Tempe, Ariz. residents weighing in on community needs through local workshop

PHOENIX — The City of Tempe is getting input from residents in various neighborhoods on how they would like to see their communities develop.

Residents from the Apache area gathered Thursday for the city’s first Character Area Draft Plan Workshop. The city of Tempe has eight character areas, which are described as a unique neighborhood or community.

City of Tempe spokesperson Melissa Quillard said the public’s input will eventfully form a final plan for one of Tempe’s character areas.

“The draft plan is basically a draft of what the final plan (for the Apache Character Area) is going to look like based on all of the feedback that we’ve collected so far from the public,” she said.

This year, the city has been working with residents through public workshops, meetings, and online surveys in the Apache Character Area to determine what members of the community want and need.

“The Apache area is very unique, it’s very eclectic, it’s along the Light Rail line so you have kind of a young, urban vibe,” Quillard said. “There is a lot of historical preservation that has been involved in the conversation as well because there are a lot of historic areas.”

City officials will continue to revise the character area plan as they receive more input from residents and hope to eventually implement some of the recommendations.