County supervisors reviewed a zoning change for rural land east of Fountain Hills that prompted concerns from nearby residents.
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has approved a rezoning request for rural land east of Fountain Hills that prompted concerns from nearby residents and tribal communities.
During Wednesday’s board meeting, supervisors approved a request to change the future land use designation for about 1,700 acres located north of State Route 87 and east of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.
The request calls for potentially allowing the development of up to 696 dwelling units on the property referred to as “Goldhawk at the Preserve.”
“The Site, with rolling terrain, numerous wash corridors, and scenic vistas and ridges, is well suited for low-density development,” project documents state. “The planning for the Site is sensitive to the natural desert environment and will look to minimize impacts to the existing terrain by preserving as much topography as possible.”
Development plans have been introduced for this region since the early 1990s but no final subdivision plats have been submitted to the county and residential development has yet to occur.
The applicant claims the recent changes are an improvement to the area plan since it will “constitute lower density than current land use designations allow and will result in increased swaths of land that will remain undisturbed,” county records show.
The county received dozens of letters and emails expressing opposition to the zone change. Residents of the region told the board they worried about the area not having the infrastructure to handle several new homeowners.
Representatives from the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community told the board Wednesday they had concerns about the project in relation to water resources, wastewater contamination and preservation of cultural resources.
The zone change came with several attached conditions for developers, one of which obligates the developer to notify Fort McDowell and Salt River Pima-Maricopa before performing additional archaeological work on the land.
Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said he felt the zone change was a responsible path forward for the property that “dramatically” reduces the density under current zoning.
“This is not just a zoning change. It’s a commitment to preserving what matters in this community,” Galvin said.
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