County supervisors reviewed changes in zoning on rural land east of Fountain Hills that sparked concerns from nearby residents.
Maricopa County, Arizona – The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has approved a request for rezoning rural land east of Fountain Hills, which cited concerns from nearby residents and tribal communities.
At a board meeting Wednesday, the supervisor approved a request to change the future land use designation of approximately 1,700 acres north of State Route 87 and east of Fort McDowellyavapai.
The request calls for potentially permitting the development of up to 696 residential units on the property known as “Reserve Gold Hawk.”
“With rolling terrain, numerous wash corridors, scenic views and ridges, the site is suitable for low density development,” the project document states. “The site’s plans will be sensitive to natural desert environments and will minimize impact on existing terrain by preserving as many terrain as possible.”
Development plans have been in place in the area since the early 1990s, but no final parcel platt has been submitted to the county and no residential development has yet to occur.
The applicant argues that the recent changes are improvements to regional planning as they constitute a lower density than current land use designations allow and will increase the number of land strips that remain undisturbed.
The county received dozens of letters and emails expressing their opposition to the changes in the zone. Residents in the area told the board they are concerned about an area that doesn’t have the infrastructure to handle some new homeowners.
Representatives from Fort McDowellyavapai Nation and Salt River Pima Licopa Communities said Wednesday that they had concerns about projects related to water resources, wastewater pollution and cultural resources conservation.
Zone changes have several attachment conditions for developers, one of which requires developers to notify Fort McDowell and Salt River Pima Licopa before performing any additional archaeological work on the land.
Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said he felt that the change in the zone was a responsible path for property to “dramatically” reduce density under current zoning.
“This is not just a zoning change, it’s a commitment to maintaining what’s important in this community,” Galvin said.
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