Posted By Les Conklin on Sep 30, 2018

September 14, 2018

Undeveloped Parcels, Front Lines of Fairness and Keeping Scenic Drive Scenic

By Les Conklin
Videos by Cindy Lee and Peter Cherry

To many long-time residents, it seems as though Scottsdale Road is the Invincible Up Escalator, inexorably delivering taller, larger buildings and higher building densities from the south to an ever-shrinking desert setting in the north.  Are the presence of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive and the Scottsdale Road Scenic Corridor enough to blunt the force of the Invincible Up Escalator?

Planning Study Provides Background

The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, Scenic Corridor & Trails Analysis, Executive Summary was completed by the City of Scottsdale in January 2009. Like most city studies its’ creation involved significant input from residents, including Friends of the Scenic Drive and other stakeholders. The report’s introduction begins,

“The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive is located … on the northern six miles of Scottsdale Road. Situated between Happy Valley Road and the Carefree Highway, the Scenic Drive consists of approximately 11.5 miles of roadside frontage. Seen as a community landmark, preservation efforts have been made for over 45 years to maintain its natural desert character. Neighboring communities, volunteers, non-profit organizations, and the City of Scottsdale have made substantial contributions to preserve and restore the natural desert environment and enhance its character as a distinctive tourist destination.

“The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive of Scottsdale Road is designated by Scottsdale’s General Plan as a scenic corridor. Scenic corridors are major thoroughfares that require expanded scenic desert landscape setbacks to preserve a sense of openness for the community. The principle goal of scenic corridors is to achieve minimal visual impact of the built environment on the natural desert setting.”

The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive and its Scottsdale Road Scenic Corridor designation are not the result of miracles. Their creation involved decades of thought, advocacy and planning, thousands of hours of work and the investment of millions of dollars by governments, local organizations and individuals.  Click on the link below to view a summary of some of the work that has been done.

Take a Ride on the Invincible Up Escalator

When I was in grammar school, going for a Sunday drive in the family car was a memorable treat. Perhaps now – as we consider the development of a large commercial storage facility on Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive, it’s time to embark on a modern driving adventure.

Begin your trip at the Tempe border, where Rural Road becomes Scottsdale Road. Drive north on Scottsdale Road to Happy Valley Road, a distance of just under 20 miles. When you reach Happy Valley Road, ask yourself, what did I see? How many traffic lights engaged my rapt attention? Did I see any commercial buildings or retail centers?  How about rural/residential neighborhoods?  How have we done in terms of achieving a “minimal visual impact of the built environment on the natural desert setting.”?  As you answer these questions, remember that appearances can be deceiving. The expanse of saguaro studded land that you see on the west side of Scottsdale Road from Pinnacle Peak Road to Happy Valley Road is in Phoenix and has commercial and mixed commercial/residential zoning.

Vacant Parcels, Fairness and the Future

Now patient reader, we are at Happy Valley Road, the southern end of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. Let’s complete our adventure by using a diagram to travel north for about 6 ½ miles to Carefree Highway. A diagram, “Developed and Undeveloped Parcels,” from the above study appears here. The right-side of the diagram shows parcels adjacent to Scottsdale Road from Happy Valley Road north to Mary Sharon Drive; the left-side covers from Mary Sharon Drive north to Carefree Highway. Developed and undeveloped parcels are colored yellow and blue, respectively.

What happens to undeveloped parcels on the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive is critical to how existing homeowners feel about being treated fairly by their leaders.  The destiny of undeveloped parcels will determine whether the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive and the Scottsdale Road Scenic Corridor are scenic in the future.  They are on the front lines of the on-going struggle to keep the area scenic.

According to the 2009 study, 37 parcels, representing a little more than three linear miles, remain undeveloped; roughly 29% of Scenic Drive Frontage. All of the private undeveloped parcels have residential zoning.  Most of the developed parcels on the Scenic Drive have residential zoning. Carriage Estates, Monterra, Bent Tree, and Terravita are just a few of the neighborhoods and gated communities that were built on residentially zoned land after Scottsdale annexed the area.

Many Fine Homes Adjacent to Scenic Drive

My neighborhood borders Scottdale Road. Some of the homes, like mine, were built before Scottsdale annexed the area.  All the lots on Scottsdale Road have been developed. Just north is Saguaro Estates with a number of upscale residences adjacent to the Scenic Drive.  Look at the diagram; there are many very nice homes adjacent to Scottsdale Road. I’ve heard developers say that you cannot sell residential land on Scottsdale Road. That is simply not true. What is true is that land with commercial zoning is more valuable.

No Up-zoning to Commercial Since Annexation

Seventy-two percent of the parcels adjacent to the Scenic Drive, representing almost eight linear miles of frontage have been developed.  Most of these 100 parcels had residential zoning when they were annexed into Scottsdale. Some had commercial zoning. The Summit, AJ’s, and Terra Vita Marketplace are all examples of development that took place since annexation on land that was zoned commercial before annexation took place.  To my knowledge, no parcels that was zoned residential at annexation has been rezoned to commercial. I am aware of one example where the reverse is true.

Some prospective home buyers review existing City of Scottsdale plans and ordinances as part of their house search. Many rely on their realtor’s knowledge of the area. Almost all consider what they actually see to be very important. When a government does not follow a long-stated plan, it’s usually unfair to residents and prospective buyers.

Click below to view an area resident discuss the topic of fairness and the proposed storage facility.

Storage Facility will Extend Invincible Up Escalator

Unfortunately, the 37 undeveloped lots with residential zoning represent a significant opportunity for aggressive development to diminish a special place and its’ natural desert/residential character, Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, and Scottsdale Road Scenic Corridor.

I was living here as the Invincible Up Escalator was extended as Scottsdale grew northward to Shea Boulevard and beyond. Usually, the commercial development would initially take place at a major intersection and then spread north and/or south from there.  On the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive there are clusters of undeveloped lots near the Dynamite Boulevard, Dixileta Drive and Lone Mountain Road intersections. On most main roads in America these would be prime locations for speculators to purchase residential property with the goal of eventually selling it as commercial property.

My personal experience has shown that some of the undeveloped lots, mentioned above, are owned by people who have businesses and hope to bring their services to Desert Foothills residents. Other undeveloped lots are owned by investors, who have purchased the lots with the intent of someday having the zoning changed to commercial.  Case in point, the lawyer representing the Lone Mountain Storage facility, said that the property owner would not sell the property to them unless the city approved commercial zoning.

If this project is approved, more undeveloped lot owners will be incentivized to maximize their profits and will jump on the Invincible Up Escalator that they have been patiently waiting for.

Two Examples from “Back in the Day”

#1. Can you imagine two hotels, a motion picture production studio with two 50’ towers, a small theme village with a few shops, houses and townhomes on the southwest corner of Dynamite Boulevard and Scottsdale Road? Such a project was proposed about 1987, shortly after annexation, by a development group composed of investors from Los Angeles and Scottsdale After residents vigorously opposed the proposal, the request was withdrawn.

The case had an even happier ending. Prior to annexation, Maricopa County had zoned a small parcel at N. 64^th Street and Dynamite Boulevard for a convenience store. The developer had used the existence of this zoning to justify the up-zoning of the hundreds of acres they wanted for their studio complex. The Scottsdale City Council changed the zoning to residential. Today, the site proposed for the studio is home to the gated community of Saguaro Estates.   Why should we sacrifice special land today for a facility that  you can find in many, many places?

#2. Can you imagine a gas station complex on the east side of Scottsdale Road at Dynamite Boulevard? In the early 1990s, another request to change the zoning of an undeveloped parcel at Dynamite Boulevard and Scottsdale Road was withdrawn by the applicant who owned the property and wanted to use the location to add another gas station to his chain of stations. After the withdrawal of this case, city staff and energized residents worked together to restore and enhance the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. Why not motivate and engage residents once again?

Oppose Lone Mountain Self Storage Facility

Don’t get me wrong, I believe planned, managed growth is a good thing. Perhaps we need to look at our escalator “technology.” Most escalators can be turned off when there is no need to have them operating. The speed of some escalators can be adjusted based on the demand and the use.

Over the decades, the residents and various government bodies of Maricopa County, Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Carefree have devoted large quantities of time, treasure and community energy to the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive and the Scottsdale Road Scenic Corridor. We must demand more than the Main Street, U.S.A escalator approach to growth in order to protect these assets and the benefits they bring. It really is up to us. Once the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive is gone, IT IS GONE. Please oppose the Lone Mountain Self Storage Facility and the negative long-term impact it will surely have.

Note. The planniing report referenced in my article was written nine years ago. There may have been a slight change in the number of developed/undeveloped parcels but the difference is not significant.

Note Update – 9/24/2018.  The author thanks Michael and Alisa McMahon for the following additional information. “Michael and I took a stab at updating the UNdeveloped parcel numbers in the 2009 Scenic Drive Study. We believe this is accurate: 33 parcels, 2.98 linear miles, 27% of corridor frontage, all still zoned residential. Alisa” 

Final Note of Gratitude

“Divine Desert Drive” by Chad Weaver, Carefree – Winner Scenic Drive Category, 2015 Summer Fun Photo Contest

This article is dedicated to the many area residents and volunteers who have worked to establish, maintain and enhance the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive and the Scottsdale Road Scenic Corridor.  Since 1963, residents of Cave Creek, Cave Creek, Scottsdale and Maricopa County have donated money, picked up litter, installed plant identification signs, cleaned and painted roadside infrastructure to blend into the natural environment, served on committees and boards, attended and worked at fund raisers and much more.

In addition, none of what has been done could have been accomplished without the support of our government bodies. Maricopa County, the City of Scottsdale and in the early decades, The Cave Creek Improvement Association have all played essential roles.

Corki Cockburn and Jo Walker deserve special recognition. The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive was Cockburn’s idea and she led the promotion and establishment of the drive in 1963-64. Jo Walker took responsibility for the drive during the pre-annexation years (late 1970s – mid 1980s) when it was unclear whether the drive would be under the jurisdiction of the county, Scottsdale or Phoenix. She also was a strong advocate for the establishment of scenic corridors in both Phoenix and Scottsdale. This is our heritage.

Finally, nothing would have been possible without the support of civic leaders, their staffs, and voters. Since annexation every mayor, with the backing of their city councils, has supported the efforts: Herb Drinkwater, Sam Katheryn Campana, Mary Manross and Jim Lane.

Related Articles & Websites

Support Scenic Drive: Public Lone Mtn. Self Storage Mtg.  Oct. 3, Info – Videos Here  Article

The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, Scenic Corridor & Trails Analysis, Executive Summary (PDF) Article

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