In the latest email from several Carefree Town Council candidates, they are accusing the Town of seeking to sell our souls to the devil to bring an apartment complex and high rises to the 48 acres of State Trust Land along Cave Creek Road nestled between the Carefree Skyranch Airport to the north and Stagecoach Road to the south.
It is unfortunate that our elections have so many false narratives. This is another attempt to cast doubt on others.
The candidates claim the Town needs new leaders who will protect the Town from developers. If they came to meetings (all of which are public) or bothered to stop into Town Hall to speak either with our Town administrator, Gary Neiss or Mayor, Les Peterson, they would find out that there is nothing nefarious in the works other than what is in their own minds. Maybe that tells you more about them than us. Using scare tactics to get votes is unconscionable.
The truth is simply this: The Town of Carefree zoning on the state land property is R70 or one home per nearly two acres. Any buyer will be entitled to build homes on this property within the limitations of this existing zoning. It is the law. Should a buyer wish to develop this property with a more dense residential development or a different land use, they would need to propose and apply for a change of zoning. Zoning changes are a public process with public engagement and participation starting with a meeting between the developer and nearby neighbors followed by Planning and Zoning meetings producing a recommendation and then a Town Council meeting to consider the change. In addition, enough water must be available to service any proposal. By law, the property owner is entitled to due process. It is their right. BUT they don’t get carte blanche to do as they please and no changes can be made in a back room. Plain and simple, that are NO backroom deals.
As this process moves forward, the property auction will be monitored, the process tracked and news factually shared.
Earlier this week, we published a letter asking all candidates and their supporters (including ourselves) to refrain from negative campaigning and bad behavior. Maybe we were just talking to ourselves. But please, can’t we at least tell the truth?
John Crane
Cheryl Kroyer
