(Photos AriannaGrainey/DigitalFreePress.com)
General Plan adoption, STR regulations & pending projects
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
With the August primary election deciding the political fates of incumbents and challengers for a seat atop Paradise Valley Town Council, the municipality’s top elected official is looking to get back to work at Town Hall, 6401 E. Lincoln Drive.
“I remain committed to keep our town stable, safe, and on top — and the best and most desirable residential community in the state and the region,” Paradise Valley Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner told the Arizona Digital Free Press.
“I am very grateful for the overwhelming support in the recent election to keep doing this work on behalf of our community and its citizens. The importance of teamwork and civility — especially when differences of opinion arise — will continue to be an emphasis. And I will continue to listen, learn, and work hard to find win/win solutions without compromising our shared values, including the priorities that the public embraced in the widely supported town General Plan update that was just passed in the election.”
The Arizona Digital Free Pres reached out to Mayor Bien-Willner seeking comments on initiatives he plans on giving his attention as Paradise Valley Town Council is due back at Town Hall Thursday, Sept. 8, following the local governing board’s annual break. This is what he had to say:
•With the primary election behind us, what has your attention as you gear up for the local legislative season at Town Hall?
First and foremost, after lots of hard work to get better tools to prevent and discourage negative impacts from short-term rentals in our neighborhoods, we will be taking steps to update the town’s laws to incorporate the new capabilities we won — that can only be done upon the state law that authorizes those abilities becoming effective is September.
(Photos AriannaGrainey/DigitalFreePress.com)
•Are there are any major projects coming through the general public ought to know about?
The town itself does not have any projects that I would characterize as “major” on the immediate horizon. Over the nine years that I have volunteered for our town, it is a regular occurrence that the small number of non-residential properties in town — mainly our resorts and houses of worship – may wish to make improvements or changes to their properties to stay fresh and relevant.
We are aware that at least a couple of town resorts, which must go through a strenuous public process to propose and make changes to their properties, may be coming forward with such proposals, and when that happens, they will go through our regular process of robust and open public engagement and review. I’m also excited about potential additional improvements to cell phone coverage in town, which we have been working on for some time.
•How is the Town of Paradise Valley doing with new STR regulations?
Our town team of professionals has been working throughout the summer to prepare amendments to our town’s code to incorporate the new measures and tools authorized by the improvements to state law that we fought to win. I’m looking forward to the Town Council and the public reviewing and discussing those efforts — and operationalizing the changes — at the start of this session.
(Photo: Arianna Grainey/DigitalFreePress.com)