Dear Editor,
In the wake of Scottsdale’s successful Prop 420 “Protect Our Preserve” passing, I would like to draw attention to a similar but less talked about fight to protect another Desert Preserve right here in our own backyard, the Sonoran Desert Preserve on the Phoenix – Cave Creek border. The Sonoran Desert Preserve, located just south of the Carefree highway, was created back in 1998 after 10 years of collaborated effort between Phoenix Parks Dept. and ASU to conserve open space from home development. This past November, home developer Taylor Morrison announced it was proposing to build 1400 homes not only immediately adjacent to the Sonoran Preserve, but within earshot of the Apache Wash Trailhead, on a 480 acre piece of privately owned land referred to as MacEwan 480. In order to build their 1400 homes they need to 1). Rezone the area which is currently at a low density S-1 zone and 2). Remove the “Desert Character Overlay” zoning ordinance, an ordinance written specifically to mandate low density housing, wildlife and desert view corridors along the Sonoran Preserve Border, all in order to maintain a “Desert Character” in it’s namesake.
I am not “anti-development,” but I am “anti-ill-conceived development” – like this one, which shows a complete lack of respect for the established zoning ordinances that took several years to develop. Citizens enjoying the Preserve don’t want to see 1400 homes next to their trails any more than one wants to see a Walmart on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
This development also doesn’t make sense from a infrastructure perspective. Strategic land development calls for adding homes when the surrounding infrastructure can accommodate them. The MacEwan 480 is located in the middle of the desert; serviced by the two lane scenic road Sonoran Desert Drive, which is currently in grid lock every morning and afternoon. 1400 homes means at least 2800 more cars, which the Sonoran Desert Dr. can’t handle. Ask anyone who lives in the surrounding area.
Then there’s the flooding concern. MacEwan 480 is nestled between Apache and Cave Creek Wash, two floodplains known to flood with every monsoon. Do we really want 1400 homes in the middle of a floodplain? This is a FEMA nightmare waiting to happen.
Phoenix and Cave Creek residents have organized ourselves to stop this kind of development. The Save Our Sonoran Preserve advocacy group has over 600 members (Facebook: Save Our Sonoran Preserve Phoenix and www.saveoursonoranpreserve.com). I encourage everyone to join us in this fight to conserve our unique desert character and advocate for smart development.
Most Sincerely,
Gary Kirkilas
Save Our Sonoran Preserve (SOS-P) founder.
