We will soon (August 30) have the opportunity to vote on the 2016 General Plan. I commend the Town Planning Staff and the Planning Commission for their effort on this difficult endeavor. I’m sure each member of the above organizations committed countless hours in individual thought, research, drafting and redrafting as well as having to endure even more countless hours in meetings largely dominated by single issue zealots and idiots. On balance, and with one glaring exception, it is a good product.
Having said that, I believe it has one shortcoming so important I cannot support it and will not vote for its approval. The Circulation Element (page 61) on roads is useless and just a lot of words without the introduction of the essentiality to connect the east and west sides of Cave Creek without going into Phoenix, or whatever Carefree Highway is, to get from one side of town to the other. The existing condition is dangerous (entry on to Carefree Highway), will get worse over time with the bulk of the residential build out on the west side, with both traffic and travel lanes increasing on Carefree Highway, should not be necessary and the existing condition will always divide the town. Cave Creek ignores the west side (except at election time) – ignores them on water and ignores them on roads. Cave Creek needs a connector – in Cave Creek – to join east with west. It could be a reopened New River Road, it could be Morning Star Road or it could be something that looks like those but it will take time to resolve and the planning needs to begin. It must be a major initiative for the town and its recognition as such in the General Plan is essential. It is now and will remain an unpopular issue with a vocal few and that, of course, has the ‘please everybody’ members of the town council afraid to address it. We will never have a single Cave Creek without it. I offered this comment at the outset of this process and, as I said, I personally will not vote for this General Plan without it.
Bob Williams
Cave Creek
