Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 342

14 SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2005 89 SCOTTSDALE REPUBLIC CONTACT US SCOTTSDALE REPUBLIC scottsdaleopinions.arizonarepublic.com OPINIONS QUOTABLE "They said it would leave an ugly scar. But I gave them permission. Anything, if it saves Spur Cross." Cave Creek Mayor Vincent Francla on the request from firefighters battling the "Cave Creek Complex" blaze for a firebreak near the Spur Cross Ranch area. We welcome your letters on any topic up to 200 words. They may be edited for clarity and length.

Letters must include your name, address and a daytime phone number. Letters to the editor, opinion columns and articles submitted to the Scottsdale Republic may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms. For more information, call us at (602) 444-7987. E-mail: ne.lettersscottsdalerepublic.com. Visit us online: You can find current and past editorials and letters on the online news and information service of The Arizona Republic.

The Internet address is scottsdaleopinions.arizonarepublic.com. Mail: Letters to the Editor, Scottsdale Republic, 16277 N. Greenway-Hayden Loop, Suite 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. FAX: (602) 444-7985. Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper, whose Editorial Board consists of Michael Ryan, Dan Nowicki and Dale Hajek.

Nowicki is a member of The Arizona Republic editorial board. EDITORIAL I SEND Time for city to show leadeirsMp Our stand: If Barrett-Jackson moves, blame will be on council's, mayor's shoulders After the Barrett-Jackson car auction left Scottsdale for Phoenix in the late 1970s, it was Scottsdale Mayor Herb Drinkwater who wooed the event back in 1989. In fact, cool-car king Craig Jackson says it was Drinkwater himself who first drove him up to check out the digs at WestWorld in north Scottsdale. Why Barrett-Jackson matters You don't have to be a classic-car collector to want to keep Barrett-Jackson at West-World. The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce issued a statement Friday saying, "Losing Barrett-Jackson would be like losing the economic impact of the Super Bowl every year in Scottsdale." The chamber put the yearly economic impact at $150 million, adding that no other Scottsdale "event can boast an annual impact of that magnitude." Financially, Barrett-Jackson is a windfall for Scottsdale in terms of sales and bed taxes.

A i warned the city. Since January, it at times appeared that the city and Barrett-Jackson were making progress. But five months later, negotiations appear to have reached a dead end. Jackson is a longtime Scottsdale businessman and clearly would prefer to stay here. But he has other options and other communities, including Scottsdale's rival Glendale, which is salivating over stealing the auction, which draws big-spending visitors from around the world.

The auction drips with the class, exclusivity and hipness that many use to define Scottsdale. Jackson's offer includes his purchase of the critical 52 state acres. This is a good-faith proposal, and he is even willing to give Scottsdale the option to buy it from him later. And he's willing to sign a 20- or 30-year deal to stay. If some third party, such as a developer, secures that land, Barrett-Jackson is gone, he said.

"Now is the time," Jackson said. "Now is going to be the last time." Will Mayor Mary Manross and the City Council go down in history as the people who drove him away? Jackson has told Scottsdale City Hall that he is tired of waiting around for city officials to make necessary improvements at WestWorld so that the signature Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction can continue to expand and grow. In a sharply worded, eight-page letter to City Manager Jan Dolan, Jackson details what must happen to keep the car ex- Talkback Craig Jackson, the man who runs the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction, wants Scottsdale to tell him by Tuesday if it is interested in negotiating a long-term agreement to keep the economically important event at WestWorld. The agreement would address longtime sticking points such as parking, traffic and land acquisition. Why Is keeping Barrett-Jackson Important to Scottsdale? Do you appreciate the value of the auction even if you are not Into classic collector cars? Is Jackson too demanding? Does what he's asking for make sense for WestWorld? Or should the city tell him goodbye? If Barrett-Jackson leaves, what can Scottsdale do to replace the economic Impact? E-mail us at ne.lettersscottsdalerepublic.com or write us at Opinions, Scottsdale Republic, 16277 N.

Greenway-Hayden Loop, Suite 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. You can also fax us at (602) 444-7985. complaining about these problems for years, some since 1989. This year's car auction was marred by WestWorld flooding problems again something about which Jackson has long IAN DOLAN 1 travaganza at WestWorld. MARY MANROSS new.

He says the auction needs better parking, better facilities, a clarified rent arrangement for a proposed multiuse building, better traffic circulation and, perhaps most important, 52 acres of state trust land expected to be sold to the highest bidder in September. Jackson gave the city until Tuesday to respond. teurs benefit greatly from the patronage of the auction's out-of-town spenders, some of whom are billionaires. Jackson is asking for WestWorld improvements that would make the equestrian-oriented facility even more attractive to other events. Council intervention needed It is time for the Scottsdale City Council to show some leadership.

Past time. On Tuesday, the council will discuss the city budget, which includes expenditures for West-World, so the topic is timely. A nearly $90 million WestWorld master plan is in place, but, as we've said, the city must remain flexible and amend it when necessary. Nothing could make less sense than charging ahead with ill-advised, taxpayer-funded "improvements" that do nothing to keep current customers such as Barrett-Jackson. There aren't enough home-and-garden shows in the world to match the annual economic impact of Barrett-Jackson.

Jackson said his vision for WestWorld would cost closer to $150 million. Scottsdale's efforts to keep Barrett-Jackson have been insufficient. Jackson described Glendale as "more proactive" than Scottsdale. That's embarrassing. Manross for the most part has been AWOL.

She paid a little lip service to Barrett-Jackson 'jVt HERB DRINKWATER Problems accumulated While that may seem unrea sonable, Jackson has been during her State of the City address, but that's been about it. Manross makes numerous excuses about why Scottsdale lost the Phoenix Coyotes hockey arena to Glendale. If Scottsdale loses Barrett-Jackson to Glendale or another city, such as Las Vegas, she should skip the ex- cuses. Her lack of leadership will deserve much of the blame. The council should direct Dolan to start ne- gotiating an agreement based on Jackson's draft ideas.

This is the top city priority. In July, the council goes on its annual six- week summer hiatus. Manross likes to say how much she works even though there are no meetings. Here's a great summer project for Dolan, Manross and the rest of the council. Dave CruzScottsdale Republic Craig Jackson has issued an ultimatum to the City Council: Improve WestWorld, or the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction is gone.

If city leaders fail to keep this prestigious event, Scottsdale will feel a very real economic impact. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Widening Chaparral will create more grief Complaining parry is to blame in fracas I i fmm i I I fe i I feaS--rr- L. accommodate the current daily traffic that we now have. This is before the new development property is finalized at Scottsdale and Chaparral, and Scottsdale and Camel-back Road. The political "fallout" could go either way.

To possibly anger a neighbor who might or might not oppose this expansion, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't really come to the table. If he has, I've missed the opportunity to speak up. I'll keep tabs on this situation, and I'll be there when the "neighborhood" has a chance to speak. Larry Eames Scottsdale Dave CruzScottsdale Republic Widening Chaparral Road to handle the growing traffic is not popular with letter writers. Anyone who regularly drives Chaparral Road would know that bulldozing the houses along Chaparral won't solve the traffic problem see problem, but not the real answer," Editorial, June 10).

It would only create a larger problem where the main one already exists at the intersection of Scottsdale and Chaparral roads. A modest proposal: West of the Arizona Canal, simply bulldoze up Northland Drive to Rancho Vista Drive andor Highland Avenue to provide direct access to all of the new development, which was approved with no regard to traffic issues. Richard Jacobs Scottsdale Not bad enough, yet Lots of talk and no action. I predict nothing will be done about the traffic on Chaparral Road until either the traffic backs up from Miller Road and blocks the entrance to the Safeway store or one of the residents on Chaparral meets his demise trying to back out of his driveway. Dorothy J.

Montalbano Scottsdale In response to "Lights but no glamour on Montebello Avenue" (Editorial, Thursday): Barry and Alicia Majer-cin lived in the neighborhood before they purchased the home next door to Chris Birkett. Birkett had been putting up his holiday displays for seven years before these complainers came along. This is no different than when somebody purchases a home next to an airport, then tries to put the airport out of business. I have no sympathy for people who already had knowledge about the activities of the neighborhood before purchasing the house next door. I support the Birketts in this dispute.

I hope they put up their Halloween and Christmas displays again this year. They're wonderful. Enid Parrott Scottsdale Bah, humbug I was reading about Chris Birkett, who was convicted of disturbing the peace because his Halloween display was deemed to be too loud holiday display leads to guilty verdict," The Arizona Republic, Tuesday). I find it sad that his "new" neighbors (Barry and Alicia Majercin) had to be Halloween scrooges and try to put an end to a tradition that my daughter and I have enjoyed for the past six years. Every year, we (and thousands of others) enjoy the Halloween and Christmas shows that Birkett puts on.

This man's' enthusiasm for the holidays is a breath of fresh air in spite of the scrooges and wicked witches out there who would cancel the holidays if they could. I live around the corner from Birkett, and I hope that he continues to bring joy to many people, regardless of what his new neighbors think. Steaming in Scottsdale. Honey Gately Scottsdale without some long delays. Robert J.

Gallik Scottsdale 'Answer' is expensive Your recent editorial about traffic woes on Chaparral Road was simply great see problem, but not the real answer," Editorial, June 10). I live off Chaparral Road, between Hayden and Miller roads. I believe $6.1 million to $6.5 million would need to be spent to relocate the owners of 28 homes, and that Chaparral between Hayden and Miller must be widened in order to Support for new exit In response to "Councilmen see problem, but not the real answer" (Editorial, June 10): Rather than raze houses along Chaparral Road in order to widen the road to accommodate traffic from Loop 101 to Scottsdale Fashion Square, it would seem much more reasonable to build an exit from Loop 101 to Camelback Road. This would split the amount of traffic between the two streets with no need to widen either one. Mary M.

Ackerman Scottsdale New exit cheaper Let's do something really that makes sense: Leave the homeowners alone, and let them enjoy what they have. Why not get together with the state and share the cost of putting an exit at Loop 101 and Camelback Road? Wouldn't this be cheaper in the long run? This way, you have a direct route to Scottsdale Fashion Square. Look at Chaparral and Scottsdale roads now. That intersection can't handle the current amount of traffic.