Goldwater loses fight with Peoria over Huntington University subsidies.“Lawyers for the Goldwater Institute, which sued Peoria in 2016, called the funds illegal handouts because Peoria taxpayers are not served by the private university — a violation of the Arizona Constitution’s gift clause.” Last week, “a county judge ruled” otherwise. AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2jOtFMU
More than 400 attend open house on proposed 3,300-home development. “The topic discussed was a proposed… development that would include land north and south of the Granite Dells Parkway interchange on Highway 89A. The proposal requires the annexation of about 3,000 acres into the City of Prescott.” The Daily Courier‘s Max Efrein reports that “as members of the public ushered into the Prescott City Council chamber Tuesday evening,” the “ire was palpable.” http://bit.ly/2IyquqM
[OPINION] Your Turn: Let’s clarify why BASIS charter schools asks parents for donations. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents BASIS.) In AZCentral, BASIS Charter School chairman Dr. Craig Barrett and executive director DeAnna Rowe set the record straight with regard to a recent Arizona Republic piece that “attempted to put a negative spin on” BASIS’ “voluntary fundraising program.” They highlight the fact that BASIS “teachers are paid competitively, despite what you may have read, in part due to the generosity of our parents and founders Michael and Olga Block.” http://bit.ly/2rFYgQy
Block Sports: Dreamport Villages on track. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents The Block Sports Group.) An ABC15 “Exclusive” with Block Sports’ Alan Segall who gives an upbeat update on the planned Disney-style mega-resort in Casa Grande. http://bit.ly/2Ix3gRW
The most, least affordable metros for teachers. Redfin looks at home affordability for teachers in 28 metros (Phoenix makes a poor showing), and its chief economist Nola Richardson weighs in on last week’s approval of a “20 percent wage increase” for Arizona teachers — in REALTORMag. http://bit.ly/2IARZjw
This is the best day — and time — to list your home for sale. To find out, Redfin analyzed “100,000 homes that sold in 2017.” So what is the best day and time to debut a listing, and what’s the theory behind it? Before tapping to CNBC to get the answers, here are two hints that might narrow things down: It’s NOT Mothers Day and it’s definitely NOT at 2:56 a.m. http://bit.ly/2G5Uhlb
Most expensive home sales in Phoenix. Arizona Foothills Magazine is out with “the Valley’s top home sales” — 4.30.18 – 5.6.18 — during which sales totaled “over $31 million,” DIVE-BOMBING like shares of Bitcoin some $8 million from the previous week. Among the communities in this installment: Tierra Feliz North, Jokake Estates, Enclave at Borgata, NOB Hill — featuring photos of homes that look curiously like ones we’ve seen recently, in a previous installment. Hmm… Perhaps just super-quick flips? http://bit.ly/2KhHzT7
Parks, roads and more: 7 projects on the horizon for Gilbert taxpayers. Among the projects that the “expanding town” of Gilbert is “directing a sizable chunk of funds” toward: • Heritage District parking garage • Public safety training facility • Gilbert regional park • Rittenhouse District Park • Elliot District Park improvements • Germann Road widening • Heritage District improvements. The rundown on each at AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2I8NMnP
Arizona is just the 39th most valuable state in new ranking. Really? Lower than Mississippi? Yep. That is, if “based on land worth, according to Wall St. 24/7, a business website known for such lists as ‘America’s Most Hated Companies,’ ‘The Value of a Dollar in Every State’ and ‘The Most Dangerous City in Each State’ (way to go, Tucson).” FYI, that last remark about our friends to the south is AZCentral’s, not ours. http://bit.ly/2Ixb99T
4 Arizona cities make the cut for seniors best-prepared for retirement. “The [SmartAsset] study used data from the Census Bureau and looked at total retirement income, percentage of seniors on food stamps, home ownership and private retirement income, among other factors.” Surprising results at KTAR. http://bit.ly/2KRHcQa
Scottsdale City Council opens way for changes to Civic Center Mall. No earth-shaking makeover news in this Scottsdale Independent report regarding the changes to CCM, but definitely enough “Overlay” info to satiate your average zoning wonk. (They’ll probably also get a kick out of the stories that follow below.) http://bit.ly/2IBRbLn
Tactics scrutinized in Phoenix medical-marijuana dispensary cases.“Zoning battles over medical-marijuana facilities in Phoenix have raised questions about the winning group’s tactics in an industry where millions of dollars are at stake.” AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2KbemZV
Phoenix beefs up enforcement of building noise violations. “But residents near the South Mountain Freeway construction area may not be in for much relief.” And then there’s this: “On-call inspectors will only be investigating construction noise complaints related to construction projects that require permits… and NOT the building of a bookshelf.” (Dealmaker wants to know: With the demise of books as we knew them, who’s building “bookshelves” these days anyway?) More on the non-enforcement enforcement at AFN. http://bit.ly/2KUtQmn
Florence ‘proactive’ on code complaints. Development Services Director Christopher A. Salas discusses code compliance and violations, permitting and enforcement, and modifications and setbacks, with the W.C. Smith Building, Charles Hardy Saloon, and Caliente Casa de Sol serving as prime examples of the town’s “proactive” approach — in Florence Reminder. http://bit.ly/2IwaBRv
Surprise transit survey reveals needs. And YourValley reports that the “results appear to defy the prevailing narrative, which casts Surprise as a so-called ‘bedroom community,’ where people only come to sleep, while seeking their work and entertainment elsewhere.” http://bit.ly/2IbTIfT
Kingman struggling to contain cargo containers. “Residents are increasingly turning to cargo containers for storage needs in residentially zoned areas because of their affordability and security, but since those containers are not permitted in those districts, the City is seeing an increase in zoning violations.” (And check out the expression on the face of P&Z commissioner Elizabeth Goss in the pic at Daily Miner. She looks like she just got news that Joe Dirt moved a container in right next door!) http://bit.ly/2IbFozL
Dealmaker BONUS: Big hearts built tiny homes for homeless veterans.“Volunteers with housing nonprofit Build Us H.O.P.E.” are putting up “three tiny homes that will become Village on 13th, a small enclave for military veterans who need homes in Phoenix.” Much more on the 13th Ave./Buckeye Rd. development, plus snaps of some of the progress, in Cronkite News. http://bit.ly/2IxWXxm
Jordan Rose, Rose Law Group founder and president, moderating upcoming Valley Partnership panel on valley labor shortages. http://bit.ly/2KyvKsq
