Let’s start with the fun stuff. This Saturday, October 15, 2016 from 9 AM to 10:30 AM the City of Glendale will host the Grand Opening Ceremony for a brand new archery complex located at Heroes Park at the northeast corner of 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road.
It’s the first new amenity in the 88 acre, regional park to be constructed in 7 or 8 years. The last amenity being the ramadas. There will be archery demonstrations by local archers and the public will have the opportunity to meet Eric Bennet, U.S. Archery Paralympian, and Mel Nichols, the 2016 U. S. Olympic Archery Coach.
The major funding partners are The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. This was a project whose primary funding came from the private sector. All of the following companies contributed money, labor and/or materials:
· Arizona Rock Products Association
· CEMEX
· DBA Construction, Inc.
· GCON, Inc.
· Hansen Aggregates of Arizona
· Heritage Trucking, Inc.
· Madison Granite Supplies, Inc.
· Salt River Materials Group
· Shade ‘n Net
Instead of sleeping in this Saturday, won’t you join us in thanking these organizations and private sector companies for their generosity? This is a family-friendly event. Please bring your children. Who knows? You might have a budding Olympic Archer in your family.
I also want to alert Yucca district residents, most especially Rovey Farm Estates residents. Just north of Glendale Avenue, between 83rd Avenue and 91st Avenue sits Crosspoint Christian Church. It owns 23.4 acres currently zoned by the city as R1-10 (10,000 square foot lots yielding approximately 3 to 4 homes to the acre). The church wants the land rezoned to R1-7 PRD (7,000 square foot lots yielding 5 to 6 homes to the acre).
The greater the density per acre the more money the church gets for the land. It is the difference between putting 69 to 92 homes on that land versus putting 115 to 138 homes (nearly double the amount) on that land.
Rovey Farm Estates is directly north of this parcel. This subdivision is divided into sections and the section that is north of this parcel abutting it is zoned R1-10. A small portion of the northeast portion of this parcel has R1-7 homes abutting it. The majority of this land will directly impact the 10,000 square foot lots to the north.
What can you do? The zoning request will be heard and approved or denied by the city council on Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at its regular 6 PM city council meeting. You can go to council chambers at city hall located at the intersection of 59th Avenue and Glendale Avenue that evening and express your support for or opposition to the rezoning request. You can also send an email expressing your opinion to the mayor and councilmembers. Here are their email addresses: jweiers@glendaleaz.com, ihugh@glendaleaz.com, rmalnar@glendaleaz.com, bturner@glendaleaz.com, ltolmachoff@glendaleaz.com, jaldama@glendaleaz.com, and schavira@glendaleaz.com.
If you want to protect your quality of life and your home values it is up to you to act. Make your opinion known to the city council. Let them know whether you approve or oppose the proposed rezoning.
© Joyce Clark, 2016
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Greetings:
Ms. Clark is absolutely correct here regarding citizen participation. If the residents of Glendale don’t start to pay attention to what is going on around them our leaders may tend to side with the developers or other interested parties. This parcel has worked its way thru the review process and by the time it reaches final Council approval the chances of upsetting the process is slim. If individuals feel strongly about an issue, speak up.
On that note, there is another parcel in the review process, located on the South side of Orangewood Avenue at about 80th – 81st Avenue that is requesting a similar zoning change. The developer has held a neighborhood meeting and it will now move forward to the Planning Commission for a recommendation. If community members want to have an impact, now is the time to step forward. It is interesting to note that Council recently approved the general plan for the City of Glendale and the ink is barely dry, yet developers are requesting changes.
Reminder folks that Council is still in the process of considering a Zoning Text Amendment that will allow the keeping of chickens in all residential neighborhoods. Yes, even in lots as small as 4,000 square feet. Part of the problem with this proposal appears to be the lack of detailed information as to coop/cage setbacks and number of chickens. Whether individuals support or oppose this proposed change, public input is encouraged. If the citizens do not pay attention, they could end up with a flock of chickens in their neighbor’s back yard.
Jack Martino
Hi Joyce,
Has the city resolved the parking issues at Heroes park for this event?
Shelly, Unfortunately I do not have any information to share other than to point out that the archery complex is close to the ramadas. I would urge people attending the archery grand opening to park in the ramada parking lot area.
The city has approved putting in curb, gutter and sidewalk at Heroes Park from Bethany Home Road, northward to the entry point for the park. I do not know when this work is scheduled to be done. I believe this project includes adding additional temporary parking.
I emailed the mayor and council in regards to my opposition of the rezoning request. We’ll see how much good it does. This council seems to approve anything a developer puts on their plate with little to no push back (see Stone Haven).
Hi Jason, Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your opinion on the rezoning request. Hopefully more will do so. It takes so few citizens’ push back to make the council sit up and take notice.