Friends of the Scenic Drive Needs Your Help

Posted By The Peak on Mar 31, 2021

April 2021

By Jake Kulp and Les Conklin

Our organization, Friends of the Scenic Drive, has been around since the 1970’s and is currently known under various names including the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association and GPPA. The most publicly visible name we operate under is “Friends of The Scenic Drive,” with signage running along much of the North Scottsdale Road. Regardless of how you may know us, our mission has stayed consistent, “to safeguard our environment and improve our quality of life”.

If you have ever driven between Happy Valley Road and the Carefree Highway on Scottsdale Road, you have seen us. You have seen us picking-up the trash along this road and you still enjoy the beautiful vistas of our great Sonoran Desert saved though our various efforts. You may have stopped and walked along the path at the Scenic Drive monument to learn more about the desert. You’ve seen some of the birds and other wildlife we have fought to preserve and we hope you enjoyed the absolute solace this landscape brings to all who live or travel in the area.

The more recent impactful environmental actions we have spearheaded have been the relocation of a massive commercial storage unit, originally slated to be constructed at the Lone Mountain / Scottsdale Road intersection, to a commercial tract of land near Cave Creek Road. Also, we were very instrumental in the community action that prevented the “transfer” of 40 acres of commercial zoning to the east side of Scottsdale Road, between Happy Valley and Jomax Roads. This “transfer” would have resulted in the first new commercial zoning on Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive since the city annexed the area in the mid-1980s.

In past decades, we have led successful initiatives to keep the Scenic Drive scenic, including the undergrounding of utility lines, the painting of utility boxes, railings, and traffic signals to blend into the natural environment, and the banning all political sign posting along the drive.

The latest city planning that will affect the Scenic Drive will be the establishment of planted medians on Scottsdale Road from Jomax Road to Dixileta Drive and a feasibility study regarding the creation of a round-a-bout at Scottsdale Road and Dynamite Boulevard. We will actively work with the city to balance all their plans with the intent that the result will look like the beautiful improvements made last year a little farther north near the Summit retail complex.

We also publish and manage The Peak on-line magazine where local events, activities, interesting facts, history, photographs, videos, and newsletters concerning our surrounding area can be found. Our publication efforts also support other nonprofit, civic organizations and education.

With so many new families moving into our area, we want to be sure you know a little about us as we could use your help. We need help with funding as well as volunteers to assist the road clean-up and communication projects from time to time.

The funding goes to various initiatives such as the maintenance of signage along Scottsdale Road, the monument areas, contributions to our wildlife preservation partners and numerous organizations with like-minded missions as ours. We are an all-volunteer organization with no salaries or financial support for our time and effort, so 100 percent of all the monies we raise goes into the environment and the efforts to preserve our quality of life.

Donate Now

You may make a donation of any amount, e.g. $20, $50, $100, or more using debit and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover). Cash and checks are accepted.

To donate by mail or phone, contact Friends of the Scenic Drive/GPPA at (480) 585-0630. We accept debit and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover) and checks. Checks should be made payable to “GPPA.””

Postal Address: GPPA, 8711 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255

Telephone: 480-585-0630