Scenic
Corridor to see commercial development
by
Brian DiTullio
NORTHEAST
VALLEY – The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive is about to
get a lot more civilized.
Phoenix
City Council recently approved the State Land Department’s
zoning requests for the area known as Azara, which encompasses
the land from Pinnacle Peak to Jomax roads between Scottsdale
and Cave Creek roads.
The
approval includes 349 acres of commercial zoning.
Scottsdale
principle planner Tim Conner said the city was concerned
over the eastern portion of the zoning, as it touches
their boundary and that area is considered part of the
Desert Foothills Scenic Drive.
During
the negotiating process, however, State Land agreed to
remove some commercial zoning from the southwest corner
of Scottsdale and Jomax roads, reduce the residential
density along Jomax to its original RE‑35 and approve
scenic corridor setbacks, according to a City of Scottsdale
newsletter.
“We
were concerned about Scottsdale Road and Jomax Road,”
said Conner. “At one time they were showing more intense
zoning, but they pulled back.”
Despite
the pullback, zoning of the 6,229‑acre area still
allows 349 acres of commercial, most of it along Scottsdale
Road with portions at Tatum Boulevard and Happy Valley,
Cave Creek and Pinnacle Peak roads, and Happy Valley and
Black Mountain Parkway.
Jacob
Zonn, a Phoenix planner, said only two people spoke against
the plan at one of the public
forums, and that no one spoke in opposition at the Feb.
7 city council meeting where the plan was approved.
Stipulations
in the agreement between State Land and Phoenix say “the
developer shall provide a
landscape scenic corridor setback along the following
current and proposed scenic corridors. If scenic corridor
is not adopted by the City of Phoenix at the time of development,
the developer shall provide the following setbacks ...”
The
stipulation goes on to state Cave Creek Road would have
an average setback of 205 feet from the centerline, Pinnacle
Peak Road will have 39 feet from the right‑of‑way,
Happy Valley Road shall have an average of 100 feet from
the right‑of‑way for commercial development
and 50 feet for residential, and Scottsdale Road will
have the same setbacks as Happy Valley Road.
In
addition, the agreement states a “minimum of 1,200 square
feet of natural desert landscaping shall be provided on
the eastern or northern side of each intersection of an
arterial (roadway).”
The
arterial roadways, in addition to those previously listed,
are Black Mountain Parkway, Tatum Boulevard, 56th Street
and 64th Street.
The
Azara land is split into 12
parcels, called “Superblocks,” and will include single
and multi‑family residential with a potential of
29,750 dwelling units. A high school is planned for the
corner of 56th Street and Pinnacle Peak Road, in addition
to four elementary schools, one middle school and several
parks throughout the development, “to help develop a viable
community.”
