Residents submit letter protesting water tankWater service outside town boundaries questioned
by Brian DiTullio

CAVE CREEK – At least 92 property owners want to know why only seven people were personally notified of the town’s plans to locate a 2‑million gallon water tank in their neighborhood.

A letter delivered to Town Hall on Sept. 10 with 92 signatures asks Cave Creek Town Council to make full disclosure of all water project expenditures and debt, as well as repayment schedules payable through local tax dollars. The council is also asked to “guarantee” the Cave Creek water system will not be extended to serve Continental Mountain or any other development outside the incorporated town limits.

Residents living around the planned water tank location off Echo Canyon Drive south of Rockaway Hills Road have expressed outrage in the last few weeks over the size of the tank and the town’s haste in pushing the project through with what is perceived as the bare minimum in public notification. A 100,000‑gallon tank currently exists at the site.

The letter goes on to ask that town council meet with neighboring property owners on a regular basis during the tank design process “to assure that neighborhood concerns are successfully addressed and mitigated, and to provide monthly updates on the construction and financial status of the Cave Creek water system projects.”

According to former councilwoman Shea Stanfield, the water tank originally was planned for the town’s Phoenix Mine site, adjacent to Spur Cross Ranch, behind some hills where it wouldn’t be generally visible.

“It’s the highest point north of Cave Creek and would use a gravity feed,” Stanfield said. “Plus, they could build a very large tank without obstructing any views.”

The Desert Advocate attempted Monday to contact Town Manager Usama Abujbarah as to why the Phoenix Mine site was abandoned as a water tank location, but Abujbarah did not return the call.

The residents’ letter concludes with a request to halt all further proceedings regarding the water tank project until a meeting is held between town council and the affected residents.

Sienna Corp. confirmed to The Desert Advocate last month the developer was working on a development agreement with the town to provide water service to homes planned to be built on the slopes of Continental Mountain, which currently lies outside the town’s boundaries.

“Is Cave Creek getting some kind of kickback from the developer we don’t know about?” asked Sonja Lockman, owner of a new home not far from the tank site. “With all the water issues, it sounds like Cave Creek is selling out.”

“I don’t want Cave Creek to be supporting non‑Cave Creek residents,” said Karen Brown, who lives near the site. “We shouldn’t be exhausting our water supply. They can put in their own pumps.”

Julie Symopolous, public information officer for the Maricopa County Planning Department, said the Sienna Corp. plat, as is, was being recommended for denial based on access/safety issues. However, a new plat was delivered to the department Sept. 7 which the planners had not had a chance to review and, therefore, could not give a recommendation on whether to accept or reject the proposal. Sienna also is asking for a two‑year extension on its preliminary plat.

Symopolous related the applicant was shooting for a hearing at the Oct. 4 meeting of the county planning commission, but she felt it was more likely the subject would be placed on the November meeting agenda.

Resident Ruth Pearce stated she’s against encouraging development of Continental Mountain because it would create more traffic, something she tried to get away from by moving to Cave Creek.

“It’s just a bad idea,” said Pearce, “along with annexing anything else. There’s no need to expand all over Earth.”

Most of the property owners who contacted the Advocate did not object to an additional tank being constructed, but were upset about what they say is the town’s lack of initiative in informing residents and the size of the tank.

“They can bury the tank; it’s been done before,” said Anncha Campagna, who lives close to the Echo Canyon/Rockaway Hills site. “We need a tank. It just shouldn’t be an eyesore.”

At the Aug. 20 regular council meeting, when a contract to design and build the 2‑million gallon tank was approved, discussion briefly turned to burying the tank but council was advised the cost to do so could be exorbitant.     

“We’re just moving in,” said new homeowner Lockman. “What a nice way to get introduced to Cave Creek.”