Page 36 November 2 0 1 4 Growth and development mean neighborhood changes By Kassidy McDonald The Arcadia community has experienced changes in the neighborhood with an influx of local construction and new development. Thomas, Indian School and Camelback roads, as well as 44th Street are among the locations that are undergoing transformations this year. One of the largest improvement is a $4 million project occurring on Thomas Road, called the Streetscape Project. It extends from 73th Street one block east of Scottsdale Road and ends at Indian Bend Wash. Construction began almost a year ago and is expected to be completely finished in January 2015. The purpose of Jim Ebbert • 480-298-4405 • jimebbert@hotmail.com New To Market Offered at $1,398,000 Luxurious 5 bedroom/4 bath plus office and 3 car garage just listed in Arcadia Estates. Priced below appraisal, this 4205 square foot home has recently been updated with over $100,000 in improvements. Brand new appliances, gleaming hardwood floors and many high end finishes. Situated on a 19443 square foot lot, this home backs to open space and is centrally located in the heart of Arcadia. MLS #5187094 Largest Home on the Largest Lot in Arcadia Estates the advancement is to provide increased safety for the drivers and pedestrians. The streetscape project includes creating sidewalks, bike lanes, a raised landscape median, a traffic signal (at Civic Center Plaza and Thomas Road) and the creation of frontage roads to provide a safer exit route for people coming out of their homes. The push for improvements of Thomas Road came largely from residents in the area. Transportation director for Scottsdale, Paul Basha, stated that, “The neighborhood was concerned about the extra asphalt in the streets, and safety concerns for motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists. This is why we are providing a much safer and convenient bicycle lane for our pedestrians and widening the sidewalks.” Another installment to the project includes a public art element to the Thomas Road bridge crossing at Indian Bend Wash. Named the “Swale,” it will provide an 8- to 14-foot steel artwork of gamma grasses with the colors blue, green and teal, which will reflect what grows in the Indian Bend Wash. It will be the third installment of public art pieces along the greenbelt. Senior project manager for Scottsdale Public Art, Jana Weldon, stated that, “The artist, Stacy Levy always tries to bring the natural world into all of her art projects. She wanted something that looked like water and something that was there when the wash was dry as well, to look like waves of grasses and water.” Other improvements to the Scottsdale community include plans for 56th Street and Indian School Road, which will include a Starbucks and 3,120 square feet of retail space. There will also be improvements to a retail complex on 32nd 602-956-0178 4144 E. Indian School Happy Thanksgiving from the Tee Pee Join us for Food, Football & Fun! Watch ASU and U of A games on the PAC 12 network brunch available Saturday and Sunday Street and Indian School Road. The De Rito Opportunity Investors LLC bought the center from Bashas’. The plan is to redevelop the property, add 18,000 square feet and name the location Arcadia Fiesta. There are plans to add restaurants to the area and remodel the parking lot and landscape. The southwest corner of Camelback Road and 44th Street will also experience construction with plans to build multifamily homes. It is a 5-acre property that will include a new restaurant from LGO LLC and a 370-unit residence at Camelback Road.

Page 37 November 2 0 1 4 Phoenix police provide crime statistics on internet By Danika Worthington Phoenix police recently joined other Valley police departments in putting crime statistics in an online database for people to search. The departments, including Scottsdale, Tempe and Chandler, partnered with Regional Analysis Information Data Sharing to provide data for crime in specific areas. “If a resident or a business thinks they want to move in an area, you can go to these areas and look at the crime statistics,” said Sgt. Trent Crump, Phoenix police spokesperson. “The more informed you are, the better decisions you can make for yourself.” RAIDS is used national and locally. Twenty-five cities in Arizona submit crime statistics to the site. An online user does not have to sign up to use the site and can customize their search per area, date, event and sex offenders. The list of crimes includes homicide, drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence. It can also highlight crime trends in specific areas. This information was previously available through public record requests. The new information streamlines the process and eases some of the workload for the department. This was something police Chief Daniel Garcia wanted the department to implement when he first came to Phoenix, Crump said. The Phoenix Police Department had been working on the project for 1 1/2 years but was unable to have the information up and running until July, Crump said. The department ran into several technology issues when attempting to use the system. The site also allows individuals to provide anonymous tips if they think they have information regarding a crime, Crump said. He described crime prevention as a shared responsibility between the police department and residents. Arcadia resident Jeff Hecht said he would likely use the website to look at crime information. He said the information shows transparency from the police department and can help community building. “I think it’s great to know about the state of our neighborhood,” Hecht said. “Now we can know and verify how safe our neighborhood is.” But Andy May, who is part of the family that owns the breakfast chain Over Easy, said she was less likely to use the site. She said the family typically knows the areas they plan to expand to and despite a drive through, won’t look in depth at an area’s crime statistics. Such was the case when the breakfast joint expanded into their location on Indian School Road and 48th Street. “We don’t really look at, ‘oh, there’s six murders on this block,’” she said. “We’re all pretty familiar with the areas we go to.” May said the family does look at demographics for housing values, population, age and income. To look at the crime statistics, go to raidsonline.com. Serving the Arcadia area since 1958          Find us on Facebook! Member Since 1959      •  •    •    •    •         www.ingleside.com • 602-840-3446 PAMPER YOUR PET WITH OUR PREMIUM GROOMING SERVICES. Call us today for an appointment. 602-952-1754 BRIAN A. SERBIN, DVM • RACHEL BART, DVM KATHERINE HEWITT, DVM • KATIE CHILES, DVM