A Neighborly Feud In Arizona

"Growth pressures are inevitable in Tempe at this point, as enrollment numbers at ASU continue to climb and high-tech entrepreneurs want to take advantage of the college climate as well as Tempe’s proximity to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport."

"Tempe is actively pursuing that growth instead of resisting the pressure as some longtime residents would like...if current dreams become concrete and steel, several projects will reach up to 300 feet high and Tempe will begin to mirror neighboring Phoenix as a true urban center of the Southwest."

"Phoenix officials say they want Tempe to slow down its plans, as additional towers pose a risk to airliners during rare, emergency take-off procedures."

"But Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman and Vice Mayor Hut Hutson make a compelling case that Phoenix's real concern is with the economic competition. Phoenix has allowed its own mid-rises to be placed closer to airport flight paths than those in Tempe — a clear contradiction of Phoenix’s safety-first claims."