Residents urge Tempe council to reject rezoning of Shalimar Golf Course, citing green space and traffic concerns

Several Tempe residents used the public comment period to urge the City Council to oppose rezoning or redevelopment of the Shalimar Golf Course in north Tempe, citing long personal ties to the course, environmental concerns and neighborhood impacts.

Mary Ann Dillon, who said she has played at Shalimar for 50 years, told council the green space benefits the whole city and warned that “once a green space like Shalimar is lost it is lost forever,” citing urban heat, traffic and potential declines in neighborhood property values as reasons to preserve the course. “Please help us save this beautiful garden by not approving detrimental zoning,” she said.

Other speakers echoed those concerns. David Rhodes recalled childhood memories at Shalimar and said rezoning could reduce nearby home values and increase congestion. Matthew Mathias, a resident of Shalimar Estates, said higher‑density rental housing proposed by a buyer would increase local traffic and erode homeowners’ sense of community. Several speakers urged the city to prioritize homeownership and preserve the area’s green space.

One virtual speaker, David Sokolowski, framed the city’s housing challenge differently: he criticized what he called “chronic NIMBYism” and urged the city to approve more dense projects and reduce height restrictions to meet statewide housing needs. Sokolowski said the state expects Tempe to build tens of thousands of units and urged council to “approve the projects, abolish height restrictions, cut red tape, and make it happen.”

Community advocates in the audience and speakers urged councilmembers to engage with state lawmakers, preserve the city’s general plan and ensure neighborhoods are included when state-level housing proposals are discussed. Council members did not vote on any Shalimar zoning matter during this meeting; comments were part of the open call to the public.