Letter to the Editor: AZ Republic 3/29/2012

Don't back Enchanted Canyon

The information you gave on the Enchanted Canyon Resort is appreciated. I hope your paper is not going to make this sound like it's a great thing for Cave Creek.

The area is right in the residential area of Cave Creek. We moved here four years ago for the acreage and wide-open space. Any rezoning will destroy the beauty and character of Cave Creek. The quiet desert roads and star-filled nights will be taken away from us with all the traffic and lights. This is a horrible thing to have in front of you when you spend your life savings to be somewhere special.

This property is not near town, but in the middle of neighborhoods.

I see now how the 99 percent feel like they get the bad end of the deal. I didn't feel this way before.

I'm writing to let you know this is not a good thing for all. It's a money-making venture for someone who made a bad investment. Please don't support this.

--- Kim Pollicino, Cave Creek

Sonoran News editorial 3/29/2012

An editorial in the Sonoran News, written by Adam Trenk (Cave Creek ex-Town councilman), can be found here. This editorial's main focus is on the upcoming public vote for enacting a property tax so that the town will have a funding mechanism for a master contract for fire protection. However, this proposed project is mentioned in the editorial as an example of "needed" projects to fund town projects and expenditures.

Letter to the editor: AZ Republic 3/28/2012

Development would ruin special area in Cave Creek

Re: Enchanted Canyon General Plan amendment and rezoning cases:

It is of great concern to me that the zoning laws of Cave Creek, with regard to the Fleming Springs area, could be changed to accommodate a commercial group interested only in making money while destroying the tranquility of our very special and peaceful area.

When does the original intent of the zoning board amount to a sincere commitment to the innocent property owners? The ones who purchased in this area because they believed the zoning board stood behind its decisions?

It is very unfortunate that the members of the board feel money is more important than the best interests of the residents. Cave Creek is unique in this world of greed. It would be a travesty to change it from a one-stop-sign town, destroying the peace everyone fortunate enough to call it home enjoys.

I hope you will consider the very special quality of life in Cave Creek as privileged as I do, and stand by your original zoning decision for this quiet area.

—Carolyn Caldwell and Carolyn Johnstone, Cave Creek

My Turn editorial 3/22/2012

This article was published in the Arizona Republic 3/22/2012

Petition

A petition is being circulated in the North Cave Creek area. Our goal is to gather 1000 names on this petition to show support of our Cave Creek rural lifestyle and to protect the DR-190 desert rural zoning. This petition will be presented to Town Council. 

A downloadable copy of this petition may be found here.

Only property owners in Cave Creek may sign this petition. Please return petitions by April 16th to:

Susie Snider 

7075 E. Panorama Drive  

Cave Creek, AZ  85331

Letter from Desert Land Trust President

I'm writing to you and several of my neighbors about statements that have been made about a proposal to develop the "Enchanted Canyon" project. I live in your area and I am also the President of the Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT.org). Several times now, this developer has named the DFLT as being a participant in this project. I do want to emphatically point out that the DFLT has never entered into any discussion or agreement with this developer on anything. We learned about this when we received a copy of the proposed General Plan amendment last month and one of our supporters told us that we were named in it. That was just a few days before the developer's open house at the library.

The Land Trust is very proud of the roll that it plays in this community, the preservation of open space, and in the management of the properties that fall under the control of the organization. These properties come to the Land Trust in several ways; as an easement that is granted by the property owner, as a fee-simple purchase of land or by a property that is donated to the Trust with a stipulation of its preservation, or that the property is to be sold to fund other projects. Any property that the DFLT obtains in one of these ways must meet the criteria that we set for land that we want to acquire, we do not just take "dirt".

We have received several comments from people in our community about our involvement with this project, so we feel that it is necessary to explain what has happened, or actually what has NOT happened.

Please help us to spread the word that

1. We are not taking any side on this issue. 
2. We have NOT been contacted by this developer and we are not involved with this project. 

Please free free to contact me directly if I can provide any additional information about this issue, or about the DFLT! My cell phone number is 480 203-3707. I would also be happy to attend one of your neighborhood meetings about this project, if you feel that would be appropriate.

Also, please let me know if there are any other community groups working on this project, so I can send them a copy of this message.

Cordially,
Pat O'Brien President - Desert Foothills Land Trust
P.O. Box 4861
Cave Creek
Office Phone - 480 488-6131
DFLT.org

Our office is located at 7518 E. Elbow Bend, Unit B-6, Carefree

Republic Letters to the editor published 3/21/2012

Enchanted Canyon plans are disheartening

I am truly disenchanted to learn about the proposed 220-acre resort and housing development Enchanted Canyon near Continental Road and 72nd Street in Cave Creek. The developer is requesting a General Plan amendment and rezoning to build 123 guest rooms, 57 casitas and 30 private homes in the middle of a rural desert neighborhood.

In March 2009, Cave Creek Citizens for the Future, a volunteer committee created by Mayor Vince Francia, submitted a white paper filled with recommendations to rectify the town’s financial needs.

It addressed recommendations for economic development including expanding commercial development in two primary locations: the town core, where the gross inventory of commercial space was more than 300,000 square feet, and in the Cave Creek Road/Carefree Highway corridor, where the greatest opportunity for retail sales-tax revenue lies. These are the two primary areas where a preponderance of commercial properties currently exist.

Placing general commercial and high-density zoned areas in the middle of existing rural neighborhoods goes against the fundamental purpose of Cave Creek’s approved General Plan and the adopted white paper. Setting this precedent will create a mass-development domino effect like no other experienced by the town, creating a more appropriately named Disenchanted Canyon for local citizens to mourn for years to come.

— Kathryn Royer, Cave Creek 

  

Comparisons don’t work

In reading “Homes, resort proposed in northeast Cave Creek” (Scottsdale Republic, March 9), I want to make one very strong point:

The Boulders Resort is a golf-course community, not half a mile from Carefree, accessed by a major road, Tom Darlington, which is the extension of Scottsdale Road. The Boulders Resort is in Carefree, not in desert rural Cave Creek, not surrounded by 5-acre zoning residential parcels with horse privileges, with a very small two-lane road as the only access, approximately 2.5 miles from town.

So when the developer speaks about the “low density” of this proposed Enchanted Canyon Resort, that it has a “lower density” than the Boulders, this is not comparing apples to apples. It is not even comparing apples to oranges. It is nowhere near a comparison and tries to give the impression that this project will be an acceptable fit.

The residents of Cave Creek, and the neighbors of this project see right though these statements and will stand firm to our Town Council and Planning Commission to reject this plan in this location.

— Susie Bradstock, Scottsdale 

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AZ Republic article printed 3/9/2012

An article, published in the Arizona Republic on this project, ran on March 9th, 2012. A copy of it may be found here.

Planning & Zoning workshop 3/15/2010 6pm

This Thursday night March 15 at 6 pm, there will be a workshop session of the Planning Commission.  This meeting will be held at Town Hall.

During this session, the developer of Enchanted Canyon will be making a presentation to the Planning Commission.  Generally, a workshop session includes questions and answers between the developer and the members of the Planning Commission. Sometimes, the public is also given the opportunity to ask questions, however, that is not always the case. If the floor is open to questions we implore all to be respectful and polite.

At 7 pm, the regular P&Z meeting will begin.

Incidentally, as a reminder, the Planning Commission is made up of a group of citizen volunteers.  They evaluate various development plans and then make recommendations in writing to the Town Council.  Their recommendations are not necessarily binding on Council, but are one of many factors considered by Council in making decisions on proposed developments such as Enchanted Canyon.

The next open meeting of the Planning Commission, at which time public comments will be taken regarding Enchanted Canyon, will be on April19 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. It is crucial that all creekers4cavecreek be at that meeting.

Neighborhood Open House 3/8/2012

Tonight at 5pm-630pm the developer is holding his state regulation mandated Open House at the Desert Foothills Library. This is your chance to ask the developer his exact plans for this parcel. Please be prepared to ask some tough questions that you have on your mind.

Some of us will be collecting email addresses of attendees. We have been informed by the Library that they will not allow us to do so on Library property, so we will be across the street from the Library exit. We will also have some Tee shirts for sale, They are blue with the statement 'Preserve Desert Rural' on the front for $10 each. We would like for people to wear these at Planning & Zoning (March 15th, April 19th) and Town Council (May 7th) meetings as a show of support for this issue.

Article in local newspaper

The Sonoran News, a local newspaper, has written an article about this project.

Sonoran News article