Mr. Crane,
Your letter to the editor about Carefree and Desert Foothills Land Trust (which you are Co-Chairman) creating a preserve like Spur Cross in northern Carefree is confusing?
Residents concerned about Carefree’s development activities met with DFLT and got a different take on your letter. DFLT indicates that area in northern Carefree was highly unlikely to ever be open to the general public. The only safe and reasonable access is through private land. In addition, some of the artifacts need to be protected from vandals therefore to suggest this could be a preserve like Spur Cross, open year round to the general public, is rather misleading.
DFLT also indicates they have not been involved with the Town of Carefree on land preservation since 2013. In contrast, the 48 acres of State Land that was up for auction might not have a high preservation value but, it could create a 48 acre park accessible to all Carefree residents and visitors.
Cave Creek has several large public parks with beautiful paths – Spur Cross and Cave Creek Regional Park are two wonderful examples. Scottsdale has the McDowell-Sonoran Preserve. Carefree has nothing like that.
Instead, Carefree residents and visitors regularly go into private gated communities to ride their bikes and walk their dogs in search of safe and easily accessible places to exercise ignoring the no trespassing signs. That is the real value of preserving that 48 acres of state land – to be used for the enjoyment of ALL residents and visitors instead of creating another “multistory rental lodging” that further destroys the Sonoran Desert and our “Dark Skies.”
Carefree has spent upwards of $4 Million on lawyers and consultants during your time in office. Consider how that $4 Million could have been spent on creating a 48 acre walking park for generations of Carefree residents and visitors to enjoy. The State Land Trust indicates they will be re-evaluating the land value before it goes up for auction again and will most likely be reducing the $6.95 million starting bid. Speaking as a long time Carefree resident, I would certainly find it a far more valuable way for Carefree to spend town money to create a 48 acre preserve that protects our dark skies and gives everyone in Carefree access to a place to exercise vs spending it on more lawyers, consultants, entry gates and signage.
Thank you,
Stephanie Barbour
Carefree
