OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Tempe City Council and HPC Joint Meeting - April 1, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, April 1, 2026
BodyTempe, Arizona
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, April 1, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:38:11

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

Good evening, everyone.

0:08

Welcome to the Tempe City Council and Tempe Historic Preservation Commission joint meeting.

0:13

Council meetings can be watched in real time via Cox Cable Channel 11 and at TEPI.gov slash Tempe11.

0:19

Members of the public may also attend the meeting virtually through Microsoft Teams.

0:23

Let's go to item number two here.

0:25

Since we've basically already done item number one, which was the call to order.

0:28

We're going to do the Tempe native land acknowledgement statement video.

0:31

And I'll turn to Jason.

0:44

We acknowledge that Tempe lies on the ancestral land of the Native peoples who have lived here since time immemorial.

0:57

The ancestral land of the autumn and deposit stretches far beyond the boundaries of our city.

1:10

Embodying cultural values that are integral to their identity and way of life.

1:22

The author MPosh continue to maintain a deep spiritual connection to this land.

1:36

We embrace the responsibility of caring for these places and vow to uphold this commitment in all our actions.

1:50

Thank you so much.

1:51

So before we get to the introductions of all the folks around the table, just want to make a note that Council Burke is virtual as our Commissioner's Learner and Karuka.

1:59

So just wanted to note that for the folks here sitting in the audience and for those who will be watching this meeting recorded later on.

2:05

With that said, though, I want to make sure that we can go around the table and do some introductions.

2:08

So I guess Commissioner Williams, I'm gonna start with you, and we'll work our way around.

2:12

So if you'd like to turn the microphone on and introduce yourself and then pass it to Commissioner Melcher.

2:18

Hello, I'm Commissioner Ray Lynn Williams.

2:22

I'm fulfilling the four Southern Tribes Cultural Resource Working Group Representative.

2:30

I am uh Commissioner Christie Melcher.

2:35

Hi, Commissioner Aaron Davis, thank you.

2:38

Uh I'm a member at large, but I work as an archaeologist at the State Historic Preservation Office.

2:45

Uh Commissioner Evan Sana.

2:47

I joined as of September of last year, and I also work at ASU in the old president's cottage, the second um oldest property on ASU campus.

3:03

Dave Facler.

3:05

Been around for a while with the city and uh this commission.

3:10

So Commission Chair Mariah Jones, uh professional member in history.

3:19

Thank you.

3:20

Uh Corey Woods, Mayor.

3:22

Dorian Garland, Vice Mayor.

3:25

Arlene Chin, City Council member.

3:28

Jennifer Adams, City Council member.

3:32

And Nikki Amberg, City Council member.

3:35

Good afternoon, Rosa and Chelsea, City Manager.

3:38

Hello there, Eric Anderson, City Attorney.

3:42

Kara Dorastia, City Clerk.

3:45

Thank you so much, everyone.

3:47

We're gonna move on to item number four, presentation and discussion items.

3:50

The first one is item four A, Downtown Historic Core Plan status.

3:56

I see Dr.

3:57

Lechner.

3:58

Good evening.

4:05

Okay, good evening.

4:07

Uh thank you, Mayor Woods.

4:09

Council members, Chair Jones, uh, and HPC members.

4:13

Before we open things up to uh discussion, I just wanted to provide a brief update on where things stand with the downtown historic core plan preparations.

4:22

Uh the city consultant Moore uh Icofano and Goltzman, or MIG, uh, and our subconsultant, Poster Mirto McDonald, PMM, have now moved into the next phase of preparing the plan.

4:36

In late 2025 and early this year, MIG and PMM focused on gathering feedback from staff, the development review commission, the HPC, various stakeholders, tribal communities, and members of the public on the boundary for the historic core, and preliminary ideas for what should be included in the plan.

5:00

MIG and PMM have begun drafting the plan, including a preliminary outline and set up guidelines that you have in front of you today.

5:05

On March 4th, a second round of public meetings, along with an in-person meeting with downtown developers.

5:13

Property owners and business owners was held to discuss the preliminary guidelines.

5:18

Later in the month, MIG and PMM made their third round of presentations to meetings of the Historic Preservation Commission and the Development Review Commission.

5:27

MIG and PMM are currently in the process of meeting with stakeholders and tribes to discuss the preliminary guidelines.

5:34

After receiving feedback from various parties earlier in the process, the city and consultant have redoubled their efforts to contact members of stakeholder groups by sending them multiple emails and reaching out by phone when necessary to solicit their participation in group or individual meetings.

5:51

And that depends on the stakeholders' availability and preference.

5:56

Staff has also communicated with members of stakeholder groups to encourage their participation in the meetings.

6:02

The goal is for the consultant to draft or complete a full draft of the plan by May in time for another round of commission and public meetings.

6:10

This will be followed by a presentation to council and summer for adoption.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████65%
Community Engagement██████████████20%
Procedural███████10%
Economic Development██3%
Zoning and Land Use█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Tempe City Council and Historic Preservation Commission Joint Meeting - April 1, 2026

The Tempe City Council and Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) held a joint meeting on April 1, 2026, to discuss the Downtown Historic Core Plan status and draft guidelines. Participants included Mayor Corey Woods, council members, HPC members, city staff, and the Historic Preservation Officer.

Discussion Items

Downtown Historic Core Plan Status (Item 4A)

Dr. Lechner, Historic Preservation Officer, provided an update. The consultant MIG and subconsultant PMM have moved into the next phase of drafting the plan after gathering feedback from stakeholders, the public, and commissions in late 2025 and early 2026. A second round of public meetings and stakeholder meetings occurred in March 2026. The goal is to have a full draft by May 2026 for further review and adoption by council in summer 2026, though the timeline may be adjusted.

Downtown Historic Core Plan Draft Guidelines Discussion (Item 4B)

The council and HPC engaged in extensive discussion on the draft guidelines. Key themes included:

  • Outreach and Collaboration: Multiple council members (Chin, Garland, Hodge) emphasized the need for joint meetings that bring together developers, property owners, historic preservationists, and the public in the same room to foster compromise. Staff acknowledged past outreach deficiencies and committed to remedying them, including reaching out to Tempe Sister Cities and the Arizona Heritage Preservation Youth Council.
  • Communication and Accessibility: Councilmember Hodge requested a one-page summary or visual aids to help the public follow the process. Commissioner Karuka echoed this, suggesting 3D visuals for height restrictions.
  • Inclusion of Diverse Voices: Councilmember Hodge called for involving the Mayor's Youth Advisory Commission and seniors who have lived in Tempe for decades. Commissioner Williams emphasized including tribal perspectives and Tempe Butte (Oidbāḍ) as a traditional cultural property.
  • Balancing Preservation and Development: Councilmember Amberg stressed that economic development and historic preservation must coexist, noting Tempe's landlocked status and need for revenue. Chair Jones argued that historic preservation can bolster economic development through cultural heritage tourism. Commissioner Sana highlighted that cultural heritage tourism is a top-performing sector and that visitors seek authentic experiences.
  • Stories vs. Structures: Councilmember Chin and others urged capturing the stories of Tempe's diverse communities (including Native, Hispanic, Black, Asian) beyond just buildings. Commissioner Lerner emphasized that stories need physical places to tie to, and that both are important.
  • Specific Concerns: Commissioner Fackler identified 15 contributing near-term eligible properties along Mill Avenue that should be recognized. Commissioner Lerner noted the pending sale of Farmer Goodwin building and urged action. Several members discussed the need to expand the historic boundary to include Tempe Butte, both sides of University Drive, and College Avenue.
  • Guidelines Scope: Vice Mayor Garland questioned the inclusion of shade and climate-responsive design (page 43), wondering how it ties to historic preservation. Dr. Lechner said staff would refine the plan. Councilmember Chin suggested that height materials and parking guidelines may be too restrictive and distract from core preservation goals.

Historic Preservation Officer Update (Item 5)

Dr. Lechner reported two pending agreements:

  1. A programmatic agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office for HUD-funded projects to streamline Section 106 reporting. Council recently authorized the city manager to sign, and consultation with tribes will follow.
  2. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city, the Four Southern Tribes of Arizona, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe for formal consultation on city projects. The MOU is pending tribal signatures before council adoption.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes or decisions were taken. The discussion served as guidance for staff and the consultant.
  • Staff will create a one-page summary and visual aids for public engagement.
  • Staff will work to schedule joint stakeholder meetings to encourage direct dialogue between developers, preservationists, and the public.
  • The consultant will incorporate feedback on including Tempe Butte, expanding the historic boundary, and recognizing additional eligible properties.
  • The MOU for tribal consultation will be brought to council after signatures are obtained.

Closing

The meeting adjourned at 6:38 p.m. Mayor Woods thanked participants and emphasized the importance of collaboration.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Tempe City Council and Tempe Historic Preservation Commission joint meeting. Council meetings can be watched in real time via Cox Cable Channel 11 and at TEPI.gov slash Tempe11. Members of the public may also attend the meeting virtually through Microsoft Teams. Let's go to item number two here. Since we've basically already done item number one, which was the call to order. We're going to do the Tempe native land acknowledgement statement video. And I'll turn to Jason. We acknowledge that Tempe lies on the ancestral land of the Native peoples who have lived here since time immemorial. The ancestral land of the autumn and deposit stretches far beyond the boundaries of our city. Embodying cultural values that are integral to their identity and way of life. The author MPosh continue to maintain a deep spiritual connection to this land. We embrace the responsibility of caring for these places and vow to uphold this commitment in all our actions. Thank you so much. So before we get to the introductions of all the folks around the table, just want to make a note that Council Burke is virtual as our Commissioner's Learner and Karuka. So just wanted to note that for the folks here sitting in the audience and for those who will be watching this meeting recorded later on. With that said, though, I want to make sure that we can go around the table and do some introductions. So I guess Commissioner Williams, I'm gonna start with you, and we'll work our way around. So if you'd like to turn the microphone on and introduce yourself and then pass it to Commissioner Melcher. Hello, I'm Commissioner Ray Lynn Williams. I'm fulfilling the four Southern Tribes Cultural Resource Working Group Representative. I am uh Commissioner Christie Melcher. Hi, Commissioner Aaron Davis, thank you. Uh I'm a member at large, but I work as an archaeologist at the State Historic Preservation Office. Uh Commissioner Evan Sana. I joined as of September of last year, and I also work at ASU in the old president's cottage, the second um oldest property on ASU campus. Dave Facler. Been around for a while with the city and uh this commission. So Commission Chair Mariah Jones, uh professional member in history. Thank you. Uh Corey Woods, Mayor. Dorian Garland, Vice Mayor. Arlene Chin, City Council member. Jennifer Adams, City Council member. And Nikki Amberg, City Council member. Good afternoon, Rosa and Chelsea, City Manager. Hello there, Eric Anderson, City Attorney. Kara Dorastia, City Clerk. Thank you so much, everyone. We're gonna move on to item number four, presentation and discussion items. The first one is item four A, Downtown Historic Core Plan status. I see Dr. Lechner. Good evening. Okay, good evening. Uh thank you, Mayor Woods. Council members, Chair Jones, uh, and HPC members. Before we open things up to uh discussion, I just wanted to provide a brief update on where things stand with the downtown historic core plan preparations. Uh the city consultant Moore uh Icofano and Goltzman, or MIG, uh, and our subconsultant, Poster Mirto McDonald, PMM, have now moved into the next phase of preparing the plan. In late 2025 and early this year, MIG and PMM focused on gathering feedback from staff, the development review commission, the HPC, various stakeholders, tribal communities, and members of the public on the boundary for the historic core, and preliminary ideas for what should be included in the plan.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com