By Sam Kmack | Arizona Republic
The fate of a massive $1.8 billion development on Tempe Town Lake may soon be decided at the ballot box, after an Arizona Court of Appeals panel ruled Thursday that Tempe can’t block voters from weighing in on the long-planned project.
The ruling was a setback to city officials who have resisted sending the deal to residents for nearly a year.
The project, called South Pier at Tempe Town Lake, is located on Vista Del Lago Drive near the lake’s south bank. It’s currently an empty plot of city-owned land that developers hope to transform into a “resort-inspired” community with apartments, stores and restaurants.
Shortly after the city council approved the deal in March, a citizens’ group collected thousands of signatures in an effort to send the project to voters. Those who led the push said the lack of on-site affordable housing was a dealbreaker, especially given the eight-year property tax break the developers were slated to receive.
