Friends of Carefree, the Town Council held their regular monthly meeting, a brief one, on July 5th. This was the final meeting to be held in the current Council Chambers in the P.O. Building. Future meetings, beginning August 2nd will be held at the Holland Center, Building B, Quail Room located at 34250 N. 60th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85266.
Town Council Meeting, July 5, 2016 at 5 PM
Items 1 – 4, Consent Agenda: All items were related to routine town business (meeting minutes, bills, financial reports, event permits, etc.), Approved 7 – 0.
Item 5, Call to the Public: Lieutenant Ryan Baranyos addressed the Council to advise that shift schedules and some personnel changes are taking place in our MCSO coverage area. Deputies will move from the 3 day, 13 hour shift schedule to a 4 day, 10 hour schedule. Deputy Rob Halliday was introduced and will be covering the Town of Carefree.
Carol Hitchcock addressed the council to draw attention to loose dog issues which have surfaced within the Town Center Gardens area. In the evening, between 6 PM and 7:30 PM some dog owners are allowing their dogs to run free. This situation raises concerns about personal safety and picking up after the loose dogs. The mayor responded that the town will look into the issue.
Item 6, Current Events: Vice Mayor Crane advised that the LockBox program sponsored by the Town, Foothills Caring Corp, and Rural Metro has been a big success. To date, 42 lock-boxes have been deployed in Carefree. The program allows 911 Responders to access homes in the event of an emergency. At least one life has already been saved thanks to the lockbox program. Once a lockbox is in place only the firemen have the code to open the box and use the key inside. Additional info and/or requests for installation should be directed to the Caring Corp at 480-488-1105. A $25 donation is requested.
Item 7, Amendment(s) to Protect Gardens: This was the 2nd reading of the proposed amendment(s) to town code to extend restrictions prohibiting the riding of bicycles and “vehicles propelled by human power” on the walls, seats, furniture, amphitheater area, sidewalks, or other features within the Town Center Gardens. The current language only prohibits skateboards and scooters. The Town’s Code Enforcement Officer and MCSO will enforce the codes. Section 7-5 of the Town Code addresses penalties. Implementation is expected within 1 month. Approved 7 – 0.
Item 8, Town Council Updates: Councilwoman Price asked if a committee could be formed to look into 4-Sale signs in Town Center; no explanation was offered and curiously, nobody questioned the request. She went on to advise that the second gateway Arch (on Tom Darlington) should be installed by Friday, July 8th and the lighting will be completed days later. Gateway landscaping should be completed by August.
Gary Neiss provided an update on Median landscaping (near the Town Core), advising that the process has begun at the roundabout on Cave Creek Road near the 1st Gateway and will progress from that location. Medians will be enhanced with earth, berms, and boulders. He did meet with Jim Van Allen shortly after the last council meeting. Mr. Neiss agreed that some trees might be added based on further input from the landscape company. The entire process is expected to take several months to complete.
The Sundial rope lights have been replaced with new, multicolor capable LED lights which are programmable via smartphone. On the 4th they were programmed for red, white, and blue. Also 3 new (heavy duty) picnic tables have been added in the Gardens.
Councilman Orrico inquired about the reason for new lane striping at the roundabouts. He said he had received a number of inquiries from folks with safety concerns. [We too, at CFM, have received numerous emails from residents concerned about the safety of directing traffic into the roundabout turn/merge lane, rather than away from it.] Mr. Neiss said that the Town had also received a number of inquiries, but assured us that a road engineer had reviewed the town’s requested changes and approved them. He added that people will just have to get used to the change. The point of the change has to do with directing traffic toward the Gateway entrances. [I don’t think anyone could possible miss the massive 36-38 foot Gateways. Further, even though a road engineer had reviewed the plan, the simple fact is that this new traffic pattern does not enhance public safety. The change seems to place turning vehicle traffic in danger of colliding with through traffic. There are no yield sighs to caution drivers. Change for the sake of change is senseless, especially when it potentially puts residents and visitors at risk. If you are concerned about the safety of the new traffic pattern at the roundabouts I’d suggest you send your concerns via an email to [email protected], or call Town Hall (480-488-3686) to express your concerns. Resident input does matter and this Mayor does listen.]
Item 9, Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:25 PM.
Other Area News: You may not be aware that Carefree residents Linda & Tom Rawles have opened a Beer & Wine establishment in Tonto Hills called Raven’s View. It is located at 42016 N. Old Mine Road at the Cave Creek Road intersection, across from Desert Mountain’s ‘Outlaw’ golf course. They offer patrons a nice selection of beverages and an assortment of sandwiches and snack items. The ‘View’, where everyone’s name could be “Norm”, is a friendly place that is distinctively decorated and comfortable. During these hot summer afternoons it can provide a pleasant refuge from the elements, it affords the opportunity to share conversations with new friends, and it provides a pleasant environment to relax with a beverage and light food. Hours are 4 -10 pm on weekdays (closed Tuesday) and 11 am to 10 pm on the weekends. Why not plan a visit to see Linda & Tom soon?
On Cave Creek Road, west of Pima, land clearing has begun on the recently rezoned parcels (9.5 acres) for the Eastwood development.
Bashas’ renovation should be underway shortly and continue throughout the summer.
The Silver Spur in Frontier Town has been heavily damaged by fire. The owners plan to rebuild.
Jim Van Allen attended the Sonoran News Candidate forum for Cave Creek elections. He reports it was a well-planned and excellently executed program. Carefree will not have one this time around, as none of the eligible candidates are opposed, and most likely all will be elected in the Primary.
Last Month’s Question: Now that the Bicycle Lane Project is wrapping up, do you feel it was a good investment and a valuable undertaking for Carefree?
It was not particularly surprising that almost all respondents felt the bicycle lane project was a waste of money, with several of you mentioning that it did not enhance public safety. Some felt the many bicycle rider groups ignore the lanes and continue to ride 3 or 4 abreast and continue to disregard other traffic regulations which apply to them, like Stop signs. One respondent summed it up this way: “Bottom line is that some asphalt and striping is not going to change human behavior.” Another resident who expressed similar concerns regarding bicyclist etiquette added, “I’m not opposed to the bike lanes, if the bike people use them properly.” A few reserved judgement until the median work and landscaping are completed.
Along with all the responses to last month’s Question of the Month (QOM), we received a few very good suggestions for future questions. Street lighting was a popular topic which we may feature next month. However, with the recent addition of the Arch on the Gateway at Cave Creek Road and Carefree Drive, we wondered how residents felt about that project.
[Visit http://www.carefreesfuturematters.com/ to see some recent photos.]
Question of the Month: Do you feel the $500K investment in two Gateways will be a factor in revitalizing Carefree’s economic outlook?
Let us hear from you.
Respectfully submitted by Jim Van Allen and John Traynor
