Resident says Phoenix Commerce Center development harmed neighborhood; city seeks dialogue with Northpointe

Joan Weaver told council she feels like her neighborhood has been left out of development decisions and described the Phoenix Commerce Center construction as having detrimental effects on traffic, view and quality of life for residents along Pembroke Avenue.

"I feel like the stepchild that is not allowed in the kitchen, but is sitting at the kitchen door watching everybody in the city eat at the table," Weaver said, urging the council to ensure her neighborhood receives the same attention and mitigation promised during approvals. She said proffers associated with the project were not adhered to and that the resulting warehouses are disproportionately large relative to the neighborhood scale.

City Manager Bonnie reported that staff, neighborhood representatives and Northpointe met earlier in the week to discuss outstanding concerns; she said Northpointe committed to several measures for immediately impacted houses (including pressure washing) and that staff would continue creating venues for direct neighborhood discussions with Northpointe. Bonnie acknowledged that mitigation will not eliminate residents' sense that the project should not have occurred, but said the city will pursue dialogue about fulfilling commitments and neighborhood remediation.