Pasadena Neighborhood Association

Development at Central-Camelback, Need Your Input

Hello Neighbors -

What should development at Central and Camelback be like?  High Rise buildings?  Big Box stores?  Neighborhood-oriented shops, restaurants, and entertainment?  A Regional Center that draws folks from throughout the valley?   Or, something else altogether?
 
We need your comments on this by early Feb .   The Central & Camelback Coalition (CCC) created a website to collect comments on a proposal that was put together by representatives of neighborhood groups in the area.  Go to www.centralcamelbackcoalition.info to read a draft description, sign in the guestbook, and add your comments.  Be sure to include the neighborhood you live in to help make sure the recommendations reflect the desires of those who live in the area.
 
It is crucial that as many residents as possible weigh in on this.  Not only will your ideas improve what is proposed to the City, but if a large number of residents are involved, it is more likely that a plan specifically tailored to this area will be approved.
 
Background:

The City of Phoenix is currently working on a 30-year Plan for development of the Light Rail corridor, which includes residential, commercial and entertainment opportunities.  In this process, individual “Place Type” plans will be developed for each Rail Station area, and they will affect development within a quarter-mile radius of that station.  In the Uptown area, the station we are presently concerned with is at Central and Camelback.
 
Leaders from the neighborhoods in the area of Central & Camelback (the CCC) have been working on a "Place Type" they believe would be compatible with the historic neighborhoods in the area.  Central and Camelback is unique in that each of the four neighborhoods at this intersection are historic neighborhoods, full of historic homes that back up to retail businesses on their borders.  The CCC believes this area should have a place type that is tailored to this specific environment.
 
The CCC objectives for the Central and Camelback “Place Type” are:
*  Promote and develop livable and sustainable neighborhoods
*  Promote and increase the use of alternative modes of transportation such as walking, bicycling, carpooling, riding the bus or light rail.
*  Encourage a mix of uses and balance densities and intensities within identified activity areas accessible to alternative modes of transportation
*  Prove a quality of urban design that attracts and encourages pedestrian activity
*  Reinforce public investments and private development to achieve a compact form of development conducive to walking, bicycling, and transit use
*  Provide facilities that create a safe, accessible, comfortable and pleasant environment for people; maintain safe access for automobiles and adequate parking and minimize conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians.

The CCC will present a formal proposal at the Alhambra Village Planning Committee meeting in February 2012.  The proposal will be posted on our website after all comments are received, reviewed, and incorporated; and we will notify you by email about the Alhambra Village meeting and others that are part of the approval process.  The CCC will keep you advised about what you can do to make sure your voice is heard.

If you have questions, comments or concerns, please post them on the website or contact me directly.  Thank you much!
Gary LeBlanc 602.222.9369