Dear neighbors,
Tonight the Council votes on historic designation for the rock art sites on Tempe Butte. Please take a moment to e-mail our council about this important vote.
Below is the letter Monica and I sent:
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Regarding the proposal for historic designation for Tempe Butte;
I am a lifelong Tempe resident, literally born in the shadow of Tempe Butte and my wife is a long-time resident here as well. Tempe Butte is the most visible and permanent symbol of this city. Not very many cities in the world can claim such a unique centerpiece as this, with its amazing geology and over 1000 years of art history. Tempe not only has one, but three such buttes within its limits. The Double Buttes have, sadly, already fallen victim to human encroachment.
We are rock art enthusiasts and internationally recognized rock art preservation experts. We have just returned from China where we were invited to tour petroglyph sites there and see the preservation efforts of the local governments. Our small group of experts were extremely impressed by the level of importance the local governments put on preserving these cultural resources. To our surprise, their efforts to preserve these treasures far exceeded anything we have seen in this country. It was a refreshing change to see, since in the city of Beijing, the local governments there were destroying hundreds of historic, centuries-old neighborhoods in the rush to "modernize" the city and build modern, multi-story structures in time for the Olympics.
When we witnessed the destruction of these neighborhoods, we were, sadly, reminded of our own hometown. How many historic neighborhoods has Tempe displaced in its rush to become a world-class city? It was only a few years ago that we joined a group of Tempe residents in their fight to preserve part of Tempe Butte from the developer's blade. The outrage of the residents at the developers and the city's disregard of its most important and visible landmark succeeded in saving the western flank of the butte from destruction. There are still sitting members of the city council who were there and who helped in this fight to preserve the butte.
We hope the current members of the council will recognize just how important these sites are, not just for the city, but for the entire state. The butte is an archaeological site and an art gallery that speaks from the time of the first agricultural civilization in the Southwest. The rock art here should not only be given protection, it should be presented as one of the treasures of Tempe. It should be listed as one of the must-see parts of the city along with Mill Avenue, Town Lake and ASU. To be able to showcase such an ancient and significant cultural resource as this is a rare gift that most cities in the United States don't posses. The rock art should become as iconic to Tempe as Hayden's Mill, the Tempe Bridge or the giant golden A that sits only a few yards from the rock art itself.
Historic designation of the Butte will bring attention to this cultural resource and help educate to the public about the importance of our history and pre-history. It will also demonstrate to the world that Tempe is indeed a world-class city, proud of its heritage and eager to set an example for other cities. Please consider this designation as not only good for the rock art, but the city as a whole.
Regards,
Scott Seibel
Monica Wadsworth-Seibel
