Desert Foothills at Sunset
At its September 30th meeting, the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association Board of Directors discussed a City of Scottsdale rezoning proposal of 4,000 acres of state trust land in north Scottsdale. All the acreage is part of the city’s recommended study boundary for the planned preserve and is land the city hopes to eventually acquire to complete the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
If the proposal is approved, the rezoning would add approximately 115 acres of commercial, resorts and tourism zoning on the east side of north Scottsdale Road between Happy Valley and Jomax Roads, which is the southernmost portion of Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive. About 41 acres would be new commercial zoning. The rest of 4,000 acres, approximately 3,900 acres, would stay mostly residential but zoning densities would change.
GPPA’s board approved two motions. The first was to support the agreement for rezoning that was consistent with the City of Scottsdale 2002 General Plan. The second motion was to oppose new commercial zoning on the Scenic Drive.
The Proposal
The city’s rezoning plan is designed to increase the value of the state trust land as part of a deal that would enable the city to acquire two parcels – a total of 400 acres – for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The first parcel is northeast of Pima Road and Dynamite Boulevard, where Scottsdale hopes to build a trailhead. The state has set the minimum bid price at $28.2 million. The second parcel is east of Pima Road and is land along the western edge of Rawhide Wash.
The Arizona Land Department manages the state’s trust lands and is required by law to seek the highest and best value for those lands. The 4,000 acre rezoning would allow the department to fetch a higher price when it is auctioned in the future. Because the land is along Scottsdale and Pima Roads it is expected that developers will bid on the land, driving the price up, and making it more difficult for Scottsdale to complete its preserve vision.
Proposed new commercial zoning would be located on Scottsdale Road’s Scenic Corridor on land (dark green) that city hopes to include in McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Reasons for Opposition
GPPA opposes the new commercial zoning on north Scottsdale Road for several reasons. First, there is no need for new commercial zoning. Existing retail centers near the location are experiencing high vacancy rates and many additional undeveloped acres in the area are zoned for future commercial development.
Second, Scottsdale officials have often stated the goals of completing the entire McDowell Sonoran Preserve and supporting the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of its establishment last year. Increasing the value of the land by adding commercial zoning undercuts the city’s ability to achieve both goals. Higher value means it will be more difficult for the city to afford the land when it is auctioned. No commercial zoning has been added to the Scenic Drive, from Happy Valley Road to Carefree Highway, since the area was annexed by Scottsdale in the mid-1980s. New commercial zoning would set a precedent and encourage more commercial development along the drive.
Third, there is no provision in the proposal to keep or replace the Scenic Drive exhibit area that was originally established as a small park by Maricopa County in 1968 and later enhanced by Friends of the Scenic Drive and the city.
Fourth, there is no provision to establish the trailhead and link to preserve lands east of Pima Road and existing trails west of Pima Road that was included in plans at the time voter approval was sought. Read More
In a document submitted to the board for its consideration, Les Conklin, founder of Friends of the Scenic Drive and member of GPPA’s board, wrote, “It may be true that city staff has made promises to the state to increase the value of land in the past, BUT more importantly, in my view, the city has made promises to voters and residents to work to achieve the above two goals, not the reverse.
Friends of the Scenic Drive Helps Maintain and Enhance Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive.
“It seems very wrong to me to a) allow new commercial zoning on the Scenic Drive, the first since annexation, b) support the state’s desire to eradicate the Scenic Drive exhibit area, and c) have no commitment to connect the preserve to Scottsdale Road and the Scenic Drive, and to not inform voters about the overall status of land acquisition. I cannot speak for Jane Rau, Marg Nelssen, and other residents who live near Scottsdale Road and the proposed link to the preserve and have devoted many hours to preservation, but personally – and I suspect they will agree – this is really bad deal, and one that should not be made without considering other courses of action.”
Pubic Meetings
Scottsdale will hold public open houses, the dates of which have not been announced. Following the open houses, there will be public hearings before the Scottsdale Planning Commission and Scottsdale City Council.
Additional Reading
Related Articles
Scenic Drive Post 1. Roadside Sprawl Heading Our Way? – Published 5/27/2014
Scenic Drive Post 2. Road to Groundhog Land – Published 5/28/2014
Scenic Drive Post 3. Four Henchmen of Urban Sprawl – Published 5/28/2014
Scenic Drive Post 4. Roadside Gorilla – Published 5/31/2014
Scenic Drive Post 5. Dig Reveals Original Sprawl Solution – Published 6/1/2014
Scenic Drive Post 6. Two Game Changers – Published 6/11/2014
Scenic Drive Post 7. After the Crash, An Update – Published 6/12/2014
Scenic Drive Post 8. New Scenic Drive Commercial Zoning? – Published 6/29/2014
Related Websites
Friends of the Scenic Drive (www.scenicdrive.org)
McDowell Sonoran Conservancy (www.mcdowellsonoran.org)
City of Scottsdale, Preserve (www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Preserve
City of Scottsdale, Scenic Corridors (www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Planning/CorridorPlans
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