Tempe approves Rio East and Aura Apache mixed-use projects with solar infrastructure commitments
TEMPE, ARIZONA — May 28, 2021

Tempe approves Rio East and Aura Apache mixed-use projects with solar infrastructure commitments

Tempe City Council approved two significant mixed-use rezoning and development projects (Rio East and Aura Apache) with sustainability commitments including solar infrastructure and affordable housing donations, along with presentations on innovative COVID-19 metrics tracking and group home regulation reforms.

Tempe Council Approves Rio East and Aura Apache Mixed-Use Developments with Enhanced Sustainability Commitments; Introduces Stricter Group Home Regulations

In a wide-ranging meeting held Thursday evening, May 27, 2021, the Tempe City Council approved two significant mixed-use rezoning projects totaling over 300 residential units and green space commercial development, while advancing a revised group home ordinance that directly responds to neighborhood concerns raised over the past eighteen months. The meeting also featured presentations on innovative pandemic metrics tracking and recognition of the city's selection into a national sustainability certification program.

Key Speeches

"Streetlights residential has worked with staff in turn learned about this initiative and honestly became very excited about it... instead of the 20 donation suggested streetlights residential will be committed to making a double donation a 40 donation to the affordable housing fund." — Ben Graf, counsel for Streetlights Residential and Brady LLC

"We have worked with the council member and staff on the pro following stipulation... this building will be solar ready there will be no need for retroactive fitting at the time in the future if uh full rooftop solar is feasible um this will have the appropriate equipment for that... we are going to have actual solar rooftop panels um feeding electricity to the stations and then thus to the cars." — Ben Graf

"I'm just really proud to be part of the city and uh just so proud of uh the team we have and once again congratulations roson deputy city manager... it's state of the art it's you know one of the best in the countries and we're going to be able to help a lot of other communities work towards their goals of identifying hot spots for covid." — Councilmember Jennifer Adams, on Tempe's wastewater-monitoring program

"The u.s green building council called usgbc it created the league green building program and rating system and it chose tempe as one of 15 communities across the country to join their lead for cities local government leadership program... this isn't costing us anything but it shows that we're being recognized as a catalyst for change." — Councilmember Nikki Amberg

"I have to thank our fire chief and chief elves nickels for introducing us and creating the partnership with maricopa county public health... them actually the director and the medical epidemiologist working with us as a think tank." — Rosa Chelsea, Deputy City Manager, on COVID-19 metrics collaboration

Timeline

Rio East (Item 6C1):

Aura Apache (Item 6C2):

COVID-19 Metrics Hub Presentation (Item 4B):

Group Home Regulations (Item 6B5):

Angels Stadium MOU (Item 5C19):

LEED for Cities Program (Item 5C18):

Hometown for All Donations (Item 5C2):

Opposition

Rio East Project:

Aura Apache:

Group Home Regulations:

Support

Rio East:

Aura Apache:

Group Home Regulations:

Project Details

Rio East (Item 6C1)

Aura Apache (Item 6C2)

Vote Breakdown

Rio East (Item 6C1)

Aura Apache General Plan Amendment (Item 6C2, First Vote)

Aura Apache Zoning, PAD, and Development Plan (Item 6C2, Second Vote)

Consent Agenda (Items 5A1-5B21, 5C1-5C19, excluding pulled items)

Outcome & Next Steps

Rio East: APPROVED as zoning map amendment (HID to MU4), PAD overlay, and development plan review for Lots 2 and 3 (Lot 1 office building approved in prior phase); subject to solar-ready and EV charging stipulations as read into record. Developer may proceed to permitting and fees stage. Future negotiations with adjacent Brock property owner on connectivity to commence post-approval with city facilitation.

Aura Apache: APPROVED for general plan land use amendment (Residential to Mixed Use), general plan density map amendment (Medium to High density), zoning map amendment (CSS TOD/CSS TP/R4 to MU4 TOD), and PAD overlay with development plan review. Developer may proceed to permitting.

Group Home Regulations (Item 6B5): INTRODUCED for first reading and public hearing; second hearing and final vote scheduled for June 10, 2021. Ordinance advances occupancy limits from 10 to 5 residents, mandates on-site parking, establishes 90-day licensing verification, and creates reasonable accommodations waiver process. City staff to conduct targeted outreach to residents who previously commented and to neighborhood associations before second hearing.

Angels Stadium MOU (Item 5C19): APPROVED unanimously; city authorized to execute memorandum of understanding with Los Angeles Angels for continued spring training at Tempe Diabolos Stadium with planned facility renovations.

LEED for Cities (Item 5C18): APPROVED unanimously; Tempe formally accepted into U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Cities Leadership Program (one of 15 communities nationally). No cost to city; participation advances climate, resilience, and equity goals.

Controversies & Context

Rio East Connectivity and Access Management

The Rio East project had previously generated neighborhood and city council concern regarding connectivity with the adjacent Brock property (owned by Tom LeClair). On August 4, 2016, the Tempe City Council adopted a provision encouraging connectivity, shared driveways, and access management to facilitate public safety and reduce traffic impacts. When Streetlights Residential initially proposed Rio East, the Brock property owner and his counsel (Attorney Andrew Abraham) expressed concern that the project did not adequately incorporate connectivity principles.

Throughout the February and March 2021 hearings, city staff (Sonya Blaine, Andrew Chang) and the city manager worked to broker dialogue. By the May 27 hearing, the applicant's counsel (Ben Graf) and the Brock property representative had reached a public agreement: post-approval, good-faith negotiations on connectivity would occur with the city as facilitator. This statement, read into the record by Deputy Community Development Director Ryan Levake on behalf of Attorney Andrew Abraham, satisfied council concerns without requiring a redesign or conditional approval. The resolution demonstrates the city's commitment to access management principles while preserving project approval timelines.

Hometown for All Initiative

On January 14, 2021, the Tempe City Council adopted the Hometown for All Initiative, a voluntary developer incentive program that encourages (but does not mandate) in-lieu donations to an affordable housing fund in place of on-site affordable units. The initiative suggests a $20 donation per square foot as a baseline. Both Rio East and Aura Apache developers announced participation, with Streetlights Residential notably doubling its commitment to $40 per square foot—a public endorsement of the initiative and a substantive contribution to affordable housing during a period of rising rents citywide.

The Hometown for All framework reflects growing recognition that market-rate development in mixed-use contexts may not accommodate affordable units on-site, but developer contributions to a municipal fund can achieve affordability goals while maintaining project viability. The double donation by Streetlights Residential was cited by Corey D Woods as exemplifying the kind of partnership the city seeks to foster.

Public Comment on Rent Increases and Transparency

Toward the end of the meeting, resident Daniella Frias raised concerns about skyrocketing rents at 260 East Rio Salado Parkway, a city-owned residential property leased to Accenture Salt LLC (formerly Oliver McMillan Hayden Ferry Landing LLC). Frias reported experiencing a 25% rent increase and noted that rental criteria (gross monthly income ≥ 3× monthly rent) effectively price out families earning near the city's median household income ($79,758 in 2020). She petitioned the council to:

  1. Provide transparency on city GPA (Governmental Property Agreements) leases and amendments on the city website
  2. Register all city-owned residential properties with the Maricopa County Tax Assessor as residential (currently some misclassified)
  3. Include rent-cap provisions in future lease amendments to protect workforce housing

The council received the petition without formal action, but it signals ongoing tension between market-rate leasing of city assets and the city's stated commitment to affordable and workforce housing. The issue remained unresolved at the close of the meeting and may return for future council consideration.

COVID-19 Metrics Innovation

Rosa Chelsea's presentation of the Tempe Indicators of Community Health dashboard represented a deliberate shift in municipal pandemic response from reactive enforcement to data-driven strategy. The dashboard integrates wastewater testing (dating to 2018 opioid tracking; pivoted to COVID-19 in March 2020), case incidence by zip code, test positivity rates, and EMS call patterns. Notably, the wastewater monitoring occurs at neighborhood sites (not just wastewater-treatment-basin level), making Tempe's approach more geographically granular than most comparable cities.

The council's praise of Chelsea's work—and Corey D Woods note that the city is "recognized not just locally but nationally"—reflects institutional pride in innovation. Councilmember Nikki Amberg suggested integrating New America Project housing-security mapping and sub-census-tract equity data, signaling council appetite for even more targeted, equity-informed strategies going forward.

Chelsea's promotion to Deputy City Manager was noted as historic: the first female to hold that rank in the city. The recognition underscored the political value attached to the metrics initiative and to Chelsea's leadership.

Group Home Regulation as Neighborhood Advocacy Win

The Group Home Regulations ordinance (Item 6B5) represents a rare instance of sustained neighborhood organizing translating into code changes. A neighborhood meeting in early January 2020 in south Tempe, followed by city council work-study sessions in August 2020 and March 2021, culminated in a revised ordinance that reduces occupancy from 10 to 5 residents—aligning group homes more closely with family-residential character standards. The ordinance also mandates on-site parking, preventing the lot-conversion and parking-lot-dominated appearance that had motivated initial complaints.

Councilmember Nikki Amberg and Councilmember Jennifer Adams both credited residents and neighborhood organizers (Corona del Sol Estates neighborhood association) for catalyzing change. Notably, council members acknowledged that city staff had initially indicated the city lacked regulatory tools to address group home density—a posture that community organizing and council direction ultimately overturned. Deputy Director Ryan Levake confirmed that city staff had proactively reached out to the neighborhood and HOA chair prior to the hearing, and committed to further outreach if the ordinance passes on June 10.

The ordinance also includes a reasonable accommodations waiver process, ensuring that persons with disabilities are not disproportionately burdened by occupancy limits; any denial of a waiver can be appealed to the Board of Adjustment. This safeguard reflects awareness of federal fair housing law and ADA considerations.

Duration

Other Notable Items

Consent Agenda Approvals: The council approved routine items including reappointment of city merit system and fire/police pension boards (5A1); acceptance of board and commission meeting minutes (3B1-19); and a slate of professional services contracts, municipal partnership agreements, and resolutions spanning data-cabling services (6A4), pharmacy benefits management (6A5), and stop-loss insurance for the city's self-funded medical plan (6A6). All passed 6-0 or 5-0 with various absences.

Downtown Tempe Enhanced Services Improvement District Public Hearing: City council set June 10, 2021 as the public hearing date for FY2021-2022 assessments under the DSID (Item 6A1).

Land Use Assumptions and Infrastructure Improvement Plan: City held a public hearing on proposed development fees for fire, police, and parks/recreation facilities (Item 6A2). Valley Partnership advocate Alyssa Lyons publicly thanked city staff, particularly Tom Dunsing, for transparent and collaborative fee-setting process.

Donations in Memory of Raymond Aguilar and for Dementia Friendly Tempe: Council approved donations from multiple individuals and the Jerry Brock Foundation (Item 5C2, 6-0 vote). Councilmember Arredondo Savage's emotionally resonant remarks about Aguilar (lifelong Tempe resident, 30-year business owner, community figure) highlighted the cultural significance of recognizing individual contributions to neighborhood cohesion.

Mayor's Youth Advisory Commission Expansion (Item 6B6): Council introduced ordinance to expand MYAC from 24 to 30 members, open membership to 8th graders (with 9th-12th grade mentors), and shift first meeting from October to September. No opposition noted.

Conveyance of City-Owned Residential Properties to Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing (Item 6B7): Council introduced ordinance to transfer six residential properties and multiple units to the nonprofit Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing (TCAH), locking them under permanent income restrictions (≤80% area median income). Housing Manager Lavon Lamey explained that the transfer formalizes permanent affordability and places units under TCAH's property-management and tenant-recruitment protocols.

Internal Services Department Reorganization (Item 6B9): Council introduced ordinance to dissolve the Internal Services Department and establish separate Financial Services, Human Resources, and IT departments, with deputy directors reclassified as directors. Deputy City Manager Ken Jones explained the reorganization as a net cost savings of approximately $140,000 per year by eliminating the director-level position and reclassifying existing deputies (whose salaries already approximated comparable director positions in peer cities). Councilmember Jennifer Adams sought clarification on cost savings to ensure the public understood the move was not a salary increase.

First Responders Recognition: In council announcements, Councilmember Arredondo Savage delivered an extended tribute to Tempe Fire Medical Rescue and Tempe Police Department, acknowledging the "stress and trauma" of the profession and recent difficult weeks. She noted that both departments are recruiting (Fire applications open first week of June; Police second week). Councilmember Jennifer Adams echoed the praise, noting first responders deserve support.

Career Ready Tempe Internship Program: Councilmember Arredondo Savage announced the return of Career Ready Tempe, a partnership between city human services, economic development, and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce. The program recruits businesses to host interns in fall 2021, with stipends paid by the program (no cost to businesses). Student applications begin July 1; details available at tempe.gov/careerready.

East Valley Senior Home Sharing Program Recognition: Councilmember Nikki Amberg congratulated the East Valley Senior Home Sharing Program (in partnership with Tempe Community Action Agency, Habitat for Humanity, Trellis, Arizona Preservation Foundation, and Phoenix Revitalization Corporation) for winning the Arizona Housing Security Challenge. The program aims to interrupt homelessness among elderly residents through home-sharing in Tempe, Chandler, and Mesa, and will be led by Deb Rodriguez in its outreach. Nikki Amberg noted her own finalist status (Stardust Center, Habitat, Trellis, and AZVF) but praised the winner as deserving.

Personal Announcement: Nikki Amberg 38th wedding anniversary (married as children, she noted with humor).

Tempe All-City Association Hall of Fame: Councilmember Navarro delivered an extended tribute to Nicole Powell, a Tempe High School and Stanford University basketball standout (1996-2000, 2000-2004) who became a 2004 WNBA first-round draft pick (Sacramento Monarchs, 2005 championship team), played 10 years professionally in European leagues, and is now head coach of UC Berkeley women's basketball. Navarro emphasized Powell's all-city, all-conference, all-state selections and her evolution from elite athlete to mentor and coach.

Summer Programming and Public Safety: Jennifer Adams announced the summer reading program (June 1–August 1, 2021, tempe.gov/summerreading) and a water-donation drive for Heat Relief and Care 7 programs (donors receive pool pass per 24 bottles; deadline September 5). She also extended Memorial Day gratitude to military service members and reminded residents of summer drowning risks; noted Parks and Recreation swim-lesson offerings.

Meeting Conduct: Mayor Corey D Woods managed the agenda with flexibility, moving Item 6C1 and 6C2 ahead of 6A items to allow the city manager to provide the COVID-19 presentation early. Vice Mayor Randy Keating experienced audio/connection issues early in the meeting but was able to resume participation. Council Member Doreen Garlid was absent throughout. The meeting maintained quorum with six members present (Corey D Woods, Randy Keating, Councilmembers Navarro, Jennifer Adams, Arredondo Savage, and Nikki Amberg).