{"id":4461,"date":"2016-01-05T17:20:52","date_gmt":"2016-01-06T00:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.finditinlaveen.com\/?p=4461"},"modified":"2016-01-19T17:32:36","modified_gmt":"2016-01-20T00:32:36","slug":"city-and-community-leaders-predict-growth-freeway-in-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finditinlaveen.com\/city-and-community-leaders-predict-growth-freeway-in-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"City and community leaders predict growth, freeway in 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
As the dust settles on 2015, residents in South Mountain and Laveen Villages can say goodbye to a year of transition and welcome 2016, the year of inevitable and dramatic transformation for their community, from added police officers to the first stages of construction on the South Mountain Freeway.<\/p>\n
While neighborhood crime, housing prices and development remain the top concerns among residents and city leaders, South Phoenix is poised for improved economic conditions and job creation, all resting on the change that will come with improved infrastructure via the long-awaited freeway. The growth, however, will come with growing pains and community leaders emphasize that the city needs to prepare for the transition from rural to suburban.<\/p>\n
We asked our area Phoenix City Council members and other community leaders to address what they consider the most pressing priorities for 2016. Here is a summary of the questions we posed to them and their responses.<\/p>\n
QUESTION 1:\u00a0 <\/strong>As we begin 2016, what do you consider the most pressing issue facing the residents of the South Mountain-Laveen area and why do you consider that a priority?<\/p>\n QUESTION 2: <\/strong>How can residents in the community work together to achieve a positive outcome regarding your answer to Question 1? What stake should residents have in this issue and improving\/protecting their community?<\/p>\n QUESTION 3: <\/strong>Although the South Mountain Freeway project is in legal limbo until the summer, most people and community leaders believe it will go forward as planned. As the project begins, how do you see it changing the landscape and character of the community?<\/p>\n Jon Kimoto<\/strong><\/p>\n Jon Kimoto has been a Village Planning Committee member for six years and a Laveen resident since 1985. He also is a member of Laveen Citizens for Responsible Development, a nonprofit group that works with the Planning Committee, developers and city leaders.<\/p>\n QUESTION 1:\u00a0<\/strong> \u201cIn my opinion it is maintaining continuity of our past to guide both our present and our future. We shouldn\u2019t forget our roots. Those are important core values that form the foundation of our planning decisions and documents. I think it\u2019s important to transcend our agrarian heritage and maintain lower densities as we develop out toward South Mountain, to preserve open space and, of course, to preserve the quality of the architectural design that we have tried to have reflect the rural ranch life that was here before many of us. We need to balance that off with high-quality landscaping and quality lighting to preserve our night skies and to preserve a rural-type atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think that the highest priority is to maintain the quality of development as we approach the next level of development here in Laveen \u2013 not try to cram something into every niche.\u201d<\/p>\n