COGS REPORTS on Important Issues

COGS Reports on Important Issues

⭐ Value Add
COGS monitors major development proposals, attends City meetings, and reports back to members with clear, fact-based updates. Our goal is to ensure Scottsdale residents have early, meaningful opportunities to understand and influence the projects that shape their neighborhoods.

New Parking Garages in Old Town

Locations:

– Stetson and 6th Avenue: New structure using city funds.
– Brown and 1st Avenue: Adding two levels to the existing garage using 2019 Bond funds.
– The City Council approved two garages in 2024; one in the NE Old Town Quadrant and one at Brown and First Street.

Brown & First Parking Garage (Old Town – Brown Avenue Project)

The City is adding two levels to the existing Brown & First garage using 2019 Bond funds. COGS has been attending meetings and tracking the project as it moves through design refinements and architectural review.

Recent Updates
– 9/18/25: First Old Town Parking Expansion meeting held to review early concepts. See the Informed Resident Facts tab for information, links to the design presentation and comment forms for residents.
– 10/27/25: The Historic Old Town Association Architectural Committee (representing Old Town property owners) continues coordinating with the Chasse design team to ensure alignment with Old Town Architectural Guidelines.
– 10/29/25: The HOTS Committee is working with the selected artist on a western-themed public art mural for the garage façade.

COGS Position: Supports adding two new parking garages in Old Town, including Brown & First.

NE Quadrant Parking Garage (Stetson Drive & 6th Avenue Area)

The City presented three conceptual design options for a new parking structure in the NE Quadrant of Old Town, just south of the Entertainment District. COGS attended the public meeting to review the concepts firsthand and is reporting key takeaways so members can provide informed feedback.

City staff emphasized that these are working concepts, and elements from any of the three designs may ultimately be combined based on public input. Materials were not a central focus of the discussion; instead, the City encouraged comments on circulation, visibility, pedestrian flow, and neighborhood compatibility.

Community Feedback Themes Heard
Attendees raised several consistent themes during discussion and comment:

Preference for Option 1 (Waveform Concept)
– Many attendees favored the Waveform concept for its softer form, copper tones, and connection to Arizona materials.
– Requests included using matte finishes rather than glossy metals to reduce glare and limit heat.
Safety & Operations Priorities
– Strong emphasis on bright, even lighting and eliminating dark corners or enclosed spaces.
– Interest in balancing open stair visibility with enclosure for comfort and security.
Heat Mitigation
– Favorable comments on screens or façade treatments that reduce heat gain through standoff distance or perforation.
– Appreciation for shaded areas and landscaping buffers along Stetson and 6th Avenue.
Western / Area Character
– While the NE Quadrant can support a more modern architectural expression, some attendees asked how the design could better reflect Scottsdale’s identity.

Citywide Noise Ordinance Update

– Details: COGS opposes rooftop amplified music and recommended the city replace all sound meters with the dBc scale that measures music. The city has now replaced to upgraded decibel meters that capture amplified noise and music and not just human voices.
– COGS Position: COGS can not support the current, weakly enforced Noise Ordinance. Business “winners and losers” should not be determined by current city policy that allows the impact of unwanted noise or music bleeding beyond any establishment property lines.   A 2024 updated draft was presented to City Council on December 3, 2024.  At this time, April 2025, the staff draft has limited text changes – none of which will apply city wide nor rein in the loud and intrusive noise sources in the bar district and other areas of the city. No further staff report has been scheduled for public hearing.
– Effective June 1, 2025 –  City announced the 19 member code enforcement team will move from the planning department to the police department.
– COGS is coordinating with hoteliers and condo residents in and near the bar district to do a early 2026 City Council presentation of the continued failure of noise controls at any appropriate level. The full team has met multiple times over the past two years with district police and Code Enforcement officers.