arizona’s economic developers continue to create jobs. AzBigMedia David McGlothlin lays out the “selling points that make the Arizona market so attractive for continued job creation and capital investment,” and also takes a look at the “state’s economic development groups and developers” and their “recent wins”: Lucid Motors, Benchmark Electronics, Dot Foods, Kudelski Group, and Caterpillar. http://bit.ly/2CryQtQ
What Curt Woody has to say about Arizona in 2018. “For the past 30 years, [Curt Woody has] worked in a variety of capacities within the commercial development industry from running his own company supplying the commercial building industry to working as a business development manager for Sundt Construction. Today, he’s the director of economic development and tourism for the Town of Marana and president of the Arizona Association for Economic Development.” Check out the AZRE interview with Woody at AzBigMedia. http://bit.ly/2qqdU50
[VIDEO] Pima County residents suggest alternative use for World View, admonish. Puppet Master. Political pay-offs. Cronies. Rip off. Fake news coverup. A sampling of terms from President Trump’s tweets? No, these are just some of the invectives hurled by the residents featured in video clips of “Tuesday’s meeting of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.” To WATCH tap to ADI. http://bit.ly/2CpOzd6
State attorney general’s office declares Kingman Council’s interchange tax increase in violation. “The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has found the City Council to be in violation of the state’s open meeting law when it voted for the 0.5 percent sales [tax] on Aug. 15. The AG had received a complaint on Nov 7 that adequate notice was not provided… The complaint [also] alleged that the tax increase was for ‘pavement preservation,’ yet the discussion and vote led to a rate increase… for ‘capital improvement projects.’” Daily Miner. http://bit.ly/2CFgOs9
Allhands: What you don’t know about the water law that saved Arizona. AZCentral columnist Joanna Allhands: “Here’s the story you don’t know about one of the most important laws Arizona ever passed [‘the Groundwater Management Act of 1980’] — and what today’s leaders can learn from it.” http://bit.ly/2qjoJFU
Cameron’s $5M + deals of the day – http://bit.ly/2E73gCi
Napolitano, other former DHS heads, say DACA deadline is problematic.“Democrats Janet Napolitano and Jeh Johnson, and Republican Michael Chertoff — said the department will need months to get a program up and running, and to provide certainty for employers who rely on the illegal immigrants.” More on their “warning to those looking for a smooth transition” in The Washington Times. http://bit.ly/2qowxGn
State Supreme Court requires warrant to track cars with GPS. “[A] majority of the justices said people in vehicles have a ‘reasonable expectation’ of privacy. That includes being able to travel where they want without government monitoring. And while people drive on public roads, Chief Justice Scott Bales said that is quite different than using technology to track someone, in this case for 31 hours.” Capitol Media Services’ Howard Fischer reports, however, that “Wednesday’s ruling did not help” the man at the center of this case. See why in Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2CTh7fQ
Further ways to keep citizens from changing state laws proposed by Republican lawmaker. “The proposal by Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, would limit future ballot measures to ‘one subject,’ with a requirement that be spelled out in the title. More to the point, it would allow a court to void any portion of a voter-approved measure not mentioned in the title.” Howard Fischer reports that the proposal is an attempt to prevent “logrolling” — voters having to “ ‘hold their nose’ and support something they do not like in exchange for getting something they want simply because it is being offered in a single take-it-or-leave-it measure.” Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2CrAHii
Bills seek to make doing business from home less of a hassle. “Sen. David Farnsworth, R-Mesa… has introduced two bills aimed at making it easier for entrepreneurs to start businesses in their home.” One bill addresses restrictions on square footage allowed for home business owners, while the other bill “would prohibit municipal governments from forbidding home business owners from making improvements to their home.” And that’s just for starters! More on SB1001 & SB1002 and what else they include, at Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2E7h3bU
Legislator comes to the aid of college students in disciplinary proceedings. “[Introduced by Rep. Jay Lawrence, R-Scottsdale], H2028 requires college and university students undergoing disciplinary proceedings… to be represented by a lawyer. If the student can’t afford one, the bill mandates the college or university to provide the student with legal counsel. The bill also says an accused student has the ‘right to confront’ his or her accuser.” READ ON at Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2E6vYmR
Statewide campaign to fix Arizona’s tax code launches today. According to a press release, the “Fair Share Campaign seeks to clean up Arizona’s tax code and eliminate special interest tax breaks so our communities can prioritize the services that benefit everyone, like quality public schools for every child, affordable college tuition, safe roads and other vital infrastructure.” You can read the full press release, including details on six bills the campaign plans to introduce, in Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2qkaalm
