On March 20, 2019, I learned that Harmony Hollow, my former home, was for sale after 50 years. Harmony Hollow is a distinctive artist enclave and former residence of many longtime Cave Creek artists and craftsmen including Richard Mocco, John Woodjack, Jeff Cross, Sheila Kollasch, Scotty Bechtold, and Ray Stone.
This special land is in the heart of the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. The 30-acre property is bounded by the living creek and had the potential for up to 7 homes being built on this environmentally sensitive site. In addition, a 10-acre parcel across the creek was also for sale and included an old historic stamp mill from gold mining days. It was another developable piece of property within the Conservation Area.
I contemplated a way to try to save these lands from being developed, talking to the Desert Foothills Land Trust, The Town of Cave Creek, private investors, and other local non-profits. My efforts were brought to the attention of Town Council member Kathryn Royer and she helped bring awareness of the matter to the Town Council. Kathryn facilitated my first public presentation at the Desert Foothills Library, and another at Cave Creek Town Hall. Her brilliant work to fund appraisals on the properties by use of an inter-governmental agreement with Maricopa County was crucial in helping to bring the matter to a real-world solution. The conservation buyers who bought the Stamp Mill and Harmony Hollow properties worked with the Desert Foothills Land Trust to protect the vital creek waterway that nourishes the entire area.
More recently, thanks to the appraisals and cooperation with the Land Trust, the Town of Cave Creek and Maricopa County, a plan was conceived and executed to purchase and preserve 30.6 acres next to Harmony Hollow, behind the Ranger station. The land is now preserved in perpetuity. Please support Kathryn Royer with your vote on July 30, 2024. She is an amazing advocate for open space preservation.
Sincerely,
Melissa Paxton
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