Neighbors press Tempe council over townhome plan’s privacy, wall and scorpion concerns

Neighbors opposing a 20‑unit townhouse proposal at 966 East Guadalupe Road told Tempe City Council on May 6 they fear the project will intrude on backyards, rely on an aging shared wall in disrepair and disturb bark scorpions that shelter in the old masonry. The Development Review Commission had approved the use permit and plan review; the matter was presented to council as a quasi‑judicial hearing with attorneys, neighbors and the project architect speaking.

Attorney Steven Brower, representing appellant Laura Carey and other adjacent homeowners, said the existing block wall between the proposed townhouses and the single‑story residences is more than 45 years old, uneven in height and cracked in places. Brower asked the developer to repair or replace the wall to a uniform height, to install an 8‑foot privacy wall or otherwise provide scorpion‑mitigation steps and to plant a screen hedge of non‑invasive trees (the neighbors proposed female…