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Residents, youth groups urge Tempe to block rezoning of Shalimar Golf Course
Summary
Dozens of residents, youth golf representatives and neighborhood leaders told the council that Shalimar Golf Course is a community asset and cautioned against rezoning for dense rental development, citing lost canopy, traffic and recreation impacts.
Multiple residents and community representatives urged the Tempe City Council to protect Shalimar Golf Course from proposed rezoning.
Mary Anne Dillon, who identified herself as a longtime Shalimar Neighborhood Association leader, told the council: “Please do not let the course be rezoned for mostly rental properties,” and described the property as a neighborhood anchor with historic and recreational value. She said the course’s current condition — trees and vegetation dying because water was cut off — reduced neighborhood canopy and constituted an eyesore.
Speakers who followed included former junior‑golf executives and coaches who described Shalimar as an important site for youth tournaments and character building. Tom Cunningham, retired executive director of the Junior Golf Association of Arizona, and Scott McNevin, the association’s executive director, urged the council to keep zoning that allows golf uses and junior‑golf programming.
Other neighborhood speakers raised traffic and safety concerns connected to nearby school zones and warned that dense multifamily redevelopment could increase cut‑through traffic on small residential streets. Several speakers thanked councilmembers who had already indicated support for exploring preservation options.
No formal rezoning motion was before the council at tonight’s hearing; public comment on the topic was part of the call to the public. Councilmembers acknowledged the testimony and noted the item remains under review on the agenda; the packet points residents to future hearings and staff reports.
