jUNE 13, 2011
Mayor, downtown bar owners meet to discuss path forward
SCOTTSDALE – Scottsdale Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane brought together a number of owners and representatives of the city’s downtown bars and restaurants at City Hall Friday where they discussed growing concerns over the noise, parking and trash situation in downtown.
“I want this group to become proactive in solving some of the problems we are experiencing downtown and I was pleased they reported they are moving full steam in that direction,” said Lane. “Today’s meeting was extremely productive and I believe will help set the stage for creating long-term solutions.”
The morning’s conversation revealed that many of the operators of Scottsdale's popular downtown night spots are creating a formal downtown entertainment association to address areas of concern. This group will work closely with the city to help members comply with the city’s noise ordinance and also with police on safety issues.
“We are invested here, and want to be good neighbors,” said Les Corieri, who owns many of downtown’s most popular establishments, including Axis-Radius and the Mint. He is helping to lead the formation of the new association.
“We look forward to continuing talks with the city and our neighbors as we work together to address these issues.”
Among many positive outcomes form the meeting, Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell committed to increased police presence in the affected neighborhoods in and around downtown in an effort to alleviate after-hours loitering.
The bar owners have hired a cleaning company to pick up any trash left over from the night, in front of their businesses and also in the surrounding neighborhoods.
City officials discussed short- and long-term parking solutions for downtown, including the possibility of a public private partnership to alleviate overflow parking in nearby neighborhoods.
The Mayor and city code enforcement, transportation and police staff will continue discussions and exchanging ideas in the coming weeks.
“It’s going to take a cooperative, collaborative effort to address these issues moving forward,” said Lane. “There needs to be a fair and responsible balance between the needs of downtown residents and those of the downtown business owners. I think today was a major step in that direction.”
