Letters

Date: ___________________________

Dear Cave Creek Town Council Member:

Cave Creek's land resources – the beauty of its landscape, scenic panoramas, rural lifestyle and abundance of wildlife – are a source of much wealth, beauty, and enjoyment for Creekers and visitors. Continuous enjoyment by both today's people and future generations is dependent upon orderly development to avoid ruin.

You, my elected official, have the tools to guide our beloved community toward a balanced use of our land…those tools are land use planning, building codes, and zoning ordinances. These tools help reconcile private and public interests in rural land resources. This reconciliation of interests occurred in 2005 with the passage of the General Plan.

In keeping with the goals and intention of the 2005 General Plan, I firmly oppose an amendment to the Desert Rural-190 zoning classification in the General Plan to accommodate the project referred to as “Enchanted Canyon Resort.” This project represents an encroachment and intrusion of business/commercial zoning into areas that are completely zoned and reserved for residential property.

As a resident, voter and concerned citizen I call upon you, my representative voice in this Town’s government, to speak in opposition against this project, the requested zoning changes and all submitted land use alterations.

In standing with me you will be protecting our

  • Valuable land resources 
  • Quality and way of life in this dynamic rural setting 
  • Abundant characteristics that contribute to this community’s uniqueness 
  • Conservation of scenic beauty 
  • Peace and tranquility 
  • Property values 
  • Town’s integrity against pressure from “big business” and speculative investors.

Remember, the choices we make today will last beyond our lifetimes and will forever impact the Cave Creek residents of tomorrow. Please fight on my behalf and on the behalf of future generations to protect our Town and neighborhoods from this type of destruction.

As my delegate in office, I ask that you cast a vote of NO when this project and all accompanying changes to the 2005 General Plan come before you.

 Respectfully submitted,
__________________________________
Signed

Printed Name and Address
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
From: Nina Spitzer
To: Cave Creek Town Council

Dear Councilman,

I was enjoying another amazing Cave Creek morning when I gazed out our kitchen window and caught sight of a beautiful bobcat strolling across our patio. What a treat! The “kitty” was a reminder of the many reasons we moved to Cave Creek.

Do you remember why YOU moved to Cave Creek? Like so many of us, it was probably because Cave Creek is a little piece of heaven only minutes away from Phoenix,the largest capital city in the United States with over 1.4 million people. You probably moved here to enjoy a small Western town that seemed stuck in a “time warp.” It was probably the rural setting and peace and quiet that drew you here. A place where “cowboys” still can be seen riding through the town center on horseback. A place where strangers wave hello when they drive by. And, when you turn out the light at night, it’s a place where the song of the coyotes lulls you to sleep. Like many of us, surely this is the lifestyle that drew you to Cave Creek.

Think now of how this rural Western lifestyle will change if the rezoning for Enchanted Canyon resort and community goes through. You know, as well as I, what the impact of higher density housing and increased traffic will have upon the environment for both humans and animals alike. You know what a resort amphitheater will mean to a quiet rural neighborhood. You know, too, that saying “yes” to this project will set a precedent for future projects of this type that will each similarly affect our Cave Creek lifestyle. In other words, saying “yes” will create a downward spiral changing Cave Creek forever away from what it is now and what we enjoy today.

Tonight, before you turn in for the night, please step out onto your back patio and…look and listen for just 5 minutes. Look up at the ceiling of stars above you. Listen to the quiet and nature’s sounds of the night. Breathe in the fresh night air. Then remember, that’s why you moved here. This is the lifestyle you chose.

Please remember, too, how important YOU and your ONE vote are in maintaining our beloved Cave Creek lifestyle. And…when you’re sitting at the dais on May 7th, please remember these reasons why you moved here. That’s why we moved here too. Then…for ALL of us, and our children and grandchildren, please, vote NO on both the rezoning case and the General Plan Amendment submitted by this applicant.

Thank you kindly for your support!
From: Ronald Iverson
To: robert.leger@arizonarepublic.com
Cc: philip.haldiman@arizonarepublic.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 5:49 PM
Subject: Cave Creek, AZ

Mr. Robert Leger
Editor, Editorial Page
Scottsdale Republic

Dear Mr. Leger,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to a proposed amendment to Cave Creek's Town Plan that would allow for a departure from the long-standing established DR-190, 5 acre Residential Zoning to one of high density zoning.  This change will allow for a 123 room hotel plus 57 casitas, restaurant(s), bar, outdoor amphitheater, and other support facilities to be constructed in the middle of an established rural, horse loving, western neighborhood. I doubt if the hotel vacationers and hotel staff even know the proper manners for driving on roads where horses would be walking.  

Such a change in zoning is totally out of character with Cave Creek's Town Plan and the wishes of townspeople, as it negatively impacts our roads, trails, water supply, dark night skies, open spaces, riparian areas,  public services, and historic rural western character of Cave Creek.

The most grievous aspect of the Enchanted Canyon Resort proposal is that 60% of Cave Creek's Residential area is DR-190 (5 acre lots). If the amendment passes the entire backbone of our zoning that maintains our rural, open space western character will be destroyed. 

Residents of Cave Creek must speak and write to the Mayor, Town Council, and Planning Commission Members stating their opposition to this Town Amendment and the precedent it will create.

Sincerely,
Ronald Iverson
Cave Creek, AZ
480-595-5623
From: Richard Bartholomew
To: creekers4cc@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: Enchanted Canyon Resort

My Name is Richard Bartholomew P.E. I live at 6639 E. Ridgecrest Road Cave Creek, AZ – 480-488-1860.

I am very concerned as you all are, about this development in our area of Town which is one of the last bastions of our Native Desert and Hillside environments. We moved here 27 years ago to get away from this type natural desert destruction an encourage our Council and Zoning Board to deny this application.

We do not have the infra-structure, water supplies or roads and drainage structures and crossings  to support this type of  development at this location.

IT DOES NOT BELONG ON THIS SITE . MOVE IT TO THE FLAT LANDS OR SOUTH OF CAVE CREEK.

You have my permission to repeat this to other concerned citizens in Cave Creek.
Thank You,
Richard F. Bartholomew P.E.
From: steve & susie snider
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 4:03 PM
To: Ian Cordwell
Subject: regarding proposed rezoning for Enchanted Canyon Resort and Spa

Greetings:

My husband and I built a home at 7075 E. Panorama Drive in Cave Creek five
years ago.  We chose Cave Creek because of the rural setting and the quiet 
neighborhood, without much traffic. We did not hesitate to build here even with the 
extra expense of buying five acres and the cost of the environmental impact fee. 
We fell in love with the quiet dark nights of the desert, knowing that anyone building
here would also be on five acres.

We are both against the proposed rezoning of the property for the Enchanted
Canyon Resort and Spa. The thought that the town would even consider rezoning this
precious resource makes us extremely sad.

After talking with many of our fellow neighbors, we have not found one person
who is for this.  

We are asking you to vote no regarding this proposed rezoning and keep our
town the rural community it now is. This is what makes Cave Creek unique, 
in the middle of the chaos there is a quiet place that we call home.

Thank you,

Sue and Steve Snider
Mr Warfield, CPA, has written a letter to the Cave Creek Town Council. It is a PDF and may be downloaded from:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Byd7uxpd67yzRDBlMFdPT3BRSXF1N1o3d0lBOTNWZw
Mr. Vincent Francia
Mayor
Town of Cave Creek

We just found out that there is a "minor amendment" being proposed to the Cave Creek General Plan. This "minor amendment" is to allow a 123 room Hotel Resort with a Commercial Zoned area right smack in the middle of a long-standing, established rural residential neighborhood.

As concerned citizens...We Do Not Want This in our Neighborhood.

We feel as we have been deceived by concealing the true intentions, magnitude and impact of this overall project.

As residents of the immediate area, Why were we Not Informed of what is being Proposed?

We are very upset with our Cave Creek Elected Officials for not telling us and then finding out that non-Cave Creek people and organizations were advised of this project before their own citizens were informed. It appears that this "minor amendment" was to conceal the true intentions, magnitude and impact of this ill conceived, unsettling speculative development venture.

We expect our Elected Officials to uphold the integrity of the 2005 General Plan and its explicit policy to protect the community, neighborhoods, residents and discourage precisely this type of incompatible land use and development. This proposal is totally out of line with the current rural development patterns.

We want our Elected Officials to stand up for the citizens of this community and stop these developers, land use attorneys and land speculators from encroaching on established rural residential neighborhoods. We built a home in Cave Creek so we could be in and enjoy a rural residential neighborhood.

We expect our Elected Officials to uphold their sworn duty and responsibility of protecting the integrity and well-being of existing residential neighbors and quit subsidizing development using our general tax and water rate dollars.

If the community wants a 123 room Hotel Resort, why not use the land near the post office where those" Casitas" were suppose to be built but never were, or somewhere in the already commercial zone areas of the Township core area or put this resort in one of the Town Council member's neighborhood?

We do not want to see a precedent set leading to future rezoning anywhere in Cave Creek.

Please stop the Planning Commission efforts and vote down this proposed "minor amendment" to the General Plan.

Thank you

Ray L. Robinson
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
Some people have asked for a sample letter that can be emailed/mailed to Cave Creek. Please cut/paste the following into a document, modify it if you wish, print it out, and then sign, date, add your own address, and mail to the Town's below address:


To:                 Mayor Vincent Francia
                      Chairman Dan Baxley
Regarding:   Enchanted Canyon General Plan Amendment
                      and Rezoning Cases AGP-11-02 and Z-11-05

Town of Cave Creek
c/o Ms C Dyrek, Town Clerk
37622 N Cave Creek Road
Cave Creek, AZ 85331


Sirs:

I would like to strongly urge you to vote against these two matters when they come before you. I feel that placing General Commercial and high density zoned areas in the middle of existing rural neighborhoods goes against everything Cave Creek believes in.

Please, I ask you, protect the integrity of the existing DR-190 5 acre parcel zoning overlaying our neighborhood and most of Cave Creek. As Creekers, this is what we bought into and why we choose to live here.

Stop these precedent setting actions, which will irreversibly change and destroy everything Cave Creek stands for.

Regards,
CC:   Vice Mayor Ernie Bunch
         Shelley Anderson
         James Bruce
         Dick Esser
         Steven LaMar
         Thomas McGuire
         Vice Chairman Reg Monachino
         Peter Omundson
         Rae Iverson
         Ted Bryda
         Ray Fontaine
         John Ford

Subject: IMPORTANT - CAVE CREEK RESIDENTS be advised
From: Adam Trenk
To: Adam Trenk
CC: Vincent Francia,
    Richard Esser,
    Ernie Bunch,
    Shelley Anderson,
    James Bruce,
    Steve Lamar,
    Thomas McGuire
Hello Fellow Cave Creekers,

Please see the attached flyer, and be aware that the Town is contemplating a general plan amendment and re-zoning that will change the face of Cave Creek forever.  Your neighbors need you to help fight this radical upzoning in the heart of our residential community.

The Town of Cave Creek is considering re-zoning 220 acres of desert rural residential property that is currently zoned to accommodate less than 50 homes to mixed use commercial property to construct a 220 bed resort with an approx 80 single family home residential component.  The site of is in the heart of our Desert Rural neighborhood, where Continental Mountain Road and 72nd Street connect, about 1.5 miles north of Harolds as the crow flies. Despite what its proponents tell you, I have discussed this with a traffic engineer who regularly does work in Cave Creek and I can tell you this project will generate in excess of 1000 vehicle trips per day every day, of non-resident traffic, through the intersections at Cave Creek Rd and School House Road, School House Rd and Flemming Springs, and through to the site at 72nd Street and Continental Mountain Rd.

If approved, this will completely change the residential character and the desert rural landscape of Cave Creek north of the Town Core.  This will IMPACT EVERYONE.  It will result in traffic lights, street lights, medians, and a mandate for more spending on public infrastructure that will drive the town deeper into debt.  Debt which will be the used as a rationale to push additional “economic development” in the form of more zoning changes and higher density residential and commercial development in your rural neighborhoods throughout town.  If you live in Cave Creek because it is NOT Scottsdale, and it is NOT Paradise Valley, and it is NOT Fountain Hills, then you do NOT want this project to be approved, because this project is the first major step in a transition away from our current lifestyle.

It is absolutely imperative that your voice be heard.  If this passes the planning commission and council it will be incredibly difficult to beat at referendum because the developer will throw money at it the way Walmart did and the rest will be history.

I urge you to please contact every single council person and every single planning commissioner and tell them NOT TO APPROVE ENCHANTED CANYON!!!

Please forward this email on to anyone you know who lives in Cave Creek.  The developer and those who stand to gain financially at the expense of Cave Creek’s character are going to push this hard. We need voices to resonate loudly with the Town’s leaders in order to succeed in opposing this project.

Contact me if you have questions or want to further discuss how to oppose this project.

Sincerely,

Adam Trenk
Former Cave Creek Councilman and Concerned Citizen
602-402-3335

From: Terry Zerkle
To: robert.leger <robert.leger@arizonarepublic.com>
Cc: philip.haldiman <philip.haldiman@arizonarepublic.com>
Sent: Sun, Mar 11, 2012 11:27 pm
Subject: Enchanted Canyon Resort project
To: Robert Leger, Editorial Page Editor, Scottsdale Republic

Dear Mr. Leger:

I’m sure you have become aware at least peripherally from Philip Haldiman or others of the Enchanted Canyon Resort project that has been proposed to be located in the middle of a long standing, established rural residential neighborhood in northeast Cave Creek. This is an ill-conceived development proposal that, if approved, will irreversibly damage and change the fundamental character of the community.

In a nutshell, the applicant is proposing to change the zoning on 220 acres of pristine Sonoran desert from Desert Rural DR-190 Zoning (large parcel zoning, 1 dwelling unit on essentially 4-5 ac parcels) to mixed use General Commercial and a combination of more intense and much higher residential densities to accommodate a 123 room hotel with 57 multiple unit casitas, a restaurant, retail, an outdoor amphitheatre and denser residential development.

The proposal is not only incompatible with and out of character with the development patterns that characterize the rural residential neighborhood that surrounds and abuts this project, it is out of character and conflicts with the DR-190 Zoning and the rural development patterns that overlay and characterize most of Cave Creek. A quick review of the existing Town Zoning Map will confirm this.

To my knowledge, no one has taken the position the property owner is not entitled to develop his property in accordance with the existing zoning. Most people here are pretty respectful of preserving individual property rights. Citizens I’ve spoken with are comfortable with the property being developed in conformance with the existing DR-190 Zoning. Such would ensure compatibility with and respect for the surrounding neighborhood development patterns that characterize the community and what so many of today’s residents moved to Cave Creek to enjoy.

Obviously, a lot more can be written on this subject, and I’m sure it will be as this project winds its way through the Town’s processes. The bottom line is this project runs counter to the Vision and almost every major policy expression contained in the 2005 Town General Plan.

Robert, I hope and would ask that you, as a responsible journalist who is familiar with the core values that underpin this community, take a personal interest in following this proposal and that you consider writing one or more editorials opposing it.

As stated above, this is the type of project, if approved, will have the effect of changing the fundamental character of the community. The large parcel 5 acre zoning, rural residential character of the community and western lifestyle that so many came to Cave Creek to enjoy will cease to be. This is to say nothing of the damage and destruction that would be done to dramatic mountain vistas, scenic desert views, natural landscapes, Native American archeological sites, and precious wildlife habitat including that of the threatened Sonoran desert tortoise. The community will be forever adversely impacted and irrevocably damaged.

Please feel free to contact me should you have questions or if we can provide you additional information. If you would like to see the project area and get a neighborhood perspective, I can help connect you with the people willing to do that.

Terry  

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