Council e-mail addresses:VirginiaASimpson@cox.net, mhamway@cox.net , slemarr@palocristi.com , edwinkler@cox.net, dschweiker@cox.net, rc44@cox.net, briancooney@cox.net
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Write the Town Council - Stop High Density
Council e-mail addresses:VirginiaASimpson@cox.net, mhamway@cox.net , slemarr@palocristi.com , edwinkler@cox.net, dschweiker@cox.net, rc44@cox.net, briancooney@cox.net
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Ritz-Carlton Approved by Planning Commission
The Planning Commission unanimously approved the Ritz-Carlton application for a 161 housing unit subdivision on about 70 acres surrounding about a 30 acre resort. The tract housing project includes 50 duplexes, mostly two stories high, containing two housing units per duplex with four duplexes per acre. How's that for high density. The developer is calling them Patio Homes, does that make them OK? Write, phone, e-mail your Town Councilmen to voice your objections to this ruination of our Paradise. The Town Council will hear the application at 7 PM on January 24th. The Ritz-Carlton traffic study says no problem. Would you expect otherwise? How about air polution, garbage truck pollution, light pollution, Town service pollution, quality of life pollution?
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
High Density
Ritz-Carlton Project is bringing
tract-housing to our Town
Less than 30% of the land will be devoted to the resort. This is not a resort with some houses. It is a high density housing project surrounding a small resort.
You cannot build four two-story duplex dwellings on your acre. Why should Ritz-Carlton be allowed to build them?
Our quality of life will be compromised by the Ritz-Carlton housing development project. A project which includes duplexes bordering Lincoln Drive, side-by-side dwellings on half-acre or less, and a condominium-looking project along Indian Bend. Increased traffic, pollution, and Town services. Why? Will this still be Paradise?
Paradise Valley attracts people from across the country, drawn to its beauty, open spaces and unparalleled reputation for providing the highest quality of life for its residents. This was built on the Town's commitment to one home per acre, no retail, height restrictions on dwellings, and most importantly and significantly, opposition to development of high density neighborhoods.
It may not be in your backyard today but it could be tomorrow.
You cannot build four two-story duplex dwellings on your acre. Why should Ritz-Carlton be allowed to build them?
Our quality of life will be compromised by the Ritz-Carlton housing development project. A project which includes duplexes bordering Lincoln Drive, side-by-side dwellings on half-acre or less, and a condominium-looking project along Indian Bend. Increased traffic, pollution, and Town services. Why? Will this still be Paradise?
Paradise Valley attracts people from across the country, drawn to its beauty, open spaces and unparalleled reputation for providing the highest quality of life for its residents. This was built on the Town's commitment to one home per acre, no retail, height restrictions on dwellings, and most importantly and significantly, opposition to development of high density neighborhoods.
It may not be in your backyard today but it could be tomorrow.
Write our Mayor, our Town Councilmen, our Planning Commission.
Tell them you don't want this to happen.
Attend the Tuesday, December 18th Planning Commission hearing to voice your objection.
Ritz-Carlton Layout-Six foot high perimeter wall will be built first.
-Traffic light on Lincoln Drive at the entrance.
-R-18 lots of half-acre or less will have town house looking residences.
-Patio Homes mostly two story duplex condominium looking structures.
-The project will bring huge amounts of additional traffic to the area, especially during the construction phase which will last several years.
-Five Star won't build homes on one-acre because it reduces their profit.
Monday, December 10, 2007
POP shares the views of Scottsdale Councilman
From the Scottsdale Activist this week by Scottsdale City Councilman Bob Littlefield:
"Another letter writer repeated the line from the developer playbook that "if we are to preserve our open space, some height and density is necessary." This is a false choice. Where is it written that the citizens of Scottsdale are obligated to accommodate unlimited population growth? The truth is that we have a right to decide how (and how much) our community is going to grow and to elect leaders who will implement the type and amount of growth that the citizens want. We do not have to choose between sprawl and overcrowding, we can (and should) reject both, in all parts of our community.
High density, highly subsidized projects that overtax our infrastructure, clog our roads, deplete our treasury, and diminish the quality of life for the current residents are not the answer for any part of Scottsdale, north, central or south."
Councilman Bob Littlefield
bob@boblittlefield.com
"Another letter writer repeated the line from the developer playbook that "if we are to preserve our open space, some height and density is necessary." This is a false choice. Where is it written that the citizens of Scottsdale are obligated to accommodate unlimited population growth? The truth is that we have a right to decide how (and how much) our community is going to grow and to elect leaders who will implement the type and amount of growth that the citizens want. We do not have to choose between sprawl and overcrowding, we can (and should) reject both, in all parts of our community.
High density, highly subsidized projects that overtax our infrastructure, clog our roads, deplete our treasury, and diminish the quality of life for the current residents are not the answer for any part of Scottsdale, north, central or south."
Councilman Bob Littlefield
bob@boblittlefield.com
remarks from a concerned citizen who seeks to preserve our paradise
Planning Commission Public Hearing on SUP for Ritz-Carlton Resort - Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 7:00 PM
Chairman Strom, members of the Planning Commission, fellow residents:
It is our one-home-per-acre zoning and restrictions on development that resulted in the increased value in Town property.
It is the Commission's responsibility to protect the zoning that has gotten us where we are today and why many of us moved here.
Property values have escalated and continue to soar even in down markets as a result of restrictions placed on development. People want to move here and developers want to develop here because of our high standards.
It is the responsibility of the Planning Commission and our Town Council to uphold and maintain these standards. It is not the Town's responsibility to ensure that developers maximize profit.
It is argued that a resort cannot be funded without revenue generated from high density housing. This is a developer's argument. There is no necessity for the Town to give in to a developer's desire to maximize his profit. If they want to build a resort, that's fine. We favor resorts. But there is no need to lower our standard of one-home-per-acre in order to accommodate developers. High-density is high-density. Combining it with a resort does not change that.
Increased housing density means increased demand for Town services, increasing Town costs and decreasing our quality of life. Greater density of housing units means more traffic, more pollution, more problems.
It has been argued that if we don't encourage resort development by giving up our unique standard of one home per acre, resorts will not be built and property taxes will become a necessity.
Based upon the fact that the Town currently receives and has more money than it is permitted to spend, that statement can be challenged.
If property tax ever becomes necessary, many of us are willing to pay a fair amount to maintain our lifestyle and living conditions.
Chairman Strom, members of the Planning Commission, fellow residents:
It is our one-home-per-acre zoning and restrictions on development that resulted in the increased value in Town property.
It is the Commission's responsibility to protect the zoning that has gotten us where we are today and why many of us moved here.
Property values have escalated and continue to soar even in down markets as a result of restrictions placed on development. People want to move here and developers want to develop here because of our high standards.
It is the responsibility of the Planning Commission and our Town Council to uphold and maintain these standards. It is not the Town's responsibility to ensure that developers maximize profit.
It is argued that a resort cannot be funded without revenue generated from high density housing. This is a developer's argument. There is no necessity for the Town to give in to a developer's desire to maximize his profit. If they want to build a resort, that's fine. We favor resorts. But there is no need to lower our standard of one-home-per-acre in order to accommodate developers. High-density is high-density. Combining it with a resort does not change that.
Increased housing density means increased demand for Town services, increasing Town costs and decreasing our quality of life. Greater density of housing units means more traffic, more pollution, more problems.
It has been argued that if we don't encourage resort development by giving up our unique standard of one home per acre, resorts will not be built and property taxes will become a necessity.
Based upon the fact that the Town currently receives and has more money than it is permitted to spend, that statement can be challenged.
If property tax ever becomes necessary, many of us are willing to pay a fair amount to maintain our lifestyle and living conditions.
Planning Commission will Approve Ritz-Carlton
by Diana Balazs The Arizona Republic Dec. 3, 2007
"It could be a Merry Christmas for developers of the Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley Resort with the Paradise Valley Planning Commission poised for a possible vote Dec. 18. But first, the commission will review 39 stipulations required of the developers, plus residential guidelines governing height, setback and other issues tonight at a 6 p.m. work study at Paradise Valley Town Hall, 6401 E. Lincoln Drive. Scottsdale-based Five Star Development wants to build a 225-room Ritz-Carlton resort hotel, 15 1-acre home sites, 46 luxury detached homes, and 100 resort patio homes on about 110 acres northwest of Lincoln Drive and Scottsdale Road. On Dec. 18, there will be a 6 p.m. study session to review a new plan booklet detailing the project, followed by a 7 p.m. public hearing. The commission could end up voting that night to forward a recommendation to the Town Council."
POP bets that the Planning Commission will vote to recommend Council approval as Ritz-Carlton has requested unless something dramatic happens between now and 18 Dec.
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