Scottsdale gives Blue Sky developer more time for accord

The Scottsdale City Council on Tuesday gave Gray Development Group two more weeks to come to an agreement with surrounding property owners before it considers the developer's scaled-down proposal for its Blue Sky apartment complex east of Scottsdale Fashion Square. The proposal faces two legal challenges, by ST Residential and Triyar Properties, forcing a supermajority vote of 6-1 for council approval. But it's possible those protests may no longer exist when the council considers the proposal at its March 8 meeting. The council was set to vote on the proposal calling for modified development standards and an amended site plan as part of the city's downtown infill incentive district. However, Brian Kearney, Gray's chief operating officer, asked the council for a two-week continuance, citing ongoing negotiations with the adjacent property owners. The council voted 6-1 to grant the request. The dissenter, Vice Mayor Bob Littlefield, opposed the downtown infill incentive district, which allows developers like Gray to seek greater building heights and densities in the downtown area. Littlefield called Gray's request "blatant council shopping" in that "they need six votes and they obviously didn't have that tonight." "Mostly the thing I hate is they come down here, citizens come down here to testify and they move the goalpost on them," he said.

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