Dear Shalimar Supporters,
I hope your 2025 is off to a good start. The Save Shalimar campaign has been very active and I want to provide a few important updates.

Tempe City Council Member Meetings
Over the last several weeks, representatives of the Shalimar Association have met with each of our Tempe City Council Members individually. Our intention was to provide an update on the rezoning opposition campaign, share how things are progressing with our city-wide outreach, discuss developer communications, and talk about Shalimar 2.0. Following those meetings it was clear that the council supports what the community is doing.

They continue to hear and understand more about what Shalimar means to Tempe. They also recognize the current owners’ right to sell their personal property. There is a sincere hope that a solution can be found that will work for the larger community, as well as the owners.  

All council members shared their appreciation for how we are conducting our campaign. We emphasized that we appreciate their time and willingness to listen to us.

Latest Meeting with Developers
A meeting was recently held with the property broker, along with executives from BB Living and Cachet Homes, to follow-up on our previous conversations in November 2024. They shared with us a modification to the current proposal that reduced the build slightly, from 277 to 250 homes. They carved out a small park-like area that would be open to residents. 

Though we recognize the effort, it is a tiny consolation in lieu of destroying a valuable green space and treasured part of Tempe. In our opinion, the change is insignificant. In their proposal, the golf course is gone, as is the vast majority of the green space. The high-density rental townhouses remain. The proposal is little changed from what has been previously submitted to the city. They indicated that it is not possible to have a golf course in this location.

As you can imagine, we disagree. We will continue to engage in dialogue with all parties, though at this time an acceptable outcome with the current developers seems unlikely.

City-Wide Petition Drive
Our petition drive continues to attract more supporters throughout the city of Tempe and the region. We are gaining strong stakeholder support and widespread community backing. I want to thank the neighborhood associations, small businesses, and community groups throughout Tempe for their outstanding support. I also want to thank every one of you who has signed the petition and your efforts to activate family, friends and beyond. Please share this link again!

Closing the Golf Course
As we are all aware, it is the owners’ intention to close the golf course at the end of April. This will be a sad, unnecessary, and significant milestone for everyone. Shalimar 1.0 will end its long run. It is important to remember however, that closing the golf course does not mean the developers are any closer to rezoning or development approval. The rezoning opposition and the quest for a better solution is growing broad momentum. 

It is the intention of the Shalimar Association, along with all supporters, to work toward a resolution with the owners that will give way to Shalimar 2.0. The period between golf course closure and Shalimar 2.0 will be a challenging time, particularly for longtime golfers and the golf course homeowners. The neighborhood is preparing for this eventuality and will remain in solidarity as negotiations on a solution proceed. 

We have received questions and concerns from many regarding property maintenance – both from a tree/vegetation and animal perspective. We received the following from the city of Tempe: 

“The Community Enhancement Division is tasked with ensuring all properties remain in compliance with the City Nuisance Codes and Zoning Codes. Some of the most common maintenance issues we address include dead vegetation, and junk, trash and debris. The property owner will be held responsible for any lack of maintenance or City Code violations on site. If the rezoning ultimately fails to pass, we will work closely with the property owner to address any issues that may come up and provide assistance whenever possible”.  

Property security, the safety of all animals, and keeping trees and plants alive are top concerns. The Shalimar Association is looking into what options might be possible. Our hope is that the current owners continue to be both good neighbors and good stewards of this ecosystem during this troublesome time. There is no reason to believe that the owners will not continue to meet the expectations we have for all community members, as they have throughout their long time living in the neighborhood.

Shalimar 2.0 Solutions
Finding a solution that meets the the community needs, as well as the owners’ needs, is also a high priority. The Shalimar Association continues to speak with potential investors who are interested in maintaining the golf course and green space. There are interested parties, but it is very difficult to move ahead with alternative options for the property until the current deal under consideration is abandoned. Any potential solution will require the owners to be open to entertaining different offers and working with different parties toward that end. The Shalimar Association believes that a public/private solution is obtainable, but will require bringing all parties to the negotiation table to work collaboratively to meet key concerns of all stakeholders. We are prepared and look forward to this opportunity.

I do wish I had better news, and hope that will come in the not too distant future. At this time I am confident that the current developer proposal has extremely limited support and is not likely to move forward. This is due to your efforts to make your voices heard and speak out on needless destruction of the little remaining green space in Tempe. There is a better solution. Shalimar is worth saving for Tempe today and Tempe tomorrow.

Sell yes. Rezone no.

We will continue to update you. Please go to our Save Shalimar website and social media for current news, petition information, and ways that you can help. If you haven’t already, make a contribution, order a new yard sign, and/or get a t-shirt. Each action demonstrates your support for Shalimar and keeps the campaign visible – thank you!

Regards,
Carl Streiff
President Shalimar Association