Stop the delays !

After the 9-1 defeat of this proposal at the Village Planning Commission in October, Vestar went on to do nothing until the November meeting. 

Then asked for another 60 days and did nothing, then they got an "Indefinite" extension after January 4th.

ROUND 2 ...

Revised plans have been submitted in August 2024.

It appears their new plan is to reduce the grocery store size and take out Drive throughs, but indicate that through a separate process these restaurants might still be included. A bait and switch approach.

Because once the rezoning is approved, there will be little standing in their way to submit "change requests" to subsequently include these.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !

It will be unfair and unacceptable to start this process over after it has been denied. The blatant stalling tactics are showing complete disrespect and is wasting everybody's time. The families of this neighborhood should not be asked to keep coming to meetings where nothing is being decided. 

We're fighting for our community character, but how long should we expected to continue to do this. We need to move on.

NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDER HAS APPLIED

We have learned that a residential builder has applied for the remainder of the superblock 12 parcel and probably would be interested in the acres in question. This should be a huge factor of consideration in this rezoning case as it was always part of the plan for this to be residential.

OTHER CONSTRUCTION

Since last year, you will have noticed that many other projects have been started. Some are residential, others are commercial. These were done PER THE DESERT RIDGE MASTER COMMUNITY PLAN!

WHAT WE ASK

Please attend your local HOA meetings where Vestar will present the revised plans. Ask questions and share your concerns. 

Ask them why they won't consider building on pre-zoned commercial land. Why next to a high school and elementary school?

Why attract more traffic and new issues into our community?

Your attendance is crucial to this case.

Please click on this button below to see the upcoming meetings and how to attend and also how to email your concerns to this committee ahead of time.

Dear Planning committee members, Mayor, Councilman,

When is enough, enough? That will be the question on the upcoming January 4th review meeting for a possible continuance request for this case.

Me and the 842 petition signers find this unfair and unacceptable request and so should you.

A quick summary of events timeline that will show that Vestar has now had 10 weeks to take actions and has done nothing significant;

• Rezoning case:
  • Vestar is seeking to rezone 22 acres of the 77 acres of land from Residential to Commercial which is part of Superblock 12-section L.
  • The land is owned by the ASDL and is situated with the Desert Ridge Master Community, adjacent to Pinnacle High School and a block away from Fireside Elementary School.
  • Residents oppose ; (See previous case material for full details)
    • due to the proximity        of alcohol and cigarettes and fast food sales near schools. 
    • And Paradise Valley        School district has sent 2 letters in which they share significant and        valid concerns.
    • due to the increasing        traffic safety issues and pedestrian casualties (evidence by Vision Zero        – Road Safety Action Plan)
    • the widely known        detrimental impact and pollution of commercial centers on our respected        community. (Noise,Light,Odor,Gasoline,Idling cars, etc)
• On August 25th     ,2023 – Lennar Construction has applied for the remainer 55 acres of      Superblock 12L for Single Family Residential development. 
  • This is what Superblock       12 is already zoned for. (Residential 2 to 5 du/ac)
  • This is already       approved in the Desert Ridge master plan and is in line with the Phoenix       general plan.
• On October 3rd,      2023 - by a vote of 9-1 - this rezoning request has already been      denied by our Desert View Village Planning committee. Committee      members that are appointed by the councilman and represent and live in our      area.
• On November 2nd,      2023 we appeared at the Planning Committee meeting where we learned that      Vestar requested a continuance and even negotiated with the opposing core      resident group to make it 60 days – because of the holidays, etc.
  • The reason that they       provided was that they needed to have another review meeting with the       ASLD to review their amendments. 
  • We agreed on the       condition that they would share these changes in time for our review and       that stipulation was noted by the chairman.
• On December 11th,      2023 the opposing core resident group was invited to meet with Vestar      executives to review these changes. 
  • However, nothing was       further from the truth. 
  • They shared that no       meeting with ASLD was held, no changes were made.
  • This meeting was       clearly a bait-and-switch for an opportunity to find out what changes we       might be comfortable with.
  • The meeting ended with       a verbal commitment that they would be willing to drop the gas station       and reduce the grocery size to 65,000 sqft. (Their original submitted and       approved plan submitted with the state….)

To put insult to injury, Vestar also announced during December 11th meeting that they would request for another continuance on January 4th.

This is where we draw the line. Vestar has had 10 full weeks to work on their proposal and did nothing!!

Whilst Vestar is claiming to care for Desert Ridge and boasts about their involvement, the blatant stalling tactics deployed in this case should not be tolerated and residents should not be asked to have this request hovering over our community for any longer.

Based on this, I ask the committee to consider to deny this potential request as it’s baseless, holidays were already factored in last time and now it will start causing undue hardship for our community. 

We’re fighting for our community character and Residents cannot be asked to fight Vestar, their disingenuous actions and their attorneys for much longer. It’s not a level playing field.

Families that already have busy lives and volunteers like yourselves shouldn’t be treated like this by Vestar and their attorneys.

The January 4th  meeting is in the middle of our school vacation! We shouldn’t be asked to come to meetings where nothing new is being discussed, nor should this committee.

Our residents are prepared and ready to present our opposition case.

We compel this committee to move forward with the review and voting process on January 4th, and hopefully you will agree with us and the VPC that it should be dismissed immediately and without compromise.

Any consideration to grant a continuance request should have very specific objectives and deliverables that Vestar will be held accountable for.