POP needs MONEY

POP needs $20,000 to pay our legal fees. We are out of money despite your generosity. Please help! Our cause was meritorious, 2166 of you voted to reject 100 condo-like units at the Ritz-Carlton Residences.POP needs your help to pay what we owe; money needed to win the law suit forced on us by Five Star. POP remains mobilized in an effort to safeguard the values of the Town of Paradise Valley. To review: Five Star Development sued the Town of Paradise Valley in an attempt to overturn the petition signed by over 900. The petition called for a vote of Town residents on whether Five Star should be allowed to build Ritz-Carlton high-density housing on 105 acres northeast of Lincoln and Mockingbird. It was necessary for POP to intervene in the case because the Town Council did not want the referendum to succeed, making them look foolish. Our brilliant election law attorney, Lisa Hauser of the renowned firm of Gammage and Burnham, won and Five Star lost the law suit; the victory cost POP over $41,000 in well spent legal fees. Prop. 411 was approved.Preserve Our Paradise (POP) spent only $17,204 for advertising. $21,000 has already been paid to the lawyers to defend the rights of the voters of ParadiseValley to exercise our constitutional privilege. But, POP still owes Gammage and Burnham $20,323.The opposition spent a total of $222,936 for advertising. This does not include the unknown amount spent by Five Star Development in legal fees to sue the Town. All of the money spent by the opposition came from Five Star Development and its president, Jerry Ayoub, while all of the money spent by POP was donated by individual residents of our town.We understand that these are poor economic times. We also understand that there are many things which take priority over POP's bills. We are hoping, however, that you will all dig in a little deeper and help out. While the developer's deep pockets won the day, POP made quite an impact on the way the Town will act in the future. The evidence is that the firm, never-to-change-its-mind Five Star Development has already asked and received permission to lower its density from 100 units to 88. We have made a difference. Please help us by giving whatever you can toward the legal fund. POP acted on your behalf, please support our action.Five Star spent about $51 per vote while we spent about $8 per vote. They out spent us by 13 to 1. We did not lose, sadly the votes were bought and won by Five Star and their high-priced PR flacks. Let us not forget that 2166 Town residents share our thinking, more votes than were cast for any of our Town Council members. By the way, we estimate President-elect Obama spent about $7 for each of his nearly 67 million popular votes.POP is alive and well and will stay that way to represent your issues to our Town Council and to spread the good word.Once again, POP needs your help to pay off $20,000 debt to our lawyers.

100 down to 88?

The request by Five Star Development to reduce the number of high-density condo-like duplex units at the Five Star Development's Ritz-Carlton Residences project from the Town Council and Planning Commission approved number of 100 units down to 88 units only proves the fallibility of the approval process. How much less dense should the project be made? Commissioner Lou Werner reminded the applicant that the commission was told the project had to have 100 patio homes in order to make it work. Both Council and Commission fell for this developer kool-aid. The result will be a project we fear the Town will ultimately regret. First Montelucia at the corner of Lincoln and Tatum and now this. We have it on good source that there were serious objections to fire safety problems posed by the building density during the Planning Commission review. Commission Chairman Dolf Strom said the current project approved unanimously by both the commission and the Paradise Valley Town Council met all of the town's safety requirements but even the applicant had to concede that the changes would result in a safer project. Here again, the approval process is not perfect. Will this change make it safe enough?We regret the decision to allow this project to go forward but POP did not lose the decision on Prop. 411, sadly the high priced lobbyists paid for entirely by Five Star bought it. At $150,000, Five Star outspent POP by about 15 to 1. Remember that 2166 voters opposed the project, more than it has taken to elect a Town Councilman. In 2004 Indian Bend Road west of Scottsdale Road carried 19,600 vehicles per day. The Scottsdale Transportation Department estimates that the traffic volume will increase to approximately 25,000 to 30,000 by 2020. With the coming of the high-rise 250 room "Edition Hotel" on the southwest corner of Indian Bend and Scottsdale Road there is a good probability heavy traffic will be siphoned off into Paradise Valley further compounding problems created by the Five Star project.The Paradise Valley Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Dec. 2 in order to render a judgment on the developer's request. We hope concerned citizens will attend to voice opinions.

Five Star Wants a Change

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 6 P.M.

Town Planning Commission meeting.

Five Star Development/Ritz-Carlton Residences requests reducing the number of patio homes from 100 down to 88.
Find out why

POP remains mobilized in an effort to safeguard the values of the Town of Paradise Valley. We need your help.
Thank you for helping Preserve Our Paradise. Let's not become Paradise Lost.
Find us on the Web at www.pvpop.org

Ritz Developer Sues Town

Five Star Development to file suit to dismiss a referendum brought by Preserve Our Paradise over the project's residential housing.POP's attorney must defend. POP needs funds for legal fees now.
Please help.
Make check payable to POP.
Mail to:
POP
Suite C4, Box 110
6929 N. Hayden Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250

To comply with State Law we must use best efforts to obtain, maintain and submit the name,mailing address, occupation and name of employer of all contributors.

We are Certified

Thanks ever so much to all of you. The Paradise Valley Town Clerk certified our petition signatures on June 4th.

Please Donate

"The time has come," the walrus said, "To talk of many things..."
POP needs funds for legal fees, advertising, operational expenses. Five Star will spare no expense or effort opposing the POP referendum by mounting every legal obstacle they can.
Please help. Make checks payable to POP and mail to:
POP
Suite C4, Box 110
6929 N. Hayden Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
To comply with State Law we must use best efforts to obtain, maintain and submit the name,
mailing address, occupation and name of employer of all contributors.

Notarize your Petitions

Monday, May 5 through Thursday, May 8

we will be outside the PV Police Department
from 6 pm to 8 pm

Sign Referendum Petitions

notarize your petitions Monday at 7 pm