ARCHIVED 2026.04.15 PRGDBC ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES APPROVED.PDF

Minutes 
Parks, Recreation, Golf and Double Butte Cemetery     
Advisory Board 
April 15, 2026 
 
Minutes of the Parks, Recreation, Golf and Double Butte Cemetery Advisory Board meeting held on 
April 15, 2026, 6:04 p.m., Hybrid Meeting- Escalante Multi-Generational Center, 2150 E Orange St, 
Tempe, AZ, and virtual through Microsoft Teams. 
 
Members Present: 
Lane Waddell – Chair  
Mary Farmer – Vice Chair 
Cory Pechtl 
Eli Enger 
Elizabeth Hatch 
Katelyn Keberle 
Gerardo Lopez 
Lauren Wunderlich 
Lisa Zyriek 
Regina Ponder 
Members Absent: 
Susan Carlson 
City Staff Present: 
Craig Hayton, Community Services Director 
Alexander Jovanovic, Deputy Community Services Director – Parks (Staff Liaison) 
Shawn Wagner, Deputy Community Services Director – Recreation 
Shelbie Meyer, Administrative Analyst – Parks 
Michelle Dahlke, Community Development – Principal Planner  
Erin Kirkpatrick, Recreation Manager – Escalante 
 
Other Guests Present: 
None.   
 
 
 
 
 
Agenda Item 1 – Public Appearances 
None. 
 
Agenda Item 2 – Approval of Meeting Minutes 
March 11, 2026 
Motion by Lisa Zyriek to approve March 11, 2026, meeting minutes as amended. Seconded by Eli Enger. 
Motion passed by a 9-0 vote. 
Ayes: Lane Waddell, Mary Farmer, Eli Enger, Elizabeth Hatch, Katelyn Keberle, Gerardo Lopez, Cory Pechtl, 
Lauren Wunderlich, and Lisa Zyriek 
Absent: Regina Ponder arrived after the vote and Susan Carlson was absent. 
 
Agenda Item 3 – Development Review Process  
Alex Jovanovic introduced Michelle Dahlke, Principal Planner, to present on the development review process.

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Presentation Information 
o Planning Entitlements 
o Types of Entitlements 
o HB 2447 and Development Plan Review 
o Appeals of Administrative DPR Decisions 
o Types of Development Plan Reviews 
o Preliminary Site Plan Review & Zoning Development Code (ZDC) 
o Development Plan Review Approval Criteria 
o ZDC Development Standards and Design Guidelines 
o Other Planning Documents Used for Review & Design Guidelines 
o Character Area Plans and other planning documents 
o Can the ZDC be amended? Other questions for discussion. 
 
• 
Board members asked questions and made comments about: 
o What is the possibility of open green space being required in new developments? Especially 
from a parks perspective now that there are increased population and traffic. 
▪ 
A previous Parks Board member mentioned it was written in code that developers were 
required to provide open space for new developments, similar to the art requirements. If 
we did have it written into code to require open space, why don’t we have it now? 
▪ 
Publicly accessible green space – is there a downside to changing the code? 
o Are you familiar with the Parks Master Plan? In the Parks Master Plan, there is a near-term 
strategy named GP4-14. We are halfway through the 10-year plan. I do not see progress 
towards achieving this goal. As a board member, we want to see how we can support the Parks 
Department? This falls in line with our thinking of how we can get some more public park space 
for our residents.  
o If you could find the “why” Council changed the open space requirement, that would be great. 
o AZ House Bill 2447 – how would someone have transparency during administrative decisions, 
like an appeal process? 
 
Agenda Item 4 – Escalante Programming 
Shawn Wagner introduced Erin Kirkpatrick to present information related to Escalante programming.  
 
• 
Presentation Information 
o Overview: Escalante, Clark, and Community Gardens 
o Escalante Multi-Generational Center 
o History, Current Programs, Events 
o Community Partners and Internal COT Partners 
o Community Impact Data 
o Ongoing Maintenance and Capital Needs 
o Opportunities and Changes

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• 
Board members asked questions and made comments about: 
o Do you track ethnicity data? 
o You don’t have a generator currently? 
o Are memberships free? 
o Do the fields next door have lights? 
Agenda Item 5 – Tempe Town Lake Northbank 
Craig Hayton presented on Tempe Town Lake Northbank. 
 
• 
Presentation Information 
o Envisioning the Future (activity zones needed for improvements and potential impacts) 
o Broadening Recreation (mix of active and passive uses) 
o 3 North Activity Zones (updates and public meetings) 
o Strengthening Collaboration  
o Public Private Partnership (P3) – outcomes and updates 
 
• 
Board members asked questions and made comments about: 
o Vendor concerns regarding weather limitations – has anyone said “no” because of our 
weather/extreme heat? 
o Of the 6 vendors, is the padel the only one you brought forward? 
Agenda Item 6 – Events & Parks Ordinance 
Craig Hayton presented updated information related to the Events & Parks Ordinance and the findings from the 
last public outreach session in 2025. 
 
• 
Presentation Information 
o Background on Special Events codes & Parks and Recreation codes 
o Fall 2025 Outreach, public survey results overview 
o Survey: what was asked and views on July 2025 ordinance 
o Survey: Special Events code survey questions and results 
o Survey: Park Use permits survey questions and results 
o Survey: comments (Special Events, Park Use, and open suggestions) 
o High-Level Takeaways 
o Our Goal, Mission, and Approach 
o Drafting Principles (structure, content, detail) 
o Drafting Tests (modernization, clarity, and simplicity) 
o Provide Feedback on Proposed Changes (4 public meetings and public survey) 
o Provide Input and Stay Connected 
 
• 
Board members asked questions and made comments about: 
o Park use clarification – did you put up new signs? 
▪ 
Selleh’s were new and it added park uses/updates to code.

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o What are the particular safety concerns? 
o Are the changes to the Special Events ordinance based on attendance expectations? 
o Will you have the old code versus the new code text at the public meetings? 
o I appreciate updating the codes – are there other issues besides homeless that drove the 
update? Were people just having an event and just not telling anyone about it? 
o How will the public know about the changes? 
o Regionally, are you looking at other cities’ codes and how they are modifying theirs? Phoenix 
does a registration process. 
Agenda Item 7 – Future Agenda Items 
Lane Waddell urged board members to continue emailing Shelbie with possible agenda items to discuss. 
 
Agenda Item 8 – Public Meeting Attendance, Notices, & Announcements 
Shawn Wagner and Alex Jovanovic announced a few upcoming events happening in Tempe: Tempe Sports 
Complex Pickleball Grand Opening, Diablo Music Under the Stars, and tree planting volunteering event with 
Tempe Cares at Kiwanis North. 
 
Meeting adjourned at 7:32 p.m.  
Prepared by: Shelbie Meyer, Administrative Analyst, (480) 350-8353 
Reviewed by: Alex Jovanovic, Deputy Community Services Director- Parks, (480) 350-5811