March 8, 2025

Supporters of Save Shalimar –

The best time of the year in Arizona is upon us! Spring Training, Winter Visitors, Outdoor Activities, and… Golf. It has been great to see so many people taking advantage of the weather and golfing at the Shalimar Golf Club. We know that the owners intend to shutdown operations at the end of April. We encourage you to visit the course and enjoy the time we have left with Shalimar 1.0. 

City-Wide Petition Drive

Our petition effort continues with strong support throughout Tempe and beyond. Thank you for signing the petition. Please continue to share the link with other city residents. Save Shalimar Petition – Save Shalimar

Development Status

We have often been asked “when is the city council vote”? The simple answer is TBD. A vote requires several development approval process steps to be completed. Most of which have yet to be done. Below is the City of Tempe process that must be followed by any developer.

The Developer has been in stage 2 since the end of October 2024. At this time, there has not been a public involvement plan filed. There have been no formal neighborhood meetings.

If there is a high likelihood of a NO vote by the city council, moving toward a vote is of no benefit to the owner/developer. In fact it is a disadvantage as the project (as proposed) would be dead for a period of 1 year.

The fact that the development process has not proceeded is a clear testament to our collective resistance and opposition to rezoning. Everyone should be proud of this. Your emails to the city, speeches at the city council, signing and sharing the petition, making donations to the campaign, purchasing t-shirts, and placing yard signs on your property are all making a difference!

So what does this lack of movement by the developer mean? Before I give you my opinion, let me share a few other facts on the current status.

Meeting with Owner

The Shalimar Association recently met with the Broker and Owner representative. This personally was my first meeting with an owner, even though I had requested one for months. The last meeting with the owner occurred over a year ago with the previous President of the Shalimar Association.

We asked where the owners stand with regards to the property. The answer was simple: “We stand with BB Living and the current proposal”. The owner’s position is that the proposal is a good one, good for the neighborhood and good for the City of Tempe. The owner pointed out all of the positives of the proposal, including the quality of the product to be built, the amenities in the development, and the positive impact on home values the development will bring.

We of course disagree. The loss of greenspace that will be gone forever, the 2 and 3-story rental townhomes that are completely out of character for the neighborhood, significant increase in traffic, decrease in livability/quality of life and decrease in home values not only for the homeowners living on the golf course (which will be significant), but the surrounding neighborhood. In short, a complete destruction of the natural beauty and attraction of what is the Shalimar community.

We asked about working together and collaborating on a solution. One key enabler to this would be the current developer proposal would either go away or the owners publicly stating they are willing to accept counter-offers and/or alternate proposals. The answer to these questions was no. They are staying with the current developer and the current proposal.

This was disappointing to hear. The Shalimar Association would like to move our focus of opposing rezoning to one of working with the owners on a collaborative solution that meets their needs and the needs of the larger community. Collaboration is a 2-way activity. 

One on-going challenge for the Save Shalimar campaign is the fact that the current developer proposal presents a clear and present danger to the community. It is because of this we must continue our focus on opposing rezoning. 

Recent Published Opinion Piece

You may be aware of a recent opinion piece by the owner that was published in several newspapers. This opinion was titled “The truth about Shalimar”.  

There was considerable community discussion following the publication of the owner’s opinion piece. We respect the owners’ right to tell their story. We also encourage all community members to be respectful in all responses. Our campaign and mission is not about the owners. We simply disagree with their desire to rezone the property.

In response to the owner’s opinion piece, the Save Shalimar Campaign issued a rebuttal. I should mention that this came after a flurry of rebuttals from neighbors and Tempe citizens were published. Those opinions were in stark disagreement with that of the owner.

Some highlights from the Shalimar Association/Save Shalimar Campaign rebuttal:

• The Shalimar Association is committed to working with the owners on a solution that does not require the elimination of this precious green space. 
• The owners have a right to sell and deserve to make a profit. What is not their right is rezoning, which would result in an unreasonable profit based on artificially inflating the value via high-density zoning. This would certainly benefit the owners, but at a great expense to those living on and around the course. 
• We acknowledge the owners right to their ‘truth’ and in fact agree with their contributions and long term commitment and many of their statements.
• We do not agree with all claims in the owners ‘truth’.  We absolutely do not want to get into a point-by-point counter argument. It will not help and does no one any good. We strongly believe in treating all stakeholders, and in particular the owners, with dignity and respect. 
• The property was purchased as AG/1 house per acre. It was purchased at a time when the Shalimar Association was collectively fighting rezoning. The owners were part of that mission. Nothing has changed in that mission.

Bottomline Status

So where are we and what does this all mean?

The golf course is scheduled to close at the end of April. The owner at this time intends to stay with the current developer and proposal. It is safe to surmise that the owner believes in a scorched earth strategy, whereby they shut-off the water, end any routine maintenance of the site, and let the trees and wildlife living there die. Believing all of this will motivate the neighborhood to accept their proposal.

The Shalimar Association is preparing for this eventuality and though we hope for a breakthrough in collaboration on a solution, we are considering what contingencies are available to limit the impact of a scorched earth strategy.

I will be clear: We will not be pressured into accepting the unacceptable. The owners may choose a path of destruction of the natural beauty that has been Shalimar for the past 60 years, but they do so at risk to their reputation and legacy.

The Shalimar Association and the Save Shalimar Campaign stand ready to work with the owners on a solution that will avoid a protracted fight where everyone loses. A solution can be found, but it will take working together.

Next Steps

Yes – I wish there was better news, but this is where we stand for the moment. In the meantime, I ask that all of you continue to advocate for the saving of this precious community asset. This can be done via several avenues of support:

• Sign the petition. Show your solidarity in opposition to rezoning. Share the petition with family, friends and residents of Tempe. Save Shalimar Petition – Save Shalimar
• Contribute to the cause. Our campaign is fueled by donations. Every dollar counts. Contribute! – Save Shalimar
• Let the Tempe City Council know your feelings about why you want to see this greenspace preserved. Email the Mayor and Council. councilcommunicator@tempe.gov
• Stay informed. Save Shalimar Facebook, Save Shalimar Website, Save Shalimar Instagram

No one thought this would be easy. The road to Shalimar 2.0 is going to be rocky. 

Stealing at least a partial quote here, I will end this with “If we believe this will work out, we will see opportunities. If we believe it won’t, we will see obstacles”. 

Let’s focus on the opportunities.

Regards,

Carl Streiff

President – Shalimar Association / Save Shalimar Campaign