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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

For "the rest of the story"

Apr 25

10

Senate bill 1229 will destroy your home values and is very, very good for developers

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 10, 2025
Posted in Barrell District • Cactus District • Cholla District • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • City of Phoenix • City of Tempe • Glendale Economic Development • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances • Glendale zoning issues • Ocotillo District • Phoenix Metro issues • Sahuaro District • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

This bill is passing through the Arizona State Legislature but there is still time for you to let your legislators know exactly how you feel about this bill. I recently read a very good guest Letter to the Editor in the InBuckeye news written by Kim Owens, a resident of Buckeye, Arizona. It sums up this bill quite nicely and so I am sharing with you her commentary:

“Residents of Buckeye should be aware of a threat to our community, as the Arizona legislature, under the protection of homebuilders with deep pockets, pushes forward a bill that will drastically change our city – and not for the better. The bill, Senate Bill 1229, will strip Arizona cities, meaning the voters, of the right to determine what their communities will become in the future. Buckeye is particularly vulnerable due to our abundance of open land.

In the name of providing ‘starter homes,’ this sleight of hand trick will take away local control, our method of protecting our investment, and expressing our voice on how we want our city to grow.

It is quite simply the big hand of government taking over our city, putting developers in complete control.

SB1229 is being forced upon us despite overwhelming public opposition from cities, towns, police, and fire departments, as well as voters. It epitomizes government overreach. The Buckeye general plan, approved by voters, serves as our roadmap for growth and development; however, it becomes irrelevant under SB 1229. This plan is crucial for maintaining the balance between residential, commercial, and open spaces in our city. Without it, Buckeye faces unplanned, chaotic development that disregards the needs and desires of its residents.

This bill will:

Require cities to allow high-density housing, with lot sizes as small as 3,000 square feet, in all new developments zoned as single-family residential,

Prohibit cities from requiring community parks, amenities or open space that is vital for quality of life,

Require cities allow remove any regulations stating a minimum square footage for a single-family home,

Forbid any maximum or minimum coverage requirements for a single-family home with no limit on the number or size of other structures on the lot,

Forbid regulations requiring the distance between property lines be more than 5 feet from the side lot lines and 10 feet from the front and rear lot lines,

Prohibit any design, architectural, or aesthetic requirements for a single-family home.

Essentially, build whatever the developer wants, as close as they want, out of whatever materials they want. This bill is designed to strip local cities and their citizens of the right to control the size and quality of growth in their communities, leading to second-class neighborhoods that are visually and structurally inferior.

Say hello to a future where the minimum standards for lot sizes and home dimensions can lead to overcrowded, blighted neighborhoods. Subdivisions could have as many as 12 to14 homes per acre built from any materials, such as cargo boxes.

Picture it – 3,000-square-foot lots, no fencing, five feet between each house, and free-for-all approach to architectural design. With no requirement that these “starter homes” be sold to working families or be owner-occupied, they will be little more than corporate, short-term housing money machines for developers that can be built anywhere, without regard for community input. Meanwhile, the property values in surrounding neighborhoods plummet, our streets become congested, police and fire are pushed to the limit, and schools are more crowded.

The threat posed by SB1229 to Buckeye is substantial and should not be overlooked. It compromises our ability to govern our community’s growth, protect our investment, and preserve our unique character. By mobilizing and taking action, we can safeguard our city’s future and ensure that development reflects the wishes and needs of its residents. It is essential to stand together and make our voices heard to prevent the irreversible changes that SB1229 threatens to impose.”

Although this commentary was written for Buckeye residents, make no mistake, this bill will affect all of us. residents must speak out against SB1229. So far, this bill has the votes to pass – it is time for us to make out voices heard! Here’s what you can do:

Voice your concerns to our State Representatives by email – tell them to VOTE NO ON SB1299:

Spread the Word: share this info with your neighbors, ask them to send an email.

Utilize Social Media: Provide information to wider networks – this affects every city in the state. Please contact your Arizona State legislators and make your voices heard. Here is a list of those legislators that represent Glendale:

Senator Eva Diaz District 22                 Email:  eva.diaz@azleg.gov

Rep Elda Luna-Nájera District 22        Email:  eluna-najera@azleg.gov

Rep Lupe Contreas District 22             Email:   lcontreras@azleg.gov

Senator Analise Ortiz District 24         Email:  analise.ortiz@azleg.gov

Rep Lydia Hernandez District 24         Email:    lhernandez@azleg.gov

Rep Anna Abeytia District 24               Email:  aabeytia@azleg.org

Senator Tim Dunn District 25              Email:   tdunn@azleg.gov

Rep Michael Carbone District 25        Email:  mcarbone@azleg.gov

Rep Nick Kupper District 25                 Email:   nkupper@azleg.gov

Senator Flavio Bravo District 26          Email:   fbravo@azleg.gov

Rep Cesar Aguilar District 26               Email:  caguilar@azleg.gov

Rep Quanta Crews District 26              Email:  qcrews@azleg.gov

Senator Kevin Payne District 27          Email:  kpayne@azleg.gov

Rep Lisa Fink District 27                        Email:  lfink@azleg.gov

Rep Tony Rivero District 27                  Email:  trivero@azleg.gov

Senator Janae Shamp District 29        Email:   jshamp@azleg.gov

Rep Steve Montenegro District 29      Email:  smontenegro@azleg.gov

Rep James Taylor District 29                Email: jtaylor@azleg.gov

© Joyce Clark, 2025   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Feb 25

5

They took it to the streets

Posted by Joyce Clark on February 5, 2025
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • City of Phoenix • Phoenix Metro issues  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

For those of you who do not follow the news closely, on January 31st at a press conference, Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader, D-N.Y., pledged Democrats would fight President Donald Trump’s (immigration) agenda with, “We’re going to fight it in the streets.” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-MA., called for agitation “in the streets.”

A few days later there were coordinated protests of thousands of Mexicans nationalists throughout the country waving the Mexican flag, and burning the American flag, in the streets.

On Sunday, February 2nd that is exactly what happened in Glendale/Phoenix. At the intersection of 67th Avenue and Camelback, approximately 1,000 people gathered about 5 pm to protest the new immigration policies. South of Camelback is Phoenix and north of Camelback is Glendale. So, both police departments responded. A helicopter flew overhead using loudspeakers to advise the crowd that it was an illegal assembly. They ignored it.

The protest remained peaceful until about 8 pm. Then it got ugly. The crowd threw fireworks, large rocks, chunks of concrete and glass bottles at officers who were simply trying to maintain the peace. Cars began doing burnouts and donuts in the intersection. This caused police to close off the intersection for public safety reasons.

Further escalation ensued with the damage of 5 police vehicles, all kinds of things being thrown at police officers and damage to nearby businesses. Employees at neighboring businesses had to shelter in place. Many employees’ vehicles had extensive damage as well as some of the businesses.

At 10:30 p.m., Phoenix and Glendale police officers in riot gear began approaching the intersection. Police used flash bangs, tear gas, and pepper balls after multiple commands to leave were ignored.

Protesters lit fireworks and threw bottles and rocks at officers. In addition, a fire was set to a large storage container near one of the business complexes. It was definitely not a safe situation.

Why would these protestors, shutting down the Camelback and 67th Avenue intersection, burn the flag of the country in which they are demanding to remain while waving the flag of the nation to which they apparently have no desire to return? Blocking traffic while waving foreign flags to get people to oppose deportations makes no sense.

You may know that I am a law enforcement Mom. My son was a police officer for many years. I back the Blue. What I am about to say is not to disparage the Glendale or Phoenix police departments. However, they announced there were no arrests. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt assuming they were terribly outnumbered and at the moment it might have been too dangerous to do so.

The major TV stations have videos of the damage caused by recognizable individuals. I hope at a later date, these departments will view all the footage, identify people and announce arrests in conjunction with this illegal assembly. I also assume that they will work with ICE to deport those who are here illegally.

In 2019, there was a protest in downtown Phoenix against ICE and there were immediate arrests. In fact, one arrestee was none other than Glendale’s latest councilmember, Lupe Conchas. The charges against all who were arrested were later dismissed.

This morning, I learned that there was another protest at 93rd Avenue and Glendale Avenue. Protesters should stop taking it to the streets. They are not making any friends by disrupting commuter traffic and destroying private and public property.

© Joyce Clark, 2025   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Jun 24

23

Don’t count on Meruelo

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 23, 2024
Posted in Arizona Coyotes • City of Glendale • City of Phoenix  | Tagged With: , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

The Coyote fan base was surprised, to say the least, to learn that the state land auction for a parcel that Meruelo wanted to buy had been cancelled. It comes as no surprise for several reasons.

Why would Phoenix want to give massive tax breaks to facilitate a venue that would be in direct competition to other concert venues located within the city? It would not. It would be safe to assume that the ‘powers that be’ in Phoenix had several conversations with the ‘powers that be’ at the state Land Department.

This recent action by the Land Department puts the ball in Phoenix’s court and I doubt Meruelo will get those tax breaks that he covets. Without those, Meruelo’s incentive to build will evaporate. Meruelo received a boat load of money by selling the team. There is simply no incentive on his part to try to get something in place in the Phoenix area in a few years, as required by the NHL.

He has no credibility left with Valley fans or former employees. He has treated both shabbily. The team’s sudden departure for Utah left fans stunned and demoralized. His treatment of his former employees by giving one month’s severance was uncaring and demonstrated how little he valued them.

Meruelo’s reputation is shot. Valley fans no longer trust him. Anyone who chooses to work for him does so at his/her peril.

If fans ever expect to see another team in the Valley it will be resurrected by someone other than Meruelo. It will have to be someone that truly values the sport of hockey; someone that will reach out to fans to develop a strong base; and someone that has the political savvy to work through local government to secure support.

In this case it was all about the Benjamins…and Meruelo got his. Sometimes a person’s greediness stuns all.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 24

13

Coyotes moving

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 13, 2024
Posted in Arizona Coyotes • City of Glendale • City of Phoenix • City of Tempe • Desert Diamond Arena • Phoenix Metro issues • VAI Resort • Westgate • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Yesterday, April 12, the Arizona Republic reported (“Arizona Coyotes Relocating to Salt Lake City, reports say”) that it appears that the Coyotes will be moving to Salt Lake City, Utah. The General Manager, Bill Armstrong, advised players of the impending move on Friday night.

I am sharing my thoughts on the news. The move was inevitable, but I thought Houston would be the team’s new home. I was wrong.

Leaving Glendale was the beginning of the end. Alex Meruelo sent this team down this path with his arrogance and stubbornness. He could have and should have been more reasonable and negotiated a deal in Glendale that was mutually beneficial to the city and to the team.

Guess what? Sometimes it’s better to stay with the person that brought you to the dance.

 For all the naysayers about Glendale as a viable location, there were several factors overlooked. When the Coyotes put a winning team on the ice, the arena was packed. Witness their one and only play-off season. It’s not where you play but the quality of the team that determines attendance. When a team is winning, fans will come from everywhere. With the completion of Route 202, travel time from the East Valley was substantially reduced. The Coyotes were successfully building a fan base in the West Valley. The Westgate area with 15 new apartment complexes and the construction of the VAI Resort and Mattel Adventure Park adds a whole new dynamic that would have helped to grow the fan base.

Personally, I’m glad that the Coyotes left the Glendale arena. Since their departure revenues to the city from events have skyrocketed. With the addition of the Rattlers football team, the revenue picture for Glendale looks even brighter.

When the Coyotes were unable to relocate to Tempe and instead ended up playing in the 5,000 seat Mullett Arena, many sensed that a move was going to happen sooner or later. Muerelo had to be bleeding money. Many of his costs were fixed and the revenue from 5,000 seats could not possibly cover those fixed costs, no matter the price point of the tickets. Add to that dynamic, the head of the players union’s demands to know where the players would be long-term.

As for the bid on state land in north Phoenix, who advertises what they are willing to bid? I suspect there are other types of developers out there that would have outbid the Coyotes. That scheme was certainly not a done deal. When Mayor Ortega of Scottsdale publicly voiced Scottsdale’s objections, sentiment about yet another location not making surfaced quickly. Realistically, had the Coyotes been successful, the hurdles they were about to face guaranteed that it would be years before a hockey arena could be built at that location.

I feel sorry for the fans. They have been steadfastly loyal to this team and have proven it many times. They are sad, angry, and upset. Rightfully so. For the fans and the players to learn of the relocation through social media shows how little respect Muerelo and management has for the fans and their players.

After all the assurances that they committed to stay in the Valley, it appears that the reported $1 billion that Meruelo is asking for the team, outweighed any promises of staying. It’s all about the money, baby.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

May 23

17

Tempe citizens win and Coyotes lose

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 17, 2023
Posted in Arizona Coyotes • City of Glendale • City of Phoenix • City of Tempe • Phoenix Metro issues  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Last night I checked the Maricopa County elections page to find out the results of the Tempe election. There were 3 propositions, all of which if passed, would have given the Tempe City Council and the Coyotes the green light to build a new hockey arena.

I am pleased to report that all three propositions were rejected by a margin of about 56% NO to 44% YES. I helped in a very small way by writing several blogs about Glendale’s experience with the Coyotes and even wrote an opposition statement in Tempe’s publicity pamphlet.

The Coyotes officially conceded last night, and Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez issued the following statement after the vote results were released:

“We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303. As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history. The Coyotes wish to thank everyone who supported our efforts and voted yes. So many community leaders stepped up and became our advocates and for that we are truly grateful. We also wish to thank the countless volunteers who worked so hard to try and make the Tempe Entertainment District a reality and the Tempe City Council for their support as well. While we wanted a different outcome, we remain grateful to all those who volunteered their time and talent. What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also issued a statement on @ArizonaCoyotes arena vote failing:

“The NHL is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referenda regarding the Coyotes’ arena project in Tempe. We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward.”

I suppose they can try to find another location in Arizona. Who knows that may happen. Commissioner Bettman is absolutely glued to the Arizona market and will try his damnest to remain in Arizona. Alex Muerelo has a betting franchise in Arizona that could be worth more than the team. That also gives him a strong motive to stay here. It will be interesting to see how the next chapter unfolds.

In the meantime, here are just a few reactions from the fan base:

  • “My fellow #yotes fans, one day we will looks back and say, ‘Thank God it didn’t work out in Tempe.’ @ArizonaCoyotes there’s still so much love for you in the desert 🌵 We will rise my friends. This is the dark before the dawn. 🏜️”

 

  • “Completely gutted. What a devastating loss for our community. @ArizonaCoyotes you always had a fan in me. Through thick and the thinnest of thin. Really heartbroken. ♥️”

 

  • From reporter Brahm Resnick: “DEFEAT’S NOT AN ORPHAN Tempe voters’ resounding rejection of @ArizonaCoyotes proposal also a repudiation of mayor & council that backed project along w 4 former mayors who got behind it.”

 

  • “Sorry Gary but your Arizona Coyotes project was and continues to be a failure. It’s time to move the team.”

 

I’m glad the Tempe saga is over. My concern was that Tempe was about to be caught up in the drama of a financial maelstrom just as Glendale had been. When ordinary people, like me, are struggling to pay bills and are worrying about another recession it wasn’t the right time to ask for any kind of financial breaks for yet another sports team.

Tempe voters…you made the right decision. Congratulations.

© Joyce Clark, 2023     

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner

Mar 23

29

Slapshots

Posted by Joyce Clark on March 29, 2023
Posted in Arizona Coyotes • City of Phoenix • City of Tempe • Phoenix Metro issues  | Tagged With: , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

This week the publicity about the Coyotes has been nothing but awful. Slapshot number 1 was the media blitz earlier this week about Andrew Barroway. Barroway was the majority owner of the Coyotes until he sold most of his interest in the team to Alex Meruelo in 2019. Barroway, to this day, remains a minority owner. He was arrested March 23,2023, on domestic violence charges in Colorado after allegedly assaulting his wife. As a result, the National Hockey League has suspended Barroway.

Slapshot number 2 is the Phoenix Business Journal article posted today announcing that Sky Harbor is suing Tempe over the proposed Arizona Coyotes arena project. As was stated in the article, Phoenix has no problem with the commercial aspect of the project – arena, shops, etc. Their objection is to the 2,000 proposed high-rise apartments which they claim is a breach of the 1994 Agreement between Phoenix and Tempe.

The Coyotes’ response ignores the basis of the suit which is the construction of the 2,000 apartments and instead uses smoke and mirrors to focus on Phoenix’s sports/entertainment venues saying if Phoenix can build them close to Sky Harbor, then they should be allowed to build their entertainment venue close to Sky Harbor.  “While it is OK for Phoenix to build a baseball stadium, a basketball arena, and a soccer stadium in the flight path of Sky Harbor Airport, somehow, it’s wrong when Tempe attempts to convert an old polluting landfill into a new sports and entertainment district.”

They deliberately missed the point and are trying to divert attention away from their planned 2,000 apartments. So, it will go to court. It’s doubtful the issue will be decided before the Tempe election on the issue.

However, the intended result of the suit has already occurred by muddying the waters even further for Tempe voters. I suspect many voters will decide why bother with this whole Coyote mess and hopefully, vote ‘no’.

It will also have the effect of further extending the timeline for the proposed construction of the development, should it pass in the Tempe election. Remember, to a developer, time is money.

I also ran into a small, news snippet online stating that a group of NHL owners were unhappy with the Coyotes shenanigans perhaps leading to some new marching orders for Gary Bettman, CEO of the Hockey League. This was before news of Barroway or the Phoenix suit. I wouldn’t be surprised if they decided that they’ve had a belly full of the Coyotes. Bettman has always protected the Coyotes but how much longer will he be able to do so?

Would a third slapshot spell a death knell for the Coyotes? Stick around and watch. Just when you think it can’t get any worse for the Coyotes, it does.

© Joyce Clark, 2023     

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.