What's on residents' wish lists?

Shopping, photo radar among items

Geri Koeppel
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 3, 2006

Ahwatukee Foothills may be a great place to live, but residents have plenty of ideas on how to make it even better.

We asked people, "If you could change one thing about the community in 2006, what would it be?"

The answers ranged from the basic (photo radar, school improvements) to the grandiose (a pedestrian-friendly hub like Mill Avenue or Kierland Commons). And, of course, the proposed South Mountain Freeway route came up a few times, with people like Alexander Rodgers, 33, wishing it would just go away.  

In other transportation desires, Pete Kahn, 44, wants to see the quality of the bike paths improved so more people would ride instead of driving cars everywhere.

"It seems like a shame with the beautiful weather we have here," he said.

And Vanessa Capizzi, 20, wants more photo radar.

"People are constantly running red lights," she said.

Two people wished for more pedestrian centers, with Dan Viza, 46, and Tom Mulhern, 23, both envisioning a shopping and dining hub where folks can stroll through something other than a parking lot.

Mulhern would build a "cool artistic community where creative people could come," he said. "We could have art and cool little coffee shops and restaurants and used-book stores."

Viza also likes the idea of something like Kierland Commons, with courtyards and spaces for shopping, dining and living.

"The first time I went up there I thought, 'This is it,' " he said.

But it's really small-scale, he added, and he'd like the whole community to be pedestrian-friendly. He also wants to see more entertainment.

"I hate driving all the way to Scottsdale, or Tempe for that matter, to listen to live music," Viza said.

Kellie Jenkins, 18, said she would give more money to the schools for activities and to improve their appearance.

"Desert Vista needs a pool," she said. "Mountain Pointe, if you've ever seen the school, it's not so pretty."

John Wacker, 67, wants to see free Internet access for the community and the whole country, for that matter.

"Being able to have access to information and process information improves our competitiveness" in the world marketplace, he said.

Finally, Dana Nelson, 55, would like housing prices to fall so she can trade in her condo for a house.

"But I can't complain," she said, "because the community is so popular that the houses have kept their value and increased in value."

She wants to scrap the proposed freeway, and said, "I want it to remain the world's largest cul-de-sac and be a lovely little neighborhood as it has been."