Fifty-three years ago, fearing that urban sprawl was on the way, far-sighted residents established the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive to keep our community special. Residents and local governments have struggled, worked, and invested to keep that long-held vision alive.
“You can’t stop the future
You can’t rewind the past
The only way to learn the secret …is to press play.” ― Jay Asher
INVASION OF THE SIGN POLLUTERS?
New light tower signs at the Summit? The Summit Commercial Center located on Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive has applied to build two new 25′ lighted tower signs at the two entrances to the Summit. The public meeting that was held on Wednesday, July 13th from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Hacienda Mexican Grill, located within the retail center, was attended by many residents who voiced their opposition. GPPA – Friends of the Scenic Drive opposes this request. Before the Summit was developed, many residents were involved in developing an agreement re: signage and environmental impact. This proposal violates that agreement. The open house was not widely publicized.
Oh n0, not again! In the last few weeks, Friends of the Scenic Drive has received several complaints that the City of Scottsdale is allowing developers and real estate agents to post illegal signs on the Scenic Drive, despite the city’s ordinance restricting this practice.
GPPA, Friends of the Scenic Drive, and residents fought for years to eliminate weekend sign pollution that was rampant in north Scottsdale in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The result was adoption of a city ordinance, which is now reportedly being ignored by City of Scottsdale staff. For years, residents, including Howard Myers, Horst Berkner, Tony Nelson and others volunteered their time to attend training and help enforce the ordinance. Does today’s city staff think residents who supported the ordinance were wasting their time?
To make matters even more challenging, it’s almost time for candidates to post their “beloved” campaign signs along our scenic roads. Candidates for office in the City of Scottsdale have participated in a voluntary ban of campaign signs on the Scenic Drive since the 1990s. GPPA and Friends of the Scenic Drive asks candidates to once again do their part to keep Scottsdale special. It’s true. You cannot stop the future and you cannot rewind the past. But you can “play” in keeping Scottsdale special. It’s your choice and our vote.
NEW RESORT/TOURISM UP-ZONING ON SCENIC DRIVE
At its July 5th meeting, the Scottsdale City Council approved the Arizona State Land Department North Scottsdale Rezoning Case (19-ZN-20N). The council vote was 6-1. Mayor Lane and council members Virginia Korte, David Smith, Kathy Littlefield, Suzanne Klapp, and Linda Millhaven voted in favor of the request, with council member Guy Phillips voting against it. GPPA-Friends of the Scenic Drive, which was actively involved in raising resident awareness, negotiating and meetings related to the case since 2014, supported approval of the state’s request, which was a compromise from the state’s original request. (Cindy Lee and Peter Cherry provided exceptional service helping to organize events and producing several videos supporting GPPA’s efforts.)
With approval of the state’s request, 38 acres of state trust land located between Happy Valley and Jomax Roads on the east side of the Scenic Drive (Scottsdale Road), will be up-zoned from residential to resort/tourism zoning, the rest of the considered area will retain single-family residential zoning. The new zoning for the parcel, indicated as Parcel K-9 in the map included with this article, allows a maximum of 286 dwelling units for the parcel, if and when the land is auctioned for development.
Also, since the west side of Scottsdale Road, under the jurisdiction of Phoenix, is also trust land, the state will seek to establish a higher-volume roadway on the Yearling Drive alignment to minimize future traffic impacts on Jomax and Happy Valley roads in Scottsdale and Phoenix, if and when the land is auctioned for development.
Approval of the state’s request will enable Scottsdale to add additional acreage to the preserve and also settle a long-standing obligation that the city has incurred as the result of earlier preserve land acquisitions. Ultimately, GPPA would like to see the land discussed above, which is included in the planned preserve, become part of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, if that is possible.
Map showing latest 19-ZN-2014 with 2016 rezoning with 76 acres of Resort/Tourism divided into equal 38-acre parcels.
Related Articles & Websites
Scenic Drive: 52 Reasons to Save a Landmark Community Service Project
The Scenic Drive & Rezoning Case 19-ZN-2014 – How we got from 2002 to 2016
State Land Department: Rezoning Case (19-ZN-2014)
Meeting Attendees Voice Strong Opposition for State’s Commercial Rezoning Plan
July 28, 2016
Lots of election signs are still up on the Scenic Drive. Most of them belong to candidates running for office in Phoenix or Maricopa County, who are unaware of the voluntary ban on the Scenic Drive that started when Herb Drinkwater was mayor. If somebody calls the candidate’s campaign office and requests that they remove the signs, etc., they will take them down. Any volunteers?