Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 222

4 EV The Arizona Republic Friday, January 8, 1999 612 CD, fetitioe drives face off in Coyotes aree a fight Carefree divided by stadium furor to submit the 88 valid signatures that are necessary, Carefree Town Clerk Betsy Wise said. If DiSimone is successful, the item will go before voters on May 18. DiSimone said there are many reasons citizens oppose the Carefree council's decision, including: Residents in Carefree don't want to feel responsible for any hardships south Scottsdale residents might face because of the redevelopment project. Questions over what liability Carefree would assume by joining the district. Outrage that Carefree's Town Council did not let' citizens comment before it addressed the issue Dec.

15. Steven said that the stadium district decision was part of a special meeting and that the council doesn't have to call for public input at such a meeting. "Also, it's only the first step," he said. "The public is going to get plenty of opportu- nities to digest and comment on this issue, if we even get that far." tax dollars for part of a $624 million redevelopment project at Los Arcos, at Scottsdale and McDowell roads. The project's centerpiece would be a arena for the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes.

A chief concern of critics is that Carefree and Scottsdale officials have brokered a behind-the-scenes deal in order to secure Carefree's support of the district. Stevens said the Town Council decided to help Scottsdale because it wants to be a good neighbor. He added that the possibility of any secret agreement is "a lot of bull." Curtiss said town officials are hiding something. "I don't want to mention any but there are people on the council who think that Scottsdale can do Carefree some favors, be it with water or sewer service or whatever," he said. Barry DiSimone, a Carefree resident, is also skeptical.

DiSimone said he's already collected more than 100 signatures on a referendum petition opposing Carefree's role in the stadium district. DiSimone has until Jan. 20 By John Nemo The Arizona Republic CAREFREE In a place where political controversy is about as common as outdoor ice hockey, the Town Council's recent decision to form a stadium district has residents threatening a referendum and the mayor firing back with verbal shots of his own. "What can I say?" Carefree Mayor Hugh Stevens said of his critics. "They're just citi- zens." One of those citizens, John Curtiss, has plenty to say.

"I just think it's none of Carefree 's business, for one," said Curtiss, an 18-year resident and one of the town's former mayors. "We're getting into something that we have no business touching." Usually quiet Carefree now finds itself in the middle of an emotional debate over whether developers should be allowed to build a hockey arena at Los Arcos Mall in south Scottsdale. The Carefree Town Council voted unanimously and without public input on Dec. 15 to form a stadium district with Scottsdale. The stadium district is the initial step toward using public By Diana Balazs and Alexa Haussler The Arizona Republic SCOTTSDALE The fight over the future of Los Arcos Mall is enough to make a hockey player wince.

In addition to dueling petition drives over whether the aging shopping center should sport a new hockey arena for the Phoenix Coyotes, those on both sides try to outmaneuver each other. No Pucks, a citizens group that supports the rebirth of Los Arcos but is opposed to the arena, is collecting signatures to place a referendum on the May 18 election ballot challenging the Scottsdale City Council's decision Dec. 17 to form a stadium taxing district. The district is the first step toward using tax dollars for part of a $624 million redevelopment project at Los Arcos, at Scottsdale and McDowell roads, that includes the arena as its anchor. No Pucks also is threatening to sue the city for processing petitions hurriedly collected by a pro-arena force, Don't Let Los Arcos Die.

The latter group sought a March 9 vote whether Scottsdale should form a stadium district. No Pucks said it believes that Don't Let Los Arcos Die collected signatures in an attempt to "soak up" signatures No Pucks would collected, said Alan Kaufman, a lawyer and north Scottsdale activist representing No Pucks. The pro-arena group, funded by the Ellman developers of Los Arcos Mall, and by the Coyotes, collected an estimated 3,570 signatures, 1,748 more than needed. "Many people who were out Christmas shopping signed theirs thinking they were signing a genuine referendum. That's 3,500 signatures we didn't get.

If we had those 3,500, I would have already filed (with the city)," Kaufman said. He said those who signed the pro-arena group's opinion cannot sign No Pucks. The Scottsdale City Clerk's Office reviewed 312 pages of signatures turned in by Don't Let Los Arcos Die and accepted 305. In a letter dated Jan. 1 to City Clerk Sonia Robertson, Kaufman reiterated No Pucks' position that all of the sheets should be rejected because they violate a state law that says the words "paid or volunteer" be in the upper right-hand corner of each page.

Those words were in the bottom right-hand corner on the pro-arena group's petitions. An Ellman official questions No Pucks' motives, saying the group is trying to deny voters an opportunity to vote on the project early. "If his (Alan Kaufman's) only argument is the location of a box on a form, then you seriously have to question his motivation," said Bob Kaufman, an Ellman vice president and no relation to Alan Kaufman. "Obviously, it's their intent to delay the project and deny the people the right to vote on it," Bob Kaufman said. The arena backers said they launched their petition drive to speed the process.

"Any delay in getting this to an early public vote is not in the best interest of the project or citizens of Scottsdale," Bob Kaufman said. The arena backers say they need to get voter approval to move forward with the project. "There's lots of things at risk of 2,002 valid signatures to hold a referendum vote May 18. Their goal is 4,000 to ensure success. "We're not there yet, but I have-j.

every hope," said Bruce Steele, No Pucks' publicity chairman, who lives near the site of the proposed arena. Steele said about 50 volunteers are circulating petitions. "We expect to have as many signatures from up north as we get down here," he said. The group has 30 days to collect the signatures. The deadline is Jan.

17, but the city extended it to Jan. 19 because its offices are closed Sundays and because Monday, Jan. 18, is Martin Luther King Day. Alan Kaufman wrote a letter to the city asking for a written guarantee that Jan. 19 is the correct date for filing the petitions.

The city answered that although it feels Jan. 19 would be "an appropriate day," it has no way of predicting whether someone else might challenge the or of guaranteeing the outcome if there should be litigation. In order to protect "the right of referendum in this case," the City Clerk's Office will be open Jan. 17 to accept the petitions. Residents interested in serving on the stadium tax district board have until 5 p.m.

today to file an application. Almost 90 applications have been given out, Robertson said, but as of midweek, eight had been returned. Diana Balazs can be reached at 444-7479 or at diana.balazspni.com via e-mail. Alexa Haussler can be reached at 444-7481 or at alexa.hausslerpni.com via e-mail. John Nemo can be reached at 444-7475 or at john.nemopni.com via e-mail.

here," Bob Kaufman said. "We have interest fron tenants. They are not going to be inclined to wait forever about whether we have a project." The Don't Let Los Arcos Die petitions now are in the hands of the Maricopa County Recorder's Office for certification and are expected to be returned to the city by the middle of next week, Roberson said. She said she expects there will be a referendum election, but not in March. "I don't, think there i any way we could do a March election," she said.

"There are too many statutory requirements and federal regulations that we need to comply with, and it takes time." In the meantime, No Pucks unteers need to gather a minimum uu A3 Lf a Charter school in Mesa closing By Kelly Pearce The Arizona Republic MESA Thursday marked the end of a semester at Intelli-School in Mesa. It also marked the end of the life of the charter high school. The school, which has been open for three years, closed its doors to classes. An official at Intelli-School, which has four other locations across the Valley, said longtime haggling with Mesa over a building occupancy permit is mainly to blame. Under the lease, the school, in a red-brick office complex in the downtown area, will have to be emptied of people and furniture by next Thursday.

The administrator, teacher and most of the 36 students will be moving on to the charter's central Phoenix location or to the Paradise Valley site, which opens next week. Fourteen students will return to district schools or enroll in other charters. Students at Intelli-School, which has an extended calendar that allows teens to work at their own pace on computer-based lessons, will be given bus passes to make the journey from the East Valley. It was a change in a city zoning ordinance that led to problems about two years ago, Patricia Shaw, administration director for Intelli-Schools, said. Shaw was issued a temporary building occupancy permit but was denied a permanent one even though the school had complied with the new rules, she said.

Tom Mattingly, Mesa's building inspections superintendent, said records show Intelli-School was asked to add an exit door and a corridor to satisfy city code. A temporary permit was granted while school officials agreed to make the additions. However, it appears they never were made. The lease was due to run out this month and Shaw said "it wasn't worth going through the hassle with the city." It made sense, she said, to shut down after the semester break. But that doesn't close the door on an Intelli-School at another East Valley site, Shaw said.

Kelly Pearce can be reached at 444-7981 or at kelly.pearcepni.com via e-mail. Slaying victim is identified CHANDLER Police have identified a man found shot to death late last month as Jose Marcial Quintero-Aguilar. 32, was shot Dec. 29 in a kitchen in the 500 block of South California Street. Police were called to the scene by a man who identified himself as the victim's roommate.

Quintero-Aguilar is a native of Sinaloa, Mexico, and has been in the United States since said Sgt. Ken Phillips, a Chandler police spokesman. Police have made no arrests in the slaying. The Arizona Republic How can you start 1999 with ar exciting new career? Look for The Super Sunday Job Search January 10th! It's the Valley's largest and most powerful classified section of the year! Inside, you'll find thousands of new career opportunities in just about every field you can imagine! Don't miss The Super Sunday Job Search on January from all of us at The Arizona Happy New Career! i wsa (initittl -J 'I ill Arizona's 1 Employment Source www.azcentral.comdass For more information call 444-8836 fj.