Developers Asked to Remove Large Temporary Signs

The following letter was sent to the developers of master planned communities who have posted large temporary signs along the Scenic Drive.  The letter requests that developers voluntarily remove their signs. We wrote a similar letter to candidates for public office and all candidates immediately removed their signs.

March 20, 2000

An Open Letter to Real Estate Developers

FROM: The Volunteers of Friends of the Scenic Drive

Please support our efforts to preserve the natural beauty of Scottsdale’s roadsides by not posting large advertising signs along the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive (Scottsdale Road from Happy Valley Road to Carefree Highway) and removing previously posted signs. We encourage you to take similar action on Scottsdale’s other scenic corridors.

Since 1994 Friends of the Scenic Drive has worked with the City and others to preserve the Scenic Drive and rid Scottsdale’s roadsides of visual pollution. As a result of these efforts, candidates for Scottsdale public office have agreed not to post campaign signs along the Scenic Drive and the City Council voted to ban temporary real estate development signs [Read More]. You’ve probably noticed the huge difference that these actions have made. This decrease in pollution is just the beginning of what can be done.

Friends of the Scenic Drive maintains the plant identification signs along six miles of Scottsdale Road, conducts litter pickup efforts every six weeks, donates money to roadside beautification projects, and donates time to help enforce the sign ordinance. In addition, our volunteers helped draft Scenic Corridor Guidelines that, if implemented, will help preserve the Sonoran character of all Scottsdale’s scenic corridors.

This is more than a neighborhood effort. Many community-minded residents from different neighborhoods are quietly donating their time to have a major impact on the future of our city. By supporting their efforts you will help to -

• Preserve our heritage. In 1963 area residents created the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. The Scenic Drive represents one of the first preservation efforts in Maricopa County. The goal was to showcase desert plants, establish setbacks and preserve scenic vistas. As part of the initiative Maricopa County instituted a successful ban on billboards. As a result, there were few roadside signs until the marketing of large master planned developments began.

• Support tourism. A major reason visitors come to Scottsdale is to enjoy the Sonoran Desert. Many of them drive cars or take tours. Some of these people later become your customers. Visitors need to be able to see the desert to enjoy it. If we don’t meet our visitors’ needs, they will take their travel business elsewhere. And today, bad news travels at electronic speeds.

• Bolster preservation efforts. The existence of community supported scenic corridors, such as the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, can contribute to the preservation of State Trust Lands along the northern parts of Scottsdale and Pima Roads. The City of Scottsdale has targeted some of these lands for acquisition with the goal of preserving visual open space and linking Scottsdale’s preserve to that of Phoenix. The existence of a credible scenic corridors program [Read More] strengthens Scottsdale’s position in negotiating with the City of Phoenix and the State Land Department.

• Enhance quality of life. Residents, including your prospects and customers, spend time driving Scottsdale’s roads. It’s not too late to make that experience as pleasant as possible.

You may feel that removing your large advertising signs will put you at a marketing disadvantage. The existence of the Scenic Drive and other scenic corridors enhances the overall ambiance of the area and helps attract buyers. Buyers will reward sellers who do not pollute Scottsdale’s scenic roadways. There are advertising strategies – used in other communities - that both protect the environment and attract business.

To have a "special" community, we need to take action – NOW - to enhance and showcase the strengths that make Scottsdale different. Residents and candidates are helping to preserve the area’s beauty. Scottsdale’s City Council has supported our efforts. We hope you will enthusiastically join these efforts, adopt a new strategy and remove your large advertising signs from the Scenic Drive.

Submitted on behalf of the volunteers of Friends of the Scenic Drive by:

Board of Directors

Friends of the Scenic Drive