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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGeneral Plan 1993( ( The Town of Fountain Hills General Plan was created with the input and dedication of the following groups and individuals: Fountain Hills Town Council John M. Cutillo, Mayor Frank Clark Charles Fox Wallace B. Hudson Michael R. Minarsich William J. O'Brien Margaret 11Peg 11 Tibbetts Town of Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission Town of Fountain Hills Parks and Recreation Commission Michael Bachman Peter Klein Brian Litz Ken neth Breting Stan Connick Sam Cioffi James Fonk Tom Henry Carol McKinney-Jarman Russell Larson Terry Oester John Pucetas Paul A. Slater Robert P. Thomas Town of Fountain Hills Staff Paul Nordin, Town Manager William E. Farrell, Town Attorney Wendell Oliphant Fred Powrie, Jr. Mike Scharnow Dee Schroeder Beth Smith Steve Tekesky William Tibbetts Gary Jeppson, Community Development Director Loras Rauch, Associate Planner Randy Harrel, Town Engineer Robin Goodman, Parks & Recreation Director Joan McCartney, Administrative Assistant All the civic or social groups and individuals of the Town who provided valuable input during the many public meetings and workshops. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan . May 6, 1993 ( ( l The following Consultants prepared the document in accorance with research and public input to the process: Prime Consultant: Sub-Consultants: Town of Fountain Hills General Plan Vernon Swaback Associates 7550 East McDonald Drive Scottsdale, Arizona 85250 Vernon Swaback, Project Director John Sather, Project Manager Dale Gardon, Assistant Project Manager Demographic Research -Sunregion Associates Parks & Recreation Planning -McGann Associates Transportation Planning -BRW, Inc. May 6, 1993 TABLE OF CONTENTS ( Chapter Page 1.0 PREFACE 1.1 Role and Purpose of the General Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 1.2 Organization of the General Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1.3 Amendments to the General Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS 2.1 Regional Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 2.2 Community Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 2.3 Physical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 . 2.4 Community Facilities and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 2.5 Utility Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 ( 3.0 VISION STATEMENT AND GOALS .......................... 3-1 4.0 LAND USE ELEMENT 4.1 Existing Conditions Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 4.2 Problem Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15 4.3 Vision, Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18 4.4 Planning Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19 4.5 Implementation Program and Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31 5.0 CIRCULATION ELEMENT 5.1 Existing Conditions Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1 5.2 Problem Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 5.3 Vision, Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6 5.4 Planning Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 5.5 Planning Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14 5.6 Implementation Program and Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19 Town of Fountain Hills General Plan TC-1 May 6, 1993 Chapter Page ( 6.0 PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE 6. 1 Existing Conditions Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1 6.2 Problem Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3 6.3 Vision, Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6 6.4 Planning Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8 6.5 Implementation Program and Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13 7.0 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT 7.1 Existing Conditions and Projections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 7.2 Problem Identification ............................... 7-15 7.3 Vision, Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18 7.4 Economic Strengths and Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20 - 7.5 Implementation Program and Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24 8.0 APPENDIX ( 8.1 Support Documents .................................... 8-1 l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan TC-2 May 6, 1993 ( ( l LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Regional Location Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7 2. Topography and Major Drainage Ways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8 3. Existing Community Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9 4. Existing Land Use Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6 5. Major Planning Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7 6. Future Land Use Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23 7. Existing TransportationfTraffic Counts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3 - 8. 9. Proposed Roadway Functional Classification System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 Future Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12 Town of Fountain Hills General Plan TC-3 May 6, 1993 ( ( l LIST OF TABLES Table 4-1 4-2 4-3 4-4 4-5 4-6 5-1 5-2 6-1 7-1 7-2 7-3 7-4 7-5 7-6 7-7 7-8 7-9 7-10 7-11 7-12 7-13 7-14A 7-14B 7-15 7-16 Page Existing Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4 Developed/Undeveloped Land Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Forecasted Residential Unit Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12 Estimated Residential Land Use Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14 Estimated Residential and Commercial Land Use Needs . . . . . . . . . 4-15 Land Use Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32 Roadway Functional Classification System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Circulation Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14 Residential Population Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 . Seasonal Population •. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3 - Projected Population Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4 Household Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4 Age Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5 Projected Housing Unit Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6 Distribution of Total Housing Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7 Year Around Housing Tenancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8 Seasonal Housing Unit Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9 Distribution of Total Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10 Historic Absorption of Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11 Leasable Commercial Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12 Commercial Absorption Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13 Projected Residential Acreage Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14 Projected Commercial, Industrial Acreage Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15 Commercial Property Tax Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17 Economic Development Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25 Town of Fountain Hills General Plan TC-4 May 6, 1993 1.0 PREFACE ( ( l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan May 6, 1993 ( ( l 1.0 PREFACE The Preface of the Fountain Hills General Plan provides a review of the Arizona State Statutes mandating preparation of general plans by all Incorporated communities within the State, and describes the organization of the General Plan document. The Preface is presented in the following three sections: 1.1 Role and Purpose 1.2 Organization 1.3 Amendments The Fountain Hills General Plan was prepared by the planning team of Vernon Swaback Associates, P.C. in association with Town staff and the citizens of Fountain Hills over an eight month planning process. This process included a large degree of community involvement in the form of presentations to individual groups, community meetings, community workshops, mail in surveys and individual response cards with resident's comments. The Town of Fountain Hills has existed as a community for 20 years prior to the formulation of this General Plan. It was developed by a single community developer and a previously adopted Master Plan approved in Maricopa County. The community has now taken the opportunity to offer input to a new plan that has the benefit of looking over their shoulders at the past twenty years, and now projecting forward within a similar time horizon. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 1-1 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 1.1 Role and Purpose of the General Plan In accordance with AAS 9-461.05, the "long range" or general plan to be prepared and adopted by a community, following the creation of a planning agency, includes the following characteristics: A) The General Plan shall be so prepared that all, or individual elements of it, may be adopted by the legislative body, and that it may be made applicable to all or part of the territory of the municipality. B) The General Plan shall consist of a statement of community goals and development policies. It shall include a diagram, or diagrams, and text setting forth objectives, principles, standards and plan proposals. The General Plan, for a community with a population under 50,000 shall include the following elements, at a minimum: 1. A Land Use Element which designates the proposed general distribution and location and extent of use of the land for housing, business, industry, agriculture, recreation, education, public buildings and grounds, open space and such other categories of public and private uses of land as may be appropriate to the municipality. The Land Use Element shall also include a statement of the_ standards of population density and building intensity recommended for the various land use categories covered by the Plan. 2. A Circulation Element consisting of the general location and extent of existing and proposed freeways, arterial and collector streets, and any other modes of transportation as may be appropriate, all correlated with the Land Use Element. It is important to note that in accordance with State statutes, A General Plan is "general" in nature and is intended to provide a "statement of community goals and development policies", a "general distribution and location and extent of use of land" and a "general location and extent of existing and proposed circulation elements". As such, it is important to realize that a General Plan provides "an overall guide for community growth and development" and should inherently include some flexibility in its interpretation and use. The Town of Fountain Hills set out to fulfill the State of Arizona mandated statute to prepare a General Plan. The resulting Fountain Hills General Plan includes not only Land Use and Circulation Elements, but also other elements including Open Space/Recreation and Economic Development Elements which were felt to be pertinent to Fountain Hills and should be recognized in the community's first General Plan. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 1-2 May 6, 1993 ( 1.2 Organization of the Fountain Hills General Plan The Fountain Hills General Plan is organized in the remaining seven chapters of this document, which include: Chapter 2.0: Existing Conditions Provides a review of current conditions within the community of the existing physical characteristics and community facilities. Chapter 3.0: Vision Statement and Goals Includes visions and goals for future growth, preservation of the lifestyle and open space within the community and its environs. Chapter 4.0: Land Use Element Includes a presentation on the integrated land use plan incorporating recommendations for accommodating future growth and the guidelines to control it. Chapter 5.0: Circulation Element Classifies the existing circulation system into functional classes, and recommends how { to accommodate future growth within the system. l Chapter 6.0: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element Provides an analysis of existing park and recreation opportunities and recommended areas for preservation of open space. Chapter 7.0: Economic Development Element Includes specific recommendations on target economic opportunities. Chapter 8.0: Appendix References the preceding General Plan reports prepared by the VSA planning team during the General Plan preparation process. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 1 ·3 May 6, 1993 ( ( 1.3 Amendments to the Fountain Hills General Plan The Fountain Hills General Plan, including the Land Use Plan, constitutes a land use policy statement that was created based upon prevailing needs, the existing development pattern, underlying zoning classifications, considerations for man-made constraints, natural constraints, environmentally sensitive lands, opportunities for development, and accepted planning practices. Over a period of time, any of these variables are subject to change. Consequently, the General Plan must periodically be reviewed and amended if it is to remain effective. However, amendments to the Plan should never be allowed to occur in a haphazard manner. Amendments to the General Plan should only occur after careful review of the request, finding of facts in support of the revision and public hearing(s) by the Planning and Zoning Commission and Town Council. The statutory requirements which guided the adoption of the General Plan shall be followed for all amendments as they pertain to public hearings and otherwise. The term amendments shall apply to both text and map revisions. The Finding of Facts required shall include, but not be limited to: 1. That the amendment will result in acceptable means of mitigating impacts through subsequent zoning action of the development process so as to not adversely impact the community as a whole, or a portion of the community. 2. That the amendment is consistent with the Visions, Goals and Objectives of the Fountain Hills General Plan. Amendments to the Fountain Hills General Plan may be initiated by the Town or by the owner(s) of at least 75% of the subject land area. Such amendments shall be in accordance with the procedures set forth by State Statutes. Prior to any approval of any land development authority that is in conflict with the General Plan, an amendment to the General Plan which shows the proposal to be in conformance to the General Plan must first be completed. It shall be the burden of the party requesting the amendment to prove that the change constitutes an improvement to the General Plan. It shall not be the burden of the Town to determine that an amendment should be denied. 1.3.1 Area Specific Plan Preparation An Area Specific Plan is a further refinement of all of the elements of the Fountain Hills General Plan in a specific area. Under the direction of the Planning and Zoning Commission or Town Council, the Community Development Department may prepare such plans in accordance with the General Plan and may recommend such plans to the Town of Fountain Hills for adoption. An Area Specific Plan may be prepared by private l individuals or agencies under the supervision of the Town. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 1-4 May 6, 1993 The basis for the preparation of the Area Specific Plans includes the following factors: ( 1. Development potential for new or expanded economic activities (including ( l commercial areas, employment areas and mixed use districts). 2. Development and/or revitalization (e.g. Town Center). 3. Special site characteristics (i.e. recreational, natural resources). 4. Rapid growth or economic change. 5. Other extenuating circumstances. The Town may adopt Area Specific Plans as provided by State Statutes (AAS 9-461.08.) An Area Specific Plan shall be limited to modifying only the overall pattern of land uses, and then only when the pattern will not detrimentally affect surrounding existing and/or future land use patterns, and will not be in conflict with any other provisions of the Fountain Hills General Plan. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 1-5 May 6, 1993 2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS ( ( l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan May 6, 1993 ( ( l 2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS 2.1 REGIONAL CONTEXT The Town of Fountain Hills is located in the northeast quadrant of Maricopa County, and is approximately 30 miles northeast of the City of Phoenix by automobile. Fountain Hills is physically located on the eastern slope of the McDowell Mountains. The Town is bordered by Scottsdale on the west, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community on the south, Fort McDowell Mohave -Apache Indian Reservation on the east, and primarily the McDowell Mountain Regional Park on the northwest, and State Land on the northeast. Shea Boulevard is the major access to the west towards metropolitan Phoenix and Scottsdale. Shea Boulevard to the east accesses State Highway 87 which to the south accesses the east valley cities of Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert, and to the north accessing the Verde River, the Salt River and Saguaro Lake recreation areas, and further north to Payson and other mountain recreation areas. 2.2 COMMUNITY HISTORY McCullough Properties Inc. originally planned the approximately 12,000 acres in 1970 and- prepared the documentation known as the initial "Development Plan for the Community of Fountain Hills". The plan provided for a full range of community needs including: residential products of various types, commercial and industrial land use, provisions for schools, churches, a community park, and a variety of open space corridors. The subsequent updates to that plan have been prepared by MCO Properties Inc., with the most recent update occurring in April 1986 known as "The Summit and Crestview/ West ridge -An Amendment to the 1980 Fountain Hills Development Master Plan". The Town of Fountain Hills was officially incorporated in December 1989, and is governed by a seven (7) member Town Council. Maricopa County continued to administer its land use ordinances for the first six months of incorporation. The Town adopted a zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance in May 1990 and began administering these ordinances on July 1, 1990. A Community Development Department was established in August 1990 and the Planning and Zoning Commission was organized in November 1990. The Planning and Zoning Commission is the recommending body to the Town Council on land use plans and implementing ordinances. In February 1991 , the Town Council decided not to continue as its own Board of Adjustment and formed an independent Board of Adjustment. The Board of Adjustment serves to consider variance requests from the land use ordinances and to hear appeals of the zoning administrator's decisions. 2.3 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Fountain Hills is known for its natural beauty and panoramic views. It is known to its residents for the spectacular desert vegetation and abundant wildlife. Consideration for each of these physical qualities in conjunction with the natural drainage ways will be part of the preparation of the General Plan. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 2-1 May 6, 1993 ( ( l A) B) C) D) Topography Topography is one of the most important considerations in planning the Town of Fountain Hills. The terrain ranges from approximately 1525 to 3160 feet above sea level, averaging about 400 to 500 feet higher than other metropolitan Phoenix communities. The McDowell Mountains generally extend from 2,000 to 3,160 feet in elevation at the highest points within Fountain Hills. The majority of the community has undulating terrain which generally falls from northwest to southeast. There are pockets of dense of rock outcroppings throughout the community. Vegetation Fountain Hills has an abundance of lush desert vegetation. The predominance of the Saguaro and Cholla landscape dot the hillsides in combination with native desert trees. The variety of plant density relates to the exposure to the sun, quality of drainage, steepness of slope and geologic characteristics. Plants which can be readily found in Fountain Hills are listed here: •Saguaro •Brittlebush •Wolfberry Wildlife •Bursage •Ironwood •Prickly Pear •Palo Verde •Barrel Cactus •Catclaw -Cholla Species •Creosote •Other cactus - species Seeing wildlife is presently a common occurrence in Fountain Hills. The existing wash areas provide food and protection for a variety of wildlife. Common species include, but are not limited to: Animals: Birds: Reptiles: • Coyote • Quail • Lizard • Desert Cottontail • Dove • Banded Gecko • Javalina •Owl • Gopher Snake • Hawk • Bull Snake • Rattle Snake Drainage Patterns The major washes generally traverse Fountain Hills in a northwest to southeasterly direction. These washes are currently utilized as conveyors of storm drainage from developed and undeveloped lands. The pattern of major drainageways is shown on Figure 2. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 2-2 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 2.4 COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES The Town of Fountain Hills is primarily a self-contained community relative to providing accessible facilities in the following areas: A) Religious Facilities The Town of Fountain Hills currently is home to over a dozen rel igious groups. The facilities are located primarily along Fountain Hills Boulevard both north and south of Palisades Bou levard and on Saguaro Boulevard south of Palisades Boulevard. B) Education Facilities There are approximately 1,200 elementary students and almost 400 high school students in the unified school district. The district includes all the land within the Town limits and additionally includes the City of Scottsdale area known as Eagle Ridge, and a County parcel known as Crestview located north of Shea Boulevard, west of Palisades Boulevard. The new Junior/Senior High School shared facility opened in the fall of 1992 and - serves seventh and eighth grade junior high students and ninth through twelfth grade senior high students. Approximately 400 students in grades four through six attend the Four Peaks School and another 600 students in kindergarten through third grade attend the McDowell Mountain School. The Fountain Hills School District owns a number of sites throughout Fountain Hills that may be used as school sites or may be determined to be surplus property and subsequently disposed of by the School District. The Fountain Hills Unified School District has developed a master plan which is not a part of this General Plan. For information on future trends, existing facility expansions, and new schools, the reader should contact the Fountain Hills Unified School District. C) Health Care A health care center, located on El Pueblo near Saguaro Boulevard, is staffed with doctors and nurses, and equipped for diagnostic and laboratory services. Ambulance service is available locally and there is a helicopter pad at the Health Center for service from Scottsdale. There are in addition to this several dentists, orthodontists, ch iropractors and optometrists who maintain private practices in Fountain Hills. The Mayo Clinic is one mile west of Fountain Hills, and Scottsdale Memorial North Hospital is fifteen minutes away by car. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 2-3 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 0) E) Emergency Services • Fountain Hills Fire District The Fountain Hills Fire District is a volunteer fire district with a contract with Rural Metro for fire protection services. Currently there is a central facility, completed in 1992, located on Palisades Boulevard near Fountain Hills Boulevard. A second facility is located on Golden Eagle Boulevard near Marathon Drive. This is a temporary station site leased from MCO Properties. The Fire District owns a site south of Shea Boulevard on Saguaro Boulevard, however, there are no facilities currently located on it. Although not part of the Fountain Hills Fire District, the City of Scottsdale is planning a facility at 136th and Shea (July, 1993 occupancy), which will house an engine and three personnel. Currently, Rural Metro provides fire protection for the City of Scottsdale and has a mutual aid agreement with Fountain Hills. At this time a station at Via Linda and 108th Street is the closest facility. • Public Safety Presently the Town of Fountain Hills contracts with the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office to provide 24 hour police protection, 7 days a week. Maricopa County owns a Sheriff's facility in the Town, which is located south of Shea Boulevard on Saguaro Boulevard. Relocation of the facility is pending. Community Center A Community Center is located on Saguaro Boulevard at Rand Drive. The Community Center was donated to the Town upon incorporation of Fountain Hills and is managed by the Fountain Hills Civic Association. There are numerous social, civic, or recreational activities and service clubs which meet regularly at this facility. F) Solid Waste Collection Solid waste collection in Fountain Hills is currently by independent solid waste providers. There is no mandatory solid waste subscription requirement. There are limited recycling programs in Fountain Hills. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 2-4 May 6, 1993 ( ( 2.5 UTILITY SERVICE A) Electricity Electricity is provided by Salt River Project (SAP) with primarily underground distribution to individual homesites. There is a 69 kv. power line above ground which is a loop occurring along the eastern and southern boundaries and extends in a north-south direction along a line perpendicular to Shea Boulevard. SAP has a maintenance facility south of Shea Boulevard within Firerock Centre. B) Natural Gas At this time, natural gas is not available to the Town. Propane gas is available from local suppliers. C) Telephone D) US West provides telephone service to the Town with all underground service. There currently is a substation site at the northeast corner of Palisades and Fountain Hills Boulevard. Water The Chaparral City Water Company has been certificated by the Arizona Corporation Commission to serve the 12,060 acres of land acquired by McCullough Properties to develop Fountain Hills. The 1992 corporate boundaries of Town of Fountain Hills are completely within the Chaparral City Water Company certificated area. The State land area northeast of Fountain Hills is currently not included in the Chaparral City Water Company certified service area; according to the State Land Department, there are a variety of water sources that could be utilized as the water supply for these State Trust lands. Fountain Hills is located in the Phoenix active management area. An active management area is an area where there is concern for the adequacy of groundwater supply and storage, and groundwater quality. The Phoenix Active Management Area includes the east Salt River Valley, west Salt River Valley, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Lake Pleasant, Rainbow Valley and Hassayampa sub- basins (A.R.S. 45-411.2.). Chaparral City Water Company reports that it has received conditional presumption of an assured water supply by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Chaparral City Water Company derives its water from three groundwater wells and from the Central Arizona Project. The water system is currently comprised of 146 miles of pipeline, 3,550,000 gallons of storage and a treatment plant with a 5,000 gallons per minute treatment capacity. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 2-5 May 6, 1993 ( ( l E) Sewerage Service The Fountain Hills Sanitary District provides sewerage to the Town as well as to two other areas not inside the Town limits (Crestview and Eagle Ridge). The existing wastewater treatment plant is located at Saguaro Boulevard and Pepperwood Circle. The existing plant is capable of expansion to serve a population approximately 45,000 persons. There are no plans at the present time to construct plants at other locations. The Fountain Hills Sanitary District is a government entity independent of the Town. This General Plan does not address the future needs of the collection and treatment systems. This information is contained in the District's Master Plan (1987) and Update (1989). More information on the future operations and facility improvements can be secured by contacting the District. Treated effluent from the waste water treatment plant is piped to Fountain Lake and is used to irrigate Fountain Park. It is also transported to other sites for disposal. After the effluent leaves the treatment plant site, it becomes the property of the prime developer of Fountain Hills, MCO Properties. Treatment and disposal responsibilities are detailed in various agreements- between the District and MCO Properties. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 2-6 May 6, 1993 ( { ~ Town of FOUNTAIN HILLS GENERAL PLAN FOUNTAINHILLS,ARIZONA NORTH .:.::❖:::~··t ,~i!" ,1,l"''-;;l•'" ,,.__.i_,,.4"'- ,·••ao••···· -~-r McDOWELL ' ~ ".._~ VALLEY ..a.!.Y.2. GLENDAL§>. I / • ~ ~J~~ _ (. ::~;:~·· ---~-i······"-1-· ~~~-SCOTTSDA ---~ .~-!~~--~'9 L . 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MESA '< ., I t *= • x~ I ~ ~ ~ I it%,~~~,F ''f'1, I 14 CHANDLER ff ',1-*-i "i 't;:;,'<,-~;,,=,,e1;:la=,,,,,,,,,:,:;,w;,:xc=,,w=.,_:-.;;,'Sl~~ 'm1:?-i:ic»':':'./«%%Ji-o:,,;,,\~S:i,;,.':f.'i~'s-s1;,«:-,-;.=•w-:-,,~:,:0":"''''"''(i1" ~§,,f1YERNON SWABACK ASSO CIATES, P.C R_EGIONAL LOCATION ; M,~P 2-7 I\ ) ' 01 ) 0 i-. . : > 01 01 0 .. . . 0 s: j= m r z 0 :: 0 -i :: : t ( ( (_ ·------- NORTH Town of FOUNTAIN HILLS GENERAL PLAN FOUNTAINHILLS,ARIZONA -·fl 1c, •• c::__~ L •... -----.. ------_,......__ -~J ----------------------, ; f~~~~f ... ?;~~ l>-I -f ;~~-~:7~f; P I t<t_ Vi.~ ,... , ~t};0~r-P'" I ~!fC' l1~\iU. !;.lltV!-M ~ , ~,,,. .:fa W'j, ~ ~-"'-•;,,r:,,-~•~-~:~·-~~"°2"¥0~~\ MARICOPA COUNTY r 'v~. "'--?~. ~\ ~-~" J·~ "''.)f 1-·' , .... , • ~-/-'0 • I ..,.·,~ ~ JJjtK_·~·· G;x< \·, i •" ~~ ·' 0ft '' -;;(\ ~ i; I . . . .. ,,f'; \~ ,, ... ,.. • I 1- -----L ~ ,-,~~ ; ~;~ ::·:,:' "·~-.-~ 11 --- ----;--Y-'-t·-:::c.--.. '.,., •••••• , • I ~~ ;~ • ~--------~ • I 1 •" \ •• ,, ii--~-~iz-:::~, ;~:!.''.,,;'}";..~- C~'> _....:.c_•~~ '_'</ !'"-•.; ., ~ ~~~~~•1~t::; P2 I I . .• • ·, :;-.,, •' '~ "'" I !t~Ii· · " ·~;ti I f ,,.,.,Qf, "' \ _-,-,.-~ .• ., I ! ; t~,f "· ·1! : . ,.., ""·"" "· I I ,_,_,..,..,__ J .1. ? MJ..'lol\ltCl~..t '-·' ! : ~..,..__ .~ l ; r,1~~·; ;~ I I 1 .• • . ,~•--, ~ &.,..-oerrA'~ ;t, • TO~N-:.lMITS---~l -~---------·!-----/~::....-~=w'-",._'-'-,,..-'l ""--...'<-f--'--_·;~t;~ ': ,c,;ecs:1• / ,1 • -. 'g~'--;;:f/1.l 11' . . _____ ,___ • -··~' ~I , ,···~ • I -~ ~ ~ I CITY OF '·-· "', I I ~ I SCOTTSDALE . -"1 , ;~0\:';" ,, I I '··~ I ;~t;:,~', f I ' ·~• •• I ' ; '-'v•"C 0•• 1---------;:-~:--::;;;;;;_.; L-,.,,,,:~:::--.-. ....,.r--i-="--' • : ~/J,... :, . ~,.-.!~ ~r;:.::"c, I . -• • I '\ ~),' ;~I -~.-! y_.,. ·t_"-(,1..~.~~i .,~,~' I ,,,,_,,, ; -- I I 't•i '-._j;:----"~'-'--C/ l'; • • '<. •• -• ' / 1 ~ d '.:;a ,i,-:.), r--------n -';~c•, ,--"'"'·"· "'. I ' --...;=;-=:....c.'-.:------1~ .. , .,l ~ ~J~ ~h. ;. ~;~-C" t MARICOPA 1 ;· .• :.. ,,,. ,., ; .,,:,, o I COUNTY i ". ·-.::?-?. ~ I:~-~ :.~-c, C I I , o,. P,c;; • f.; ,) • : I · ~ .. _....J...__. • r-: -,,-:_.. .... r,. 1--------_J __ -• -' •• :• , ·, :• •a~, :!J, .. • • • , i' ~i;;, ',.. I i -oc I --!'?" --,---' ~ --: -k: _-1o I I ~-•··•-,. ____ ....... --' I l ,;r ., •• , I ->,,y··-• r ~ I " • • --. i ,..... ' ,_,,,, ,<' i '-' ,.. ~-, -b~, ; • '/ !-['.t?~f,:. i ---' -~-_;:}~u~'-·- LEGEND ~ ■ * 0 + • 0 * [!] © ~ • ~ -----·------ SCHOOLS -RELIGIOUS FACILITIES DAYCARE LIBRARY HEALTH CARE FIRE ST A TIQN SHERIFF · • TOWN HALL (Leased Space) COMMUNITY CENTER FUTURE CIVIC CENTER SITE WATER STORAGE ·r 1nd1cates . treatment site WASTE WATER TREATMENT RIDING & BOARDING STABLES EXISTING l •" ''c : ~, ••~:> J ! "''"" •• { wctQ.l.-',-.'~ ,al: / '1 • !• ' ;\ <'. I ! '·' ,.-o;:Y '-'huU,t.j',--....__ .A·':. l '--.) ___ _;_ ----·-:,: •• , _.,,-• ''--~ v;:;--/. '\ \ " V_%A_VERNON SW ABACK ASSOCIATES, P:. ----""-./._.-~.::::,-_,,,_-,_--_.; •• -_--'.~'/ J _____________________ _J ~o 0 .25 1 1.0 MILE COMMUNITY FACILITIES 2-9 3.0 VISION STATEMENT AND GOALS ( ( l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan May 6, 1993 ( ( l 3.0 VISION STATEMENT AND GOALS The individual elements of the Town of Fountain Hills General Plan will emerge from the stated Visions, Goals, and Objectives the citizens have for the Town. The General Plan document will portray their visions and the implementation methods further in the form of maps, graphics, and related text. The purpose of this document is to establish realistic and interrelated Visions which can be achieved by implementing the Goals and Objectives. Since this document begins to establishe a long range vision for the community, it is assumed it will be updated and revised over time as events or circumstances change. Therefore, the following Visions, Goals, and Objectives are established to embody the most current thoughts of the majority of the Community, as to the future direction planning should take. These Visions, Goals and Objectives should be periodically reviewed to determine which objectives have been achieved and what new goals and objectives should be adopted. The citizen generated Visions, Goals and Objectives are the organizing framework for further definition, commitment and wherever appropriate, action. For the purpose of clarity, the following definitions assist in differentiating between the purpose of Visions, Goals, and Objectives. Vision: A concise statement that creates a future image of the values and assets the community holds for a given topic. Goal: A concise statement that describes a desired condition to be achieved during a specified time period. A goal is a target or end towards which planning is directed. Objective: A concise statement or procedure which addresses a goal and causes it to be achieved. An Overall Town Vision and the Individual Element Visions and Goals are presented herein to establish the basic theme of the plan. Specific Visions, Goals and Objectives are contained in each of the following plan elements: 1. Land Use Element 2. Circulation Element 3. Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element 4. Economic Development Element Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 3-1 May 6, 1993 ( ( l OVERALL VISION STATEMENT The Overall Vision that the citizens have for the future of The Town of Fountain Hills is the following: To preserve, protect, and utilize our pristine natural resources and pursue excellence and diversity in creating a community that provides opportunities to live, work, and play characterized by its vistas, clean air, serenity, friendly community spirit and world renowned fountain, through careful and innovative planning and fiscal responsibility. The following four individual Vision Statements for each of the General Plan Elements reflect citizen input in the drafting of these statements, and provide refinement to the broader Overall Vision statement shown above. 1. Land Use Element: Vision: Maintain a small town community character which sensitively allocates land for future development in all land uses, and provides for preservation of the flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert which characterizes Fountain Hills' quality of life. - Goal 1.0 Promote Fountain Hills as a place to live, work and play surrounded by the natural Sonoran desert. Goal 2.0 Provide sensitive integration of the man-made environment with the natural environment. Goal 3.0 Encourage a compatible mix of land uses. 2. Circulation Element: Vision: Provide a safe, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing circulation network which considers all modes of vehicular and non-vehicular movement, and does so in an environmentally sensitive manner. Goal 1.0 Create safe and efficient patterns of circulation. Goal 2.0 Provide aesthetically pleasing circulation systems. Goal 3.0 Provide for and encourage use of non-vehicular modes of circulation. Goal 4.0 Promote adequate regional public transportation. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 3-2 May 6, 1993 3. Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element: ( Vision: To enhance the quality of life by providing and maintaining safe, available, affordable and accessible services that will meet the intellectual, cultural, fitness and leisure needs of residents, and by maintaining a system of natural open space that supports the biological diversity and enhances the visual character of the community. ( l Goal 1.0 Promote an open space network throughout the community. Goal 2.0 Encourage development of recreational facilities with provisions which maximize their potential multi-use benefits to the community. Goal 3.0 Promote regional continuity with a parks and open space network. Goal 4.0 Promote community-wide cultural and recreational activities which foster the existing community spirit. Goal 5.0 Monitor available potential funding sources and seek additional local support for the planning, acquisition, and development of facilities. Goal 6.0 Encourage proper dedication of existing park facilities. Goal 7.0 Minimize ground water consumption in existing or future park or open space areas. 4. Economic Development Element: Vision: Fountain Hills should develop into a self-supporting community through the retention and growth of existing business while energetically pursuing new business that will support and preserve the integrity of the community. Goal 1.0 Promote the creation of an Area Specific Plan for the Town Center to coordinate public and private efforts in creating a place of vitality for residents and visitors. • Goal 2.0 Develop an Economic Development strategy for Fountain Hills. Goal 3.0 Promote a strong positive image for Fountain Hills to attract new residents and businesses. Goal 4.0 Capitalize on and promote Fountain Hills as a respite from "the big city" but with the convenient access to metro Phoenix communities and the recreational destinations of the rivers, lakes, or the mountain recreational areas. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 3-3 May 6, 1993 4.0 LAND USE ELEMENT ( ( l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan May 6, 1993 ( ( l 4.0 LAND USE ELEMENT The Land Use Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan is presented in the following five sub-sections: 4.1 Existing Conditions Overview 4.2 Problem Identification 4.3 Vision, Goals and Objectives 4.4 Planning Recommendations 4.5 Implementation Program and Guidelines The Land Use Element is the focal element of the Fountain Hills General Plan and has guided the formulation of the Circulation; Parks, Recreation, and Open Space; and Economic Development Elements. As the focal element, upon which the General Plan has been developed, the Land Use Plan illustrates the vision the community has for itself- in terms of where it should develop and where it should not develop, the anticipated scale - and intensity of development and how various land uses relate to each other. The Land Use Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan has been prepared in response to the analysis of existing land uses as well as anticipated needs. The Land Use Element recommends a wide range of land uses and development intensi- ties for the Town of Fountain Hills through the Year 2012. This element is in response to community involvement in the planning process, the existing land use analysis and the public input received from the Vision Statement, Goals and Objectives for Land Use. The Land Use Element serves as the basis for land use development in Fountain Hills. The Zoning Ordinance, Official Zoning Map, Subdivision Ordinance and other land use regulation tools are based on this General Plan. Land Use Ordinances and zoning map amendments shall be in conformance to this General Plan. Conformance shall be interpreted to mean that the General Plan and Ordinance shall be in basic harmony. The adopted Land Use Vision Statement, Goals and Objectives, graphic plan and Implementation Guidelines will assist the Planning and Zoning Commission and Town Council in reviewing all future development proposals and rezoning requests. These components will also assist in planning for the preservation of open space, recreation improvements, planning and programming new community facilities to serve the growing community's needs and in preparing any Area Specific Plans. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-1 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 4.1 EXISTING CONDITIONS OVERVIEW A) Existing Generalized Land Use This section provides a narrative and graphic depiction of the existing generalized land use patterns within the Town. The purpose is to document the quantity and locations of existing residential, commercial, industrial and public/semi-public land uses. The existing zoning pattern is presented in Section 4.1 B. The existing land use pattern of Fountain Hills has been largely influenced by the existence of a master plan generated in the early 1970's which envisioned a complete, self-supporting "New Town" of approximately 70,000 people. In 1980, MCO Properties prepared a revised Master Plan which decreased the density and intensity proposed for Fountain Hills in consideration of environmental constraints. The revised Master Plan was approved by Maricopa County and projected a build out population of approximately 45,000. In 1986, the Master Plan was amended by Maricopa County to include Crestview, Westridge, Summit East and Los Altos Hills (previously named Summit West). In 1989, an amendment was administratively approved by Maricopa County for Lakeside Village, Bainbridge, and the Golden Eagle areas. In 1991, a revised Master Plan Map was prepared by MCO Properties which included all amendments approved by Maricopa County to date. This map was presented to the Town, and no action on this document has been taken by the Town. The existing land use patterns are also tied to the topography, and the pre-determined selected location of the Fountain and the waste water treatment site. The single-family residential areas were planned on the ridges, the commercial areas primarily on flatter land near the fountain amenity, and both occurring close to the initial water and waste water service. Although approximately 50% of the total land area is currently platted and developed with backbone infrastructure, only 20% of the total land area is occupied with residential, commercial and institutional uses. The pattern of land use is quantified in Table 4-1, illustrated in Figure 4, and is generally as follows: 1. Single-family Residential 2. The existing single-family residential land use areas occur throughout the Town specifically in the northern edges, western platted edges, and south/central regions, and southern platted boundary. Multi-family Residential The existing multi-family land use areas includes all attached housing, from two attached units upwards. The largest area of multi-family residential is north of the Town Center area, northeast of Palisades Boulevard and Fountain Hills Boulevard. There are some parcels within Lakeside Village, and south of the Town Center and Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-2 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 3. continuing along Saguaro Boulevard. Another area for multi-family residential development is the area along Fountain Hills Boulevard between Palisade Boulevard and Thistle Drive. Commercial (Office and Retail) The existing commercial land use areas are concentrated primarily south of Palisades Boulevard, from Fountain Hills Boulevard to Saguaro Boulevard; along Saguaro Boulevard from Avenue of the Fountains south to El Pueblo Boulevard; and near the Saguaro and Shea Boulevard intersection. There are some isolated commercial uses south of Shea Boulevard on Saguaro Boulevard. Also there are some isolated commercial areas, including one at the northern boundary of Fountain Hills Boulevard and another along Saguaro Boulevard at Amhurst. 4. Industrial Just north of Firerock Estates is the only area zoned for industrial uses. This is southwest of Saguaro and Shea Boulevards, and includes some existing storage and light manufacturing/distribution facilities. 5. Open Space The open space land use areas within the Town exist in the following ways: • Undeveloped tracts or parcels within platted areas • Designated open space ("OSR" zoning) in currently unplatted areas (Los Altos Hills) • Publicly and privately owned parks (MCO Property) • A publicly and privately owned/publicly accessible golf course • Public school sites There are approximately 490 acres of undesignated wash areas within the existing platted areas. These areas are illustrated as open space on Figure 4. The Fountain Park, which is owned currently by the Master Developer, MCO Properties, has approximately 35 acres of turf and 30 acres of lake area. Fountain Park is zoned Rural 190 with a relatively small area zoned C-1 . Also, a total of 219 acres has been zoned open space in the Los Altos Hills planned area. Of all the existing open space, only the 219 acres within Los Altos Hills is zoned as "Open Space Recreational". 6. Vacant Land Currently vacant land exists in two areas of the community: • Areas platted and partially developed with vacant lots available for development • Areas unplatted or platted but completely undeveloped Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-3 May 6, 1993 ( ( l The generalized land use statistics in Table 4-2 include the vacant land area based on its current zoning. The zoning analysis includes some quantification of the vacant and developed lots. The significance of this is that there are undeveloped lots available for sale within platted areas, undeveloped lots owned but not for sale, and there are unplatted areas, all of which represent inventory for future housing units. TABLE 4-1 EXISTING LAND USE, TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS, 1992 .. > Land Use 5~tegorie~ Occupied. . Percent Occupied Land :/ t of JotaL Acreage ':)?''''' ,<,{'' .,:•:• ,:, (AC)nr ••• '' :: ••• ::::/=::: Single Family (Very Low) 109.6 0.97% Single Family (Low) 749.5 6.65% Single Family (Medium) 1,004.4 8.91% Multi-Family (Medium) 77.4 0.69% General Commercial Retail 91 .1 0.81% Office 2.7 0.02% Business Park 21.3 0.19% Parks 63.1 (2) 0.56% Open Space 0.0 0.00% Other 0.0 0.00% Subtotal (Occupied) 2,313.5 20.52% Vacant 8,959.92 79.48% TOTAL 11,273.42 100.00% <1> All areas are approximate and based on information available in 1992. The areas indicated are "gross acres," including area required for streets. There is 991 acres of total street right-of-way in the total improved areas. <2> Assume Fountain Park acreage as a future open space provision. All potential dedications of drainage ways are included in Column "B" within primarily residential lands. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-4 May 6, 1993 C ( l Land U~e :'· Categories ... •• ·•·• Single Family (Very Low) Single Family (Low) Single Family (Medium) Multi-Family (Medium) Multi-Family (High) General Commercial Retail Office Business Park Parks Open Space<1> Other Total Acres Notes to Table 4-2: TABLE 4-2 EXISTING LAND ASSESSMENT, TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS, 1992 · Appilcabl• / De~slty l!r 8. I••·· Zoning ·•··• • Range Occupied Va§.ant ... 1 C1:1tegory Land (AC)IS¼ • Im roved \ -;.::-.:,:-::;.. :::. . l.an~(AC)'51 1) .·,· R-43 .025-1 109.6 54.2 R1-35, R-18 1-2 749.5 1,111.1 R1-10, R1-8, 2-4.5 1,004.4 1,471.1 R1-7, R1-6 R-2 4-8 77.4 173.2 R-3, R-4, R-5 8-12 194.4 654.3 NCP C-1, C-2, 91.1 397.2 C-3 C-0 2.7 4.3 IND-1 , IND-2 21 .3 40.2 R-190 <4>53,1 0.0 OS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2,313.5 3,905.6 <1> Designated in Los Altos Hills only at this time. <2) Los Altos Hills proposed golf course is included in this total. (c.. •·•·· Unimproved Land (AC)l5l .:::;;::::::;. -:::::::::: <5>3,774.2 244.0 414.7 0.0 273.4 17.9 0.0 94.5 0.0 (2)218.9 (3)16.7 5,054.3 <3> Roadways for Los Altos Hills are the only designated future rights-of-way as of 1992. •/i'• ... o. Total Land UseC5> "' 3,938.0 2,104.6 2,890.2 250.6 ~.122.1 506.2 7.0 156.0 63.1 (2)218.9 (3)16.7 11,273.4 <4> Assume Fountain Park acreage as a future open space provision. All potential dedications of drainage ways are included in Column "B" within primarily residential lands. <5> All areas are approximate and based on information available in 1992. The areas indicated are "gross acres," including area required for streets. There is 991 acres of total street right-of-way in the total improved areas, Column "A" & "B". <5> 25 acres of this area is owned by the Town and is proposed as Golden Eagle Park. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-5 May 6, 1993 r ( l Town of FOUNTAIN HILL.S GENERAL PLAN FOUNTAINHILLS,ARIZONA RUAAL-4:l -- NORTH rL.J 1 0 .25 .50 1.0 MILE SU """'-" i • • • • • • RUAAL-4:l @ ■ SCOTTSDALE • ........... • • • • ■ • • • ········-• • ■ Su :"l ~D "1 : ~t. . '•'' • • • • t. •• 6 1! ■l ..... @ loi~ RURAL-4:l au RHfllW.-<3 u,· :•• u •1t ..,,,•.,.,- RUAAL-4:l @ 1••···································· I Oh.\ D I l O l •. \ L \ I '.\ I1I l I S ZONING MAP AND EXISTING LAND USE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .,...-c......,-.~.!J!!!~", -"~l--i T.,•:t_ . .. .. . . ~ _ -.~. . cl ' ~1&]" ;!;'.u . ... ..... ~ C, ,.,;•;:;.,, FOAT t.AcOOWEU NOIAN RESEAV A TlON TIE) . ,._. •o -~"' @ @ I y . ..-; .,.•,-r--,. --~----··-··-• •• •• •• -~ -. ------iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliii _.. ---I ••• SALT RIVER PIMA VS-_hVER NON SWABACK ASSOCIATES, P.C. LEGEND GENERt,LIZED LAND USE CATEGORY I ) SINGLE FAMIL y RESIDENTIAL -n MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL -GENERAL COMMERC IAL l!:.i #ISM,,.; t· •• I ,.-J,}"t!l,j'~i!:T•.~ .. -,,_ INDUSTRIAL -8 PARKS /SCHOOL SITES _, OPEN SPACE i ] OTHER I ] VACANT LAND --• •-CORPORATE LIMITS ■■■■■ ■ ■■■ ■■■ GENERAL PLAN BOUNDARY EXISTING LAND USE MAP ,1-6 ( ( l Town of FOUNTAIN HILLS GENERAL PLAN FOUNTAINHILLS,ARIZONA N.ICDDWELL MpUNT,41N PARK -~---- ___..._,,_ '(___~~, .. ~ >~"~"' ?1 .. :.;.;;,;S".,'.······"~;.:.;~:•:•:-•.•:-:.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;:-:-;.;.;.;.;-;.:-;.;.::-:-:•:•:-:-:•:-:,;'.:'.::•:-:-:•:•:·::::;:;:::•:•:•:•:•:•::::;:;:::•:•:•:•:•:•::;:;:;:} Z g ,_ cf .> a : .. ··.:-:·:•·· .. ··.·.··· .. ·• m --,., 'l~ •• •• ~--~~ • ,, ''·" c• M .-~ i,:,~ '\ ,r/. .. __ Tl 2 r \'l[M. WA• J ( ('' 4 .,""i"R,._~ nz c~...,..-.... ::-' :i .. , ~ ).c',I!"'-" ·'i ,.~,, .... _, ~ :, • . ..,_,~--~-i-.. ::,!':•~~l tl: ~l p ,. , ; ,.1 • ~•t1 cf >..i.S C•> • • • 1 I . .,,, i;,,I.,') P.;_ ;M o . "' • .. . • ;, I ;; .r. "' Lt; .. * j SW.. ,1.-.v c,; r:i, ' i flli.'40-'~ l"- 1So.)5)(x~~'x~f~xj('\o~g,r'(;0:2v>('◊2~~i~~$~S<~~~~~&9:)<8$(0~88x:~2x~~')(~$").:~~~ I • ---~ I -~'l_;,';; ,'? ~11~111~~~~~~1~~g])1~~~~11Q~~1111~~g?~~ --.... .-----:: ;,. ,) ~-·· .J t <f-OO" t, ~ SUNRlD . • • ,,__.--...___,_~----' r;:-'ii ~:..;~"'~." _: bAN-V ....,.-=-_......., --•c-::-. ; .. j .. I ... I ~~--1 . '._.-,·~•'__' J ~ I i iijl]MC' 1 ,~ c· . ' fj !:l~ TOWN LIMITS GENERAL PLAN LIMITS~: I I CITY OF : SCOTTSDALE I CITY DF SCOTTSDALE l_l;:A G LE-cs.- 1 RIDGE • ;CT~,-__ -->s-+'~ ~-' -~·:· ., _;. ..l..--:---""";,. -✓-f : .. f ,~we c• ~~~~'\) lf>7° .-$••·M·~ I k~ . ,, ~,·:'') , ,,,·· -~ ,,_ ~ NORTH I I CG ro----· i ·1---· 1 ~i,\ .,,....,~· , a· . _ SUMM~T EAST · "-f'.'>,-......_,_.:,{,;:,'_ ... ,. , ., .,.;,::.·_, l : LOS A ,.... • • ! Fl~ERD ' 0 ''0 ',=f,· Qf,i/:;;t --.f/■' 0 ">i 1 1 .·. . NDD __ , H·_ ·' ✓ .. _·. ·~'"''"'"" ~ s (. .. -r~-;, ;4 .... ,,,,., '."' I _,., ,),·:• --·--------"-. l---..__ . .J·r,': ~ . "" ''/ I ~~b-,. ·/~1-, -~· . ! ) -'.""• ;_..,.. ~., ,V \..,.J. ~ .... , ·' •, r• ~ V __/• '(.,_ 1N J I ~, I "·'-.".:•;:, l...lUA.R , ...__..,. ,,v >", I 1 --~t·· /-'-~ -....... . : :;;;._ ,,.,.J~.... I r\'" ·1 0 .25 .50 1.0 MILE • '--··-... -•· ••••••• .. i '\......../·-'_,,.,•''/ ~·~..../ '\ _;.---..,_ ---------------------_________________ .. _ --~ / LEGEND :::;:::111:::!JJ:!:i) m POTENTIAL ANNEXATION AREAS ·PLANNED AREAS CURRENTLY UNDEVELOPED UNPLANNED AREAS MAJOR PLANNING AREAS SALT RIVER PIMA/MARICOPA INDIAN CCMMUNITV S-0/:_,, V.Jf'AYERNON SWABACK ASSOCIATES, P.C. !ftYI ------------------------- 1/ 4-7 ( ( (.._ 8) Existing Zoning Within the Town Limits, all the available lands have zoning designations. Zoning establishes specific criteria for each zoning district. Several of these districts were combined together into the Generalized Land Use Categories listed below for the purpose of understanding existing land use patterns. The existing zoning pattern is illustrated in Figure 4. Generalized Land Use Category Zoning Districts • Single-Family ResidentialNery Low Density R1-43 • Single-Family Residential/Low Density R1-35, R1-35H, R1-18 • Single-Family Residential/Medium Density R1-10A, R1-10, R1-8A, R1-8, R1-7, R1-6A, R1-6 • Multi-Family Residential/Medium Density R-2 • Multi-Family Residential/High Density R-5, R-4, R-3 • Service/Employment C-0, C-1, C-2, C-3, NCP IND-1, IND-2 • Business Park • Open Space OS C) Opportunities and Constraints 1. Opportunities The land which represents the best opportunity for continuity between current planning objectives and the ultimate physical outcome, is obviously the unplatted or undeveloped areas of the Town of Fountain Hills. In addition, land not within the Town limits but adjacent to it and currently in unincorporated areas represents another opportunity for the Town. The oppor- tunity is to seek annexation of those lands, if the Town and property owner(s) so chooses, which then allows the Town the ability to exercise its planning and zoning controls over the land. This is possible in the following areas: 1. The State Land located at the northeast boundary of Fountain Hills which is approximately 1,300 acres. 2. The MCO Properties parcel, known as Crestview and which is approximately 342 acres, north of Shea Boulevard and north of Los Altos Hills. 3. The MCO Properties parcel, known as Eagle Ridge is currently within the jurisdiction of the City of Scottsdale (only if the property owner and the City of Scottsdale agree to de-annex the parcel in the future). Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-8 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 4. McDowell Mountain Regional Park. The major unplatted areas within the Town of Fountain Hills General Plan area are listed below with a brief description of what planning has occurred to date. These areas are listed by location in a clockwise direction from southeast to northeast and are shown on Figure 5. • Firerock North Currently unplatted industrially zoned acreage adjacent to Shea Boulevard on the north and adjacent to the existing Firerock Industrial Park area on the south, and Summit East parcel on the west. This site is generally suitable for large users. • Summit East A 718 acre master plan approved by Maricopa County in 1986, for a residential community with limited commercial and an 18 hole golf course. • Los Altos Hills (formerly Summit West) A 500 acre master plan approved and subsequently zoned in 1991 for residential, limited commercial, resort, and an 18 hole golf course. • Westridge A 305 acre master plan approved by Maricopa County in 1986 as a primarily residential community, with a hotel site. • Crestview A 342 acre master plan approved by Maricopa County in 1986 and is not within the Town limits, but is with_in the General Plan study area. This area was planned primarily as residential with the County stipulating that access to Scottsdale not be provided other than Shea Boulevard. • Eagle Ridge An approximately 405 acre parcel which was annexed into Scottsdale by the property owners at the time, and currently is not part of Fountain Hills. The property has since been returned to the ownership of MCO Properties. In May of 1989, the City of Scottsdale approved a plan for this parcel which includes a resort use, commercial and residential uses. • Stone Ridge West A 107 acre parcel which has conceptual planning indicating residential uses. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4.9 May 6, 1993 ( ( l • Sunridge Canyon An approximately 700-1000 acre parcel conceptually planned for a gated residential community with 18 holes of golf. • Eagle Ridge North Presently no plans have been prepared for this area. • Eagles Nest Presently no plans have been prepared for this area. • State Land Parcel An approximately 1,300 acre parcel located at the extreme northeast of the existing community, but not within the Town Limits. The topography is suitable for most residential, recreational, or commercial uses. The road to McDowell Mountain Regional Park and Rio Verde, and beyond to Pinnacle Peak traverses_ this parcel primarily on the south and eastern portions. • Infill Parcels There are undeveloped parcels within the existing platted areas of the Town. These parcels are smaller than those listed previously, but represent significant infill potential for new development. 2. Constraints • Topography The most obvious constraint the Town of Fountain Hills has, is also its greatest asset -the topography. Fountain Hills contains a variety of steep slopes, which need further study as development occurs to properly integrate development. • Drainage Earthen dams have been constructed in natural washes to integrate drainage with the natural terrain. Drainage review on each lot takes place when building permits are reviewed so that drainage across adjoining lots is avoided. A major drainage, study scheduled to be completed by 1994, will delineate flood hazard areas. Properly incorporated drainage facilities will help Fountain Hills develop without flood hazards. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-10 May 6, 1993 ( ( l • Boundaries Of Incorporation Fountain Hills is bordered by: • Fort McDowell Mohave-Apache Indian Reservation on the east • Salt River Pima -Maricopa Indian Community on the south • City of Scottsdale on the western boundary except for the 342 acre County island known as Crestview. • Maricopa County McDowell Mountain Regional Park on the north except for the 1,300 acre State Land parcel. Since these communities have little reason to shift their boundaries, Fountain Hills will probably remain its present size in the foreseeable future with the possible exception of the state lands and minor county and City of Scottsdale adjustments due to future annexation. • Regional Access Fountain Hills is located on the northeastern edge of the Phoenix metropolitan_ area. New highway expansion projects such as the widening of Shea Boulevard and the widening of State Route 87 (Beeline Highway), along with the development of the Pima Freeway and Red Mountain Freeway will allow easier access from Fountain Hills to the urban area. In terms of accessibility from the Phoenix metropolitan area; • The Town is served by two access routes to central metropolitan Phoenix: Shea Boulevard and State Route 87. • There is one direct access route to Mesa and other east valley locations (via south on State Route 87). An indirect route is north on State Route 87 to the Saguaro Lake access road and continuing on Usery Pass to Apache Junction. • There is one route north out of Fountain Hills to Rio Verde and northeast Scottsdale (McDowell Mountain Road to Dynamite Boulevard). D) Existing Land Use Assessment The assessment of Existing Land use as indicated on Table 4-1 shows the quantification of land uses within the Town. As indicated, approximately 20% of the total of land area is occupied. In order to determine the amount of land that may be required to support future growth of the Town of Fountain Hills through the year 2012, a reasonably accurate range of population projections must be secured. These were formulated as part of the Economic Development Existing Conditions Analysis (See Chapter 7). These projections represent the future residential, commercial, employment and public facilities land use needs. A reasonable understanding of future land needs will guide the Town in its application of Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-11 May 6, 1993 ( ( l appropriate growth management strategies, land use and development regulation and capital improvements budgeting to adequately service the Town's continued growth. 1. Residential Population Forecast Population projections were prepared for the Town of Fountain Hills, through the Year 2012. The total future permanent resident and seasonal household population is estimated to be a total of 31,505 people by the year 2012. This is assuming a permanent resident population of 28,880, and a seasonal household population of 2,625. 2. Land Use Forecast An estimate of the total required acreage to accommodate the future population of the Town of Fountain Hills through the Year 2012 can be calculated utilizing the population forecasts presented. These land use estimates should be utilized in evaluating development proposals to guide and manage the community to ensure development quality, and to provide for the appropriate extension of public infrastructure and expansion of public facilities. - Residential land use forecasts are computed by calculating the number of households required to accommodate the future population and the average development densities of desired housing types. The average number of persons per resident household in Fountain Hills is assumed to be 2.51 to 2.53 through the year 2012. Table 4-3 presents the existing number of dwelling units and the additional number of housing units to accommodate the forecasted Year 2012 population. TABLE 4-3 FORECASTED RESIDENTIAL UNIT GROWTH TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS, 1992-2012 12012 1992 13,5361 5,325 Source: Existing Conditions, Fountain Hills General Plan, Sunregion Associates, Inc. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-12 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Table 4.4 summarizes the amount of residential acreage needed to accommodate the forecasted population increase within the next 20 years. The percentage of single- family detached, and multi-family units are based upon an assessment of the historic and existing housing mix, divided into these land use categories. In addition, the projections recognize the community's goal to provide the potential to include higher density residential in the Town Center area, and the community's desire for the residential character to remain lower density overall, with the possibility of clustering the lowest densities which are designated to be located in the western sections of the Town where the need for environmental sensitivity is the greatest. Table 4-5 summarizes the total amount of residential, service/employment acreage required to accommodate the projected future population increase of the Town through the Year 2012. An evaluation of Tables 4-4 and 4-5 in comparison to Table 4-2, indicates that generally enough residentially-designated lands exist in all residential land use categories to support the forecasted growth through the Year 2012. Of the approximately 10,300 gross acres currently zoned for residential use (0-12 DU/AC), approximately 2,100 gross acres are occupied. Therefore, the capacity based on zoning is for approximately 8,200 gross acres with a projected need in Year 2012 ot approximately 3,360 gross acres (based on population projections and average density assumptions. And of lands currently designated for multi-family (medium and high) residential development (4-12 DU/AC), 38% or 215 acres are currently developed. In summary, although all undeveloped zoned lands cannot necessarily be assumed to be developed to their highest use due to a variety of potential constraints (e.g. physical, environmental, access) there appears to be more than enough residentially-zoned land in Fountain Hills to support forecasted housing needs through the year 2012. The history of development in Fountain Hills has been such that land has been platted at a lower density than the minimum lot size permitted in the respective zoning classifications. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-13 May 6, 1993 ( ( l TABLE 4-4 ESTIMATED GROSS RESIDENTIAL LAND USE NEEDS TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS, YEAR 2012 a. Single-Family Detached b. Single-Family Attached (duplex) c. Multi-Family or Other Residential I TOTALS Notes to Table 4-4: 65.8 9.8 24.4 100.0 (1l DU/AC= Dwelling Units/Acre. 75 .0 6,158 2.0 4.0 329 3.0 21.0 1,724 10.0 100.0 s.211 1 3,079 110 172 3,361 (2) Represents gross developable acreage including area for streets (assuming 75% of gross land for actual development). Source: VSA Planning Team, July 1992. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-14 May 6, 1993 ( TABLE 4-5 ESTIMATED RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL LAND NEEDS TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS, YEAR 2012 Residential 3,361 95.0 Commercial(2> 155 4.3 Business Park(1> 23 .7 I TOTALS 3,5381 100.0 Notes to Table 4-5: (1) (2) Gross Acres include a 25 percent increase in land area for dedications for streets, park sites, school sites, etc. Derived from Projections, 1990-2012, forecast in the Economic Sttidy, Chapter 7. - Source: VSA Planning Team; July 1992 ( An evaluation of Column B on Table 4-2 in comparison to Table 4-5 also indicates that no increase in commercially or industrially-zoned lands will be required to fulfill the 178 gross acres needed as projected through the planning horizon year 2012. Of the approximately 500 gross acres zoned for commercial and retail uses, approximately 90 gross acres are currently occupied. Therefore, the capacity based on zoning is for approximately 410 gross acres with a projected need in Year 2012 of approximately 155 gross acres. Of the approximately 150 acres zoned for industrial/business park uses, approximately 20 acres are occupied. Therefore, the capacity based on zoning is for 130 acres with a projected need in Year 2012 of approximately 23 acres. Section 4.4 discusses this recommendation in more detail. l 4.2 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION There are several areas in which the Fountain Hills General Plan is focused to alleviate potential conflicts and imbalance in the Land Use issue area. The following issues or potential problems are ones the plan has sought to address. These are not listed in any order of priority. A) Imbalance of commercially zoned land relative to projected need B) Imbalance of industrially zoned land relative to projected need C) The need for environmental controls beyond the existing Hillside and Land Disturbance Ordinance D) The lack of mixed used development in the Town Center E) Integration of existing commercial areas Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-15 May 6, 1993 ( ( l F) The need for an entry statement for Fountain Hills G) The need to address random pattern of commercial development Each of these potential problem areas are discussed below, and are interrelated to other individual Elements of the General Plan. A) Imbalance of Commercially zoned land relative to projected need: B) C) D) The projected demand for commercially zoned land by 2012 is approximately 155 additional gross acres beyond the estimated 90 gross acres occupied in 1992. With a total of approximately 500 gross acres of commercially zoned land existing in 1992, there will be a potential surplus of 250 acres in 2012. The Town should address shifting some of the commercial zones to other areas where they are more appropriate. Imbalance of Industrially zoned land relative to projected need: The projected demand for industrially zoned land is for approximately 23 additional gross acres beyond the estimated 20 gross acres occupied in 1992. With·- approximately 150 gross acres of industrially zoned land in 1992, there is a potential surplus of approximately 107 gross acres in 2012. The industrial acreage should either be retained for potential unknown and unforcasted commercial or industrial users or voluntarily reduced through similar rezonings. The need for environmental controls beyond the existing hillside ordinance: Fountain Hills is located in the eastern foothills of the McDowell Mountains, and as such enjoys a tremendous scenic and unique topographic character unlike most metropolitan Phoenix communities. Poorly designed developments could have a severe negative impact on the Town's quality of life by destroying these areas. The Town should consider taking steps to initiate additional environmental controls which protect the environmental resources of this community beyond the existing Hillside and Land Disturbance Ordinance. The lack of mixed use development in the Town Center: Fountain Hills is unique for many reasons, one of which relates to the foresight of early community planners to reserve an area at the center of the Community for a Town Center or central business district. The reality is in 1992 we have the benefit of looking back over the last 20 years and projecting forward at least for the next 20 years. The Town Center has been a struggle at best, attempting to find viable commercial uses, proceeding with individually owned developments without an overall thematic continuity. The Town should clarify its commitment to the Town Center and address various needs. Study should be given to potential mixed use components and the functional needs such as parking, landscape, requirements, retail deliveries, etc. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-16 May 6, 1993 ( ( l E) F) G) Integration of existing commercial areas: The Saguaro Boulevard entry experience from Shea Boulevard to Palisades Boulevard needs to be coordinated in landscape, building and signage continuity to reinforce a positive image. Its current image of a random linear commercial strip does little to enhance the community. The fact that the majority of this area is in a multitude of individual ownership makes the task all the more difficult. The Town in its long range planning efforts should conduct a corridor study to address the issues related to infill of this area, potential reuse or alternative uses for the commercially zoned land, and develop a thematic continuity for the overall appearance. The end results of the study should allow the property owner to begin to take steps to implement corrective changes as they make individual improvements to their own property. The need for an entry statement for Fountain Hills: Shea Boulevard represents the front door to Fountain Hills at two locations. Additionally, Fountain Hills Boulevard is the front door for visitors entering from the north (Rio Verde). These points of ingress to the community should be celebrated. and create the first impression of "welcoming" to this beautiful community. The Town should participate in a study for entry monumentation, signage or other techniques with private landowners which can create a sense of arrival, and add to the image of the community. The need to address random pattern of commercial development: The overabundance of commercially zoned land in Fountain Hills has allowed commercial development to take place on a sporadic basis. Because the commercially zoned areas have been developed largely through land sales programs, Fountain Hills lacks a cohesiveness in its commercial core. Not only is the commercial development in Fountain Hills over large tracts of land and in different geographic locations, but the type of development is diverse. The area projected as being the downtown area is having to compete with two retail shopping centers for specialty retail shops. The size of lots and the land development scheme of the various commercial areas has provided a diversity of development opportunity beyond the ability of the Town to support in terms of total acreage necessary to provide such diversity. The Town needs to develop greater continuity with its overall commercial development. Measures to encourage the overall reduction of commercially zoned land so new commercial development will infill into the areas that has existing commercial development. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-17 May 6, 1993 ( 4.3 VISIONS, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES The Vision Statement, Goals and Objectives developed by the community for the Town of Fountain Hills are presented below. Vision: Maintain a small town community character which sensitively allocates land for future development in all land uses, and provides for preservation of the flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert which characterizes Fountain Hills' quality of life. Goal 1.0 Promote Fountain Hills as a place to live, work and play surrounded by the natural Sonoran desert. Objective 1.1 Concentrate commercial development in the Town Center area, within a defined scale, appropriate character and design theme. Objective 1.2 Maintain mixed residential land uses with provisions for an employment base, and daily retail and service needs. Objective 1.3 Re inforce neighborhood identities and their relationship to the whole - Community. Goal 2.0 Provide sensitive integration of the man-made environment with the ( natural environment. l Objective 2.1 Encourage a reasonable balance between open space and the development to maintain the openness of Fountain Hills. Objective 2.2 Establish a landscape character which is colorful and lush in appearance, but is respectful of the Sonoran Desert setting and prohibits high potable water using or pollen generating plant material. Objective 2.3 Encourage energy efficient development which compliments the surroundings in which it will exist. Objective 2.4 Develop environmental standards which are specific to each unique area within the whole community and create an effective enforcement system. Objective 2.5 Identify environmentally sensitive areas and create density transfer guidelines appropriate to varying environmental conditions. Objective 2.6 Encourage development that complements environmentally sensitive areas. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-18 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Goal 3.0 Encourage a compatible mix of land uses which maintains the Fountain Hills /If estyle. Objective 3.1 Encourage residential development which allows for a diversity of housing types which attracts diverse age groups, both seasonal and full time residents, and accommodates a range of income levels. Objective 3.2 Establish adequate provisions within all new development areas for all potential community service needs, including but not limited to sites for schools, public safety, utility provisions, and recreational needs. Objective 3.3 Identify appropriate industrial uses compatible with the location of the Industrial Park and the adjacency to residential development. Objective 3.4 Encourage individual mixed use developments in the Town Center area with a range of uses within each where higher density housing, retail and commercial office, institutional, cultural and recreational uses can co-exist and promote a pedestrian environment. 4.4 PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS The Land Use Plan has been prepared based on the Vision Statement, Goals and Objectives, meshed with the community's input into various alternative land use scenarios. These alternative scenarios were presented to the community in six critical areas: • Residential Growth and Development • Commercial and Industrial Growth and Development • Community-Wide Circulation and Improvements • Parks, Trails and Open Space • Special Community Elements • Local and Regional Cooperation The overall community input was combined with the results of the 1992 Town Hall, and the forecasts presented in the Economic Development Element to establish the basis for the Land Use Plan. The Land Use Plan, along with the Town's revised Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances, will be utilized by the Planning and Zoning Commission and Town Council to review and consider development proposal as well as establish open space preservation priorities, through the year 2012. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4·19 May 6, 1993 ( ( l The Planning Recommendations for the Land Use Element are presented in the following six areas: A) Land Use Principles B) Land Use Plan C) Land Use Definitions D) Residential Land Use Guidelines E) Service/Employment Area La.nd Use Guidelines F) Additional Land Use Guidelines A) Land Use Principles The following generalized Land Use Principles should be utilized to determine the future specific locations of land uses that are generally indicated on the land use plan. They are also focused on promoting orderly and cost efficient development and perhaps most importantly, to preserve the character and beauty of the Town. 1. Preserve the unique natural and scenic resources of Fountain Hills, while accommodating new residential and non-residential growth in an orderly and_ environmentally sound manner. 2. Protect and preserve existing neighborhoods from incompatible adjacent land uses, inappropriate infill and the potential adverse effects of major capital improvements. 3. Encourage the location of new residential land uses in infill areas that have existing or planned infrastructure (water, sanitary sewer, roads), and proximity to shopping facilities, recreation and community services. 4. Locate medium or high-density, multi-family residential land uses in infill areas that have existing or planned infrastructure; direct proximity to shopping facilities, recreation, and community services; and proximity to collector or arterial roadways. Encourage higher density residential development as part of larger planned unit developments or within the Town Center area. 5. Promote the development of a diversity of residential densities throughout the Town with: • Very low densities (.025-1 DU/AC) located in environmentally sensitive areas. • Low densities (1-2 DU/AC) located adjacent to environmentally sensitive areas, respecting the varying land forms and environmental assets (e.g., vegetation, wash corridors). • Medium density (2-4.5 DU/AC) neighborhoods developed in a high quality manner, respecting environmental assets, and buffered from any incompatible uses or major transportation corridors. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-20 May 6, 1993 ( ( l • Higher densities (4-12 DU/AC) developed in a high quality manner in a campus like setting (e.g. provision of open space, extensive native landscaping, controlled signage, integrated internal circulation systems) with excellent transportation and community facilities access, and potentially used as a buffer between lower density residential uses and non-compatible uses. 6. Locate future commercial retail or office uses within the Town Center area which offers good access via the arterial street system and is near the focal areas for community recreation and events. 7. Transition from the current pattern of linear commercial development along Saguaro Boulevard and encourage mixed use commercial nodes within these commercial areas. 8. Encourage the development of a theme (e.g. commercial retail/service, cultural, and/or institutional) in the Town Center area that responds to and capitalizes upon the community's economic development opportunities. 9. Encourage the development of the Town Center which will attract a variety of_ residential, cultural, institutional, commercial and entertainment/recreational opportunities; and has excellent accessibility with various forms of transportation, and is linked to future adjacent neighborhoods through a pedestrian pathway network. 10. Locate all feasible future municipal and civic facilities and services in the Town Center, with linkages to the entire community via a pedestrian pathway/bikeway network. 11. Establish a linked open space, trail and parks system, emphasizing access via non-motorized modes of transportation and linkages to other community facilities and services, (e.g. schools, regional parks). Integrate this system with that of the McDowell Mountain Regional Park and the McDowell Mountains, in a compatible manner that protects natural assets, minimizes potential environmental degradation, and discourages any motorized vehicular linkages. B) Land Use Plan The Land Use Plan contains a full complement of residential, service/employment, municipal/institutional, open space/recreation land uses, as illustrated in a generalized fashion on the "Future Land Use Plan" (Figure 6). Residential uses include Single-FamilyNery Low Density, Single-Family/Low Density, Single-Family/Medium Density, Multi-Family/Medium Density, and Multi-Family/High Density. The Single-FamilyNery Low Density Residential (.025-1 DU/AC) uses are primarily located on the Westerly portions of the community adjacent to the existing developed areas, or in areas for large lot subdivision development. Single-Family/Low Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-21 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Density (1-2 DU/AC) are scattered throughout the community. Single-Family/Medium Density (2-4.5 DU/AC) uses generally comprise existing traditional neighborhoods and some of the older subdivisions in the community at various stages of buildout. These neighborhoods are generally located in the eastern half of the community north of Palisades Boulevard. Multi-Family/Medium (4-8 DU/AC) and Multi-Family/High (8-12 DU/AC) Density uses are generally located in the center of the Town. Service/Employment uses include general commercial/retail, offices, resort/lodging and business park categories of land use. The designation includes the existing locations as well as a concentrated mixed use node at the Town Center. The Business Park area south of Shea Boulevard near Saguaro Boulevard is shown based on existing patterns as well as a provision for additional land with potential visual exposure to Shea Boulevard. Proposed lodging facility locations, are generally located on the Land Use Plan and should be established with regard to the criteria presented in the Land Use Definitions Section. Municipal/Institutional uses include such community facilities as proposed municipal uses, a variety of other public/semi-public or private utility facilities. Open Space/Recreation denotes areas targeted for the eventual permanent preservation or conservation of open space including the existing privately owned wash areas, or the privately owned Fountain Park. In addition, existing or proposed park or golf course locations are designated. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-22 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Town of FOUNTAIN HILL,S GENERAL PLAN FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA NORTH 11......J 0 .25 .50 !, ! i ! i ! i :1 ~--'"--"'--""------ ~ ,,,,· ~,, 1 1.0 MILE VJf'_hVERNON SWABACK ASSOCIATES, P.C. ,. §! ,;____ •• •• •• -•• -4--~--w.. .. ---,_)' LEGEI\JD Land Use Dcsigna1ion Single l'amily/Vcl) Low Single Family/I.ow Single Family/Medium Multi-Family/Medium M ulti--Family /1 ligll Density Range Re~idential .025-1 DU/AC 1-2 D U/AC 2-4.5 DU/AC 4-8 DU/AC 8--12 DU/AC Color /Symbol SF/VI. Sl'/J, SP/M Service/EmploJment General Commcrci.11/Rctail Office Lodging Mixed Use Husinca Part l\lunicipal/lnstitutional Municipal Facilities Private Utility I !xi&ling Schools P<>1ential School Sita; Open Space/Recreation Pam Open Space Goff Course -Approved or existing Propoi;cd (iolf l,OUI sc: Environmentally Sensitive Areas • Environmentally Scr,sitM: Areas Roadway Key 111111 Primary Arterial• ••••••• Minor Arterial ~-•••••• Collector Boundary Key ----Corporate Limits ____ Section Lines \Ml ~ General Plan Boundary FUTUFIE LAND USE PLAN 4-23 ( ( l C) Land Use Definitions The following provides detailed descriptions of the proposed uses in each land use category, along with general criteria for development, where applicable. Reference should also be made to Section 4.4.D for guidelines which should be used in developing these land uses. The Residential Uses Include: 1. Single-FamilyNery Low Density Residential (.025-1 DU/AC) The Single-FamilyNery Low Density Residential category denotes areas where rural and single-family residential development is desirable and urban services (sanitary sewer, water, law enforcement, fire protection, schools, parks, etc.) are available or can be provided. 2. Single-Family/Low Density Residential (1-2 DU/AC) 3. The Single-Family/Low Density Residential category denotes areas where single-- family neighborhood residential development is desirable and all urban services - are available or can be provided. Single-Family/Medium Density Residential (2-4.5 DU/AC) The Single-Family/Medium Density Residential category denotes areas where single-family neighborhood residential development is desirable and all urban services are available or will be provided. Lot sizes less than 8,000 square feet are allowed if as part of a clustered concept with open space provisions as called for in section 4.4.D. 4. Multi-Family/Medium Density Residential (4-8 DU/AC) 5. The Multi-Family/Medium Density Residential category denotes areas where higher density attached residential uses, such as duplexes and townhouses, are desirable and all urban services are available. Suitability for development, will be determined in part, based on transportation access (arterial roadway and public transit), existing land use patterns and other public infrastructure capacity. Multi-Family/High Density Residential (8.0-12.0 DU/AC) The Multi-Family/High Density Residential category denotes areas where higher density residential uses such as multi-story apartments and specialty residential are desirable and all urban services are available. Suitability for development, will be determined in part, based on transportation access (arterial or collector roadways and public transit routes, existing land use patterns and other public infrastructure capacity. Its use is very limited in the Town. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-24 May 6, 1993 ( ( l The Service/Employment Uses include: 6. General Commercial/Retail The General Commercial/Retail category includes areas providing for the sale of convenience goods (food, drugs and sundries) and personal services which meet the daily needs of a multi-neighborhood trade area. 7. Office The Office category includes areas where general and professional offices have been historically developed. Future development of Office uses should be targeted for mixed use projects within the Town Center between existing developed commercial areas, and as a buffer to residential areas from commercial or industrial uses. 8. Lodging 9. The Lodging category includes areas where tourist-oriented lodging and"_ recreational facilities, including resorts, hotels and motels, along with supportive retail and service uses should be developed in Fountain Hills. Town Center Area The Town Center area denotes the area of the Town where a mix of commercial, retail, office, high density residential, municipal, civic, recreational, cultural, institutional, parking, lodging, and religious facilities are all desired to be located. The mix of uses should be mutually supportive and reinforce the notion of a Town Center. 10. Business Park The Business Park category includes areas where mixed general office, warehousing, light industrial uses have been historically developed. Future development of Business Park uses should be targeted for the existing areas and for sites with potential visual exposure to Shea Boulevard. The Municipal/Jnstitutional Uses Include: 11. Municipal/Facilities This category includes the existing and future location of the Town Hall, and emergency service providers. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-25 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 12. Public Utility This category includes the areas for waste water treatment facilities, water storage reservoirs, well sites, telephone company site, etc. All sites are existing and no additional areas are designated at this time. 13. Schools This category includes the areas of existing school facilities and School District owned property. The Open Space/Recreational Uses Include: 14. Parks 15. 17. This category includes both the existing or planned community parks. In some cases the future parks are general in location subject to final location during specific area planning. Open Space This category includes the majority of all drainage corridor/wash areas within the Town of Fountain Hills. It is the intent of the Fountain Hills General Plan that these drainage corridor/wash areas will remain as permanent open space with joint cooperation between the Town, the property owners, various community groups and individual volunteers to preserve and maintain these areas. Locations identified on the Land Use Plan are general in nature and do not imply strict delineations of preserved or protected open space. Golf Courses This category includes areas for golf courses including supportive functions such as maintenance facilities, club houses, parking, and supportive retail. In some cases the future golf courses are very general in location, subject to final location during specific area planning Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-26 May 6, 1993 ( ( l D) Residential Land Use Guidelines The following guidelines shall aid in governing all land use planning which pertains to the development of land designated as residential on the Land Use Plan . 1. Allowable Residential Densities* 2. Residential -Single-FamilyNery Low Density: Residential -Single-Family/Low Density: Residential -Single-Family/Medium Density: Residential -Multi-Family/Medium Density: Residential -Multi-Family/High Density: .025 -1.0 DU/AC 1.0 -2.0 DU/AC 2.0 -4.5 DU/AC 4.0 -8.0 DU/AC 8.0 -12.0 DU/AC * Density bonuses above 12.0 DU/AC but not greater than 25 DU/AC are possible with special site design considerations, (e.g. community facilities, open space dedications or trail development, substantial site amenities, quality design and landscape standards), generally in the Town Center area or planned unit development projects however, existing development standards are not normally compatible with densities greater than 12 DU/AC. - Residential Land Use Guidelines The following guidelines are focused on a desire to permit creativity in site planning that protects the environment while still maintaining the lower density residential character of the town. • Single-FamilyNery Low Density Residential (.025-1.0 DU/AC) Within any particular development, net densities greater than 1.0 DU/AC (cluster development) could be permitted in concentrated areas to direct development away from more environmentally sensitive proportions of a total site, but only if areas of lower densities offset the increase such that a gross density of no more than 1 DU/AC is maintained. • Single-Family/Low Density Residential (1.0-2.0 DU/AC) Within any particular development, net densities greater than 2.0 DU/AC could be permitted in concentrated areas to direct development away from more environmentally sensitive portions of a total site, but only if areas of lower densities offset the increase such that a gross density of no more than 2.0 DU/AC is maintained. • Single-Family/Medium Density Residential (2.0-4.5 DU/AC) Within any particular development, net densities greater than 4.5 DU/AC could be permitted in concentrated areas to direct development away from more Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-27 May 6, 1993 ( ( l environmentally sensitive proportions of a total site, but only if areas of lower densities offset the increase such that a gross density of no more than 4.5 DU/AC is maintained. • Multi-Family/Medium Density Residential (4.0 -8.0 DU/AC) Within any particular development, net densities greater than 8.0 DU/AC could be permitted in concentrated areas to direct development away from more environmentally sensitive proportions of a total site but only if areas of lower densities offset the increase such that a gross density of no more than 8 DU/AC is maintained. Any increase in such density must be accompanied by enhanced site amenities and/or extra-ordinary dedications for open space preservation, parks or trails. Multi-Family/Medium Density Residential will be particularly encouraged for development in the Town Center area between existing developed residential and commercial areas. These transition zones between existing developed areas should be developed with exceptional design, enhanced site amenities, extraordinary landscaped setbacks from collector roadway corridors and limited'_ access to the arterial roadway corridor. • Multi-Family/High Density Residential (8.0 -12.0 DU/AC) The development of Multi-Family/High Density Residential will be particularly encouraged in the Town Center area between existing residential and commercial areas or as buffers to lower density residential areas located along arterial roadway, or adjacent to commercial areas. These transition zones between existing development areas should be developed with exceptional design, enhanced site amenities, extraordinary landscaped setbacks from the roadway corridor and limited access to the arterial roadway corridor. • Density transfers may occur anywhere within the Town of Fountain Hills that permits residential development, and are not lim ited to specific parcels, planning areas and/or zoning categories. E) Service/Employment Area Land Use Guidelines The following guidelines shall aid in governing all land use planning pertaining to the development of land designated Service/Employment category on the Land Use Plan. Land use activities in areas designated Service/Employment may include all commercial service, retail, lodging, professional office, business park, public/semi-public facility uses, and multi-family residential development if within the Town Center area. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-28 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 1. Commercial/Retail Future development of retail facilities (those serving a population of 4,000 to 8,000 people located within a service area with a one to two mile radius) should be limited to the existing sites and those areas designated on the Land Use Plan Map. 2. Office 3. 4. 5. Future development of office uses should be targeted for mixed use projects within the Town Center area, between existing developed residential and commercial or industrial areas as a buffer. These buffer zones between existing developed areas should be planned with exceptional site design, enhanced site amenities, extraordinary landscaped setbacks from the roadway corridor and limited access to the arterial roadway corridor. Mixed Use To help sustain the existing commercial uses within the Town Center, and promote- revitalization of this area, the mixed use area will allow a variety of uses as- described in the land use definitions. Particular attention should be given to targeting medium and small size businesses in this. Uses that promote day and evening activities are especially desired. Residential uses within the mixed use area should be high density, and potentially locate commercial or office uses on their lower floor. Lodging Proposed sites should be planned with property buffers provided to adjacent uses and should meet the following criteria: -Provide direct or proximate access to arterial roadway corridors. -Preferably located ori land presently zoned commercial or multi-family residential. -Develop in a highly sensitive manner relative to existing land forms, wash areas, vegetation and other environmental constraints. Business Park Future development of Business Park uses should be in the Fire Rock area south of Shea Boulevard. The less intense uses may be acceptable in the area east of Saguaro Boulevard south of Colony Drive. Future business park development in Fountain Hills should occur within a campus-like setting. Any areas which are adjacent to residential districts must utilize adequate buffering techniques. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-29 May 6, 1993 ( ( l F) Additional Land Use Guidelines 1. Environmentally Sensitive Development Guidelines 2. 3. In order to respect the environmentally-sensitive nature of all lands within the Town of Fountain Hills as the Land Use Plan is implemented, careful consideration should be given to policies that will require generally a more sensitive treatment of the built environment for all land use zoning classifications. The policies could take the form of a new ordinance or revisions to existing ordinances in order to be properly and effectively implemented. General areas of environmental sensitivity have been illustrated on the land use map and should be further studied as it relates to the following issues. The general issues that should be addressed include: • Larger lot requirements on high slopes and highly sensitive lands. • Requirements for a percentage of natural areas to be left undeveloped based on the sensitivity of the land. • Residential color and materials which are compatible with the surrounding environment. • Lighting restrictions. • More restrictive grading and drainage requirements. • Refined building height calculations. • Further protection of natural vegetation. • More sensitive standards for roadways. • Protection of specific areas or natural landmarks. • Preservation of known wildlife habitats/corridors. • Preservation of washes and standards for wash crossings. • Standards for lot coverage and floor area ratio. Buffering Techniques In cases where less than desirable compatibility situations exist, the following buffering techniques should be required: • Areas consisting of extensive landscaped open space; • Arterial and collector streets with extensive landscaping; • Heavily landscaped underground utility corridor easements; • Screen walls, landscaping, earthen berms; • Preservation of natural topographic features. Interpretation of Land Use Boundaries The land use boundaries, as shown on the Land Use Plan, utilize natural or man- made demarcations where possible. Where such boundaries are not readily distin- guishable, variations may be allowed, provided the intent of the Land Use Plan is not violated. With proper buffering and site planning techniques, variations of Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-30 May 6, 1993 ( 4.5 many feet can be allowed without diminishing the intended purpose of the Land Use Plan. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM AND GUIDELINES The Implementation Action Program for the Land Use Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan is presented on Table 4-6, Land Use Implementation Action Program. The table is presented under the following five headings: Action Purpose Timeframe Initiation Lists the action necessary to carry out the General Plan. Identify the intent of accomplishing that particular action. Establishes the target 5-year priority within the 20-year planning horizon for implementation of the action. Responsibility Assigns the elected or appointed public body, agency, group, individuals or volunteers principally responsible to initiate the implementation action. Resources Lists potential funding, Town staff, volunteer or other community resources necessary to carry out the implementation action. ( The Planning and Zoning Commission should review and provide recommendations to the Town Council for revising the following Implementation Action Program on an annual basis in order to continue to pursue implementation of the Fountain Hills General Plan in an expeditious manner. The Director of the Community Development Department and the staff-person responsible for General Plan implementation should monitor the status of each implementation action throughout the year and provide a general recommended framework to the Planning and Zoning Commission for annually updating the General Plan's Land Use Implementation Guide. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4·31 May 6, 1993 r ~ TABLE 4-6 LAND USE IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 1 IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Action 1.0 Adopt a Comprehensive Land Use Plan in accordance with ARS 9- 461.0SF: a. Planning and Zoning Commission Public Hearings and Recommendation. b. 60-day Review by affected Governmental Units and Agencies. c. Town Council Public Hearing and Adoption. Purpose To establish principal use districts and densities to accommodate community needs for the incorporated area through the Year 2012. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • 4-32 Initiation Responsibility Planning and Zoning Commission, Town Council; Legal Counsel Resources Town of Fountain Hills General Plan; Chamber of Commerce; Community Development Department Staff May 6,1993 , Action 2.0 Prepare Revised Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and Map Revisions. a. Rewrite Zoning Classifications consistent with the General Plan. b. Revise Zoning Districts consistent with the General Plan. C. Revise existing ordinances to accomplish the goal to comply with Environmentally Sensitive Guidelines in the General Plan. d. Planning and Zoning Commission Public Hearings and Recommendation. ~ TABLE 4-6 (Continued) LANO USE IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 1 IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Purpose To modify potential discrepancies between existing zoning and the General Plan. TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • Initiation Responsibility Planning and Zoning Commission, Town Council, Legal Counsel Resources Community Development Department Staff Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-33 1 I May 6,1993 r Action 5.0 Prepare Design Guidelines for all new and rehabilitated single- family residences, commercial, institutional and civic building. a. Formulate draft guidelines. b. Recommendations to Planning and Zoning Commission. c. Planning and Zoning Commission Hearing and Recommendation. d. Town Council Public Hearing and Adoption. ,,-... TABLE 4-6 (Continued) LAND USE IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan ' IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Purpose To encourage voluntary compliance with established single-family residential Design Guidelines to encourage compatibility with the environmental surroundings. TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • I I Initiation Responsibility Town Council, Town Manager Resources Chamber of Commerce, Community Development Department staff Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-35 May 6,1993 r Action 6.0 Prepare Design Guidelines for Public Rights-of-Way and Public Area Development. a. Formulate draft guidelines. b. Recommendations to Planning and Zoning Commission. c. Planning and Zoning Commission Hearings and Recommendations. d. Town Council Public Hearing and Adoption. ~ TABLE 4-6 (Continued) LAND USE IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan ' IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Purpose To establish urban design guidelines (e.g., landscaping, street amenities, underground utility placement) to be utilized in planning for upgrading or constructing all public areas and rights-of-way. TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • ' I Initiation Responsibility Town Council, Town Engineer, Community Development Director, Land Owners. Resources Community Development Department staff, Engineering Department staff, Land Owners Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-36 May 6,1993 r ~- TABLE 4-6 (Continued) LAND USE IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan ' IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Action 7.0 Institute Buffering of New Development, Redevelopment or Land Use Intensification. 8.0 Require Development Impact Analysis (DIA) of all Larger Residential and Commercial Projects. Purpose To establish buffers (e.g. open space, landscaping, enhanced building setbacks, intervening land uses, etc.) as a means to transition between incompatible land uses. To determine the potential impacts on all of the existing Town services from any large project, and require mitigation as part of development approval a. Define DIA projects process. in revised Zoning Ordinance. b. Implement by Planning and Zoning Commission when triggers are met. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • • • • • • • • I 4-37 Initiation Responsibility Planning and Zoning Commission Required by Planning and Zoning Commission, Prepared by Private Property Owner and/or Developer Resources Community Development Department Staff; Community Development Department Staff; Private Property Owner/Developer funding May 6,1993 , Action 9.0 Initiate a working relationship with all surrounding communities. 10.0 Conduct final analysis for annexation of recommended properties. 11.0 Create and initiate an infill development program. 12.0 Create and initiate a neighborhood enhancement program. ~ TABLE 4-6 (Continued) LAND USE IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan ~ IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 To better address common • • • • concerns and look for mutual solutions. To assure the Town that • annexation is a positive action for the Town. To encourage infill of existing • • vacant lots. To assure the maintenance • • • • of high quality neighborhoods. ' I Initiation Responsibility Town Manager Town Manager, Land Owners Planning and Zoning Commission Planning and Zoning Commission Resources Chamber of Commerce, Community Development Department Staff Community Development Department Staff, Legal Counsel, Land Owners Community Development Department Staff Community Development Department Staff, the Master Developer, Volunteers Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-38 May 6,1993 r Action 13.0 Create an Area Specific Plan for the Saguaro Boulevard/Shea Boulevard area to the eastern boundary of Fountain Hills. 14.0 Initiate the design of Thematic Entry Monuments for Shea Boulevard. 15.0 Develop a Residential Density Transfer Program that targets specific areas for density transfer to occur. 16.0 Conduct a corridor study along the linear commercial zoning of Saguaro Boulevard. I"".. TABLE 4-6 (Continued) LAND USE IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan ' IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 To create a plan that • promotes economic development in this area. To mark the entry to • Fountain Hills and set forth a strong positive image. To transfer densities out of • Environmentally Sensitive Areas To identify policies and • • techniques that can enhance the area and transition it to a mixed use area. ' I Initiation Responsibility Planning and Zoning Commission, Land Owners Town Council, Town Manager, Land Owners Town Council, Planning and Zoning Commission Town Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, Land Owners Resources Chamber of Commerce, Community Development Department Staff, Consultants, Land Owners Chamber of Commerce, Engineering Department, Consultants, Land Owners Community Development Department Staff, Zoning Map Chamber of Commerce, Community Development Department Staff, Zoning Map, Land Owners Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 4-39 May 6,1993 5.0 CIRCULATION ELEMENT ( ( l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan May 6, 1993 ( 5.0 CIRCULATION ELEMENT The Circulation Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan provides a framework in developing a comprehensive transportation system which relates to the land use policies set forth in the General Plan. The Circulation Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan is presented in the following six sections: 5.1 Existing Conditions Overview 5.2 Problem Identification 5.3 Vision, Goals and Objectives 5.4 Planning Guidelines 5.5 Planning Recommendations 5.6 Implementation Program and Guidelines The Circulation Element has been prepared to provide balance and coordination between development and land use with future transportation demands. This element presents the existing transportation conditions and identifies a variety of issues and problems the-_ community should be directing efforts to resolve. An examination of future conditions relates the future development scenario to transportation system needs, and provides a problem-solving approach for dealing with those needs in a manner acceptable to the ( community and financially feasible. l 5.1 EXISTING CONDITIONS OVERVIEW The Existing Conditions Overview is presented in the following four sub-sections: A) Street System Inventory B) Traffic Volumes C) Alternative Modes D) Planned Improvements A) Street System Inventory The Town of Fountain Hills comprises 141 miles of paved roadways. The backbone of the roadway system in Fountain Hills is the arterial highways, providing regional access and major transportation links. State Route 87 and Shea Boulevard are classified as principal arterials. The minor arterials are Palisades Boulevard, Fountain Hills Boulevard and Saguaro Boulevard. The collector street system provides linkages between the arterial roadways and the residential and light commercial areas, providing a balance between vehicular mobility and access to abutting land parcels. The existing collector street system in Fountain Hills consists of over 30 streets with the following collectors providing significant linkages. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-1 May 6, 1993 Golden Eagle Boulevard ( Glenbrook Boulevard El Lago Boulevard ( l Saguaro Boulevard (South of Shea) • Kingstree Boulevard Indian Wells Drive • Panorama Drive El Pueblo Boulevard Grande Boulevard • Montezuma Boulevard Avenue of the Fountains Sierra Madre The remaining street system is made up of two-lane local roadways. Consistent with the intent of local roadways, they provide access to property and are not intended to provide mobility between various areas of the Town. Traffic signals currently exist at the Shea Boulevard/Fountain Hills Boulevard, Shea Boulevard/Saguaro Boulevard and Saguaro Boulevard/Palisades Boulevard intersections. B) Traffic Volumes The average daily traffic {ADT) data currently available is limited. Based on counts conducted by the Town of Fountain Hills in 1992, as illustrated in Figure 7, Fountain Hills Boulevard and Saguaro Boulevard provide mobility to significant volumes of traffic during an average day. Saguaro Boulevard carries 8,000 to 9,500 vehicles in the section between Palisades Boulevard and Shea Boulevard. Fountain Hills Boulevard carries approximately 7,000 vehicles in an average day. The third most heavily traveled roadway is Palisades Boulevard, carrying 6,000 vehicles per day in the segment between Fountain Hills Boulevard and Saguaro Boulevard. The majority of Shea Boulevard within the jurisdiction of Fountain Hills carries from 12,800 to 17,400 vehicles per day. (SR 87 is under ADOT jurisdiction, and hence, was not included in the traffic counts.) Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-2 May 6, 1993 ( ( "- ~ Town of FOUNTAIN HILLS GENERAL PLAN FOUNTAINHILLS,ARIZONA ..... ... ,o ~ -----·• ~- ~ , .. ----t-I ------------I f ---------I I --:---~·1 -.,. .. , ,·c,c " JI I • <h.,. • ,> ;~~~ ;;,·;~,"~, ' ••• ,,. ~ ~ "" ... ,. I .. •a);·~·' I ~ ~"·".:o:."-COUNTY ) -\,,, I f.-!,1;, I 'CO-.,: RICOPA ' --.,._ • • • ~~ ",-/;.-<••-.~... ; ~,,; -"=" MA I ._,_,,,•··•=•·Ji''».. ~;" I "" ••·c,, " --..-•--··~.< -• I """''. -~ "Ii .~•"" c; /. 's! '• -.,.. I ~ >~ ... ~(~-~ ..... ~ ~ -. , -" • -• • ""~ "'"'-. •? ,l.:Y$, ·f'°, -~· ,~~,,,__ .,~ ~ -. ._cc .. ,. • - -••• "" " ,l -r;. Y' • ', ••\ , -•n -. • •• .,.. . "'• ,-,-,. ~ •• ,..~ -. • --••• . "···-, .... , .. ,.-.. ~ ) ·::.: ... ~__,_,, '" ' ., -• -' ,--•• ..., .' . . " . . . 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I ··~ ~~ l, ... _ -. : ;.> '" -· LEGEND 1111111111111111111111n111111111 ···,;·•••;~••····•" .......... ,._.,,.,,.,· ·····••1:1■■ 0000 (0000) SIDEWALK LOCAL STREET PRINCIPAL COLLECTOR STREET ARTERIAL PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL VEHICLES PER DAY (1992 COUNT) VEHICLES PER DAY (1990 COUNT) EXISTING NORTH r-w 1 0 .25 .50 1.0 MILE I ; I . ~-•♦.:oo,o: : ------. : ••••• . : •• .. ~ ......... ~-~~/ ~ f:<:\ 1 -1 -: I ,, rsOiir' t ~ .. •i,;~ .. • ••••, "-~. : • I • ... ------~~;;.., ♦ 0 o •• • •' -.,, i ,.. ' -~ ·; V------r -"~-<v -w_ •• q;i1 l • I -,-,µ -... ·-...... /, .... ~~. I ~ •• v .._,___ 'Y . ,. ,~c;u,,,::,.___ : = , . • ..--• <'/ < I , " . / .. '• • "/ ~ i '-~, TRANSPORTATION/ TRAFFIC COUNTS /,,___________ I) I '),,(_. J(::;-".::;/ .. ____,._ --!,!.. 5.3 I .. ,,. ... i ----·· --.. -If} . V_%.h_VERNON SWABACK ASSOCIATES, P.C. ( C) Alternative Modes The existing systems for other modes of transportation within Fountain Hills include the following three networks: Public Transit Bicycle Pedestrian 1 . Public Transit Bus service to Fountain Hills is provided by the Phoenix Transit System under contract with the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA). Daily bus service consists of two inbound express runs (5:57 and 6:20 a.m.) in the morning peak hour and two outbound runs (4: 17 and 4:47 p.m. at Central and Van Buren) in the evening peak hour from downtown Phoenix to the northeast corner of Palisades Boulevard and La Montana Drive, via Saguaro Boulevard and Shea. Unless people can adjust their schedules, these times can be awkward for a normal 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. business day. No local transit service exists within the community. 2. Bicycle Designated formal bicycle facilities within the Town currently do not exist. Saguaro Boulevard, north of Shea, provides adequate width for bicycle riders in most areas, and riding of bicycles along the frontage road parallel to Saguaro Boulevard is allowed, but ( adequate signage and striping is missing. l The town is currently in the process of developing a formal bicycle plan based in part on the design features and recommendations of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Bicycle Plan. 3. Pedestrian Limited pedestrian facilities exist at this time. Sidewalks exist along slightly more than one block on the Avenue of the Fountains, just west of Saguaro Boulevard, and along the frontage of the MCO property along Palisades Boulevard and La Montana Drive. Limited sidewalk facilities exist along a few residential streets, as follows: Glenpoint Drive • Glendale Drive • Fayette Drive • Quail Ridge Drive Teal Drive Falcon Drive • Sierra Madre • Perimeter of Four Peaks School (Del Cambre, El Sobrante, and Calaveras Drive). Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-4 May 6, 1993 ( ( D) Planned Improvements The Town of Fountain Hills is currently in the process of developing a Streets Capital Improvements Plan. Although not yet finalized by location or prioritized, components include: Traffic Signals Reconstruction of Roadways Turn Lanes • Bicycle Lanes • Sidewalks Drainage Improvements The tentative plan proposes to construct approximately four million dollars worth of improvements, including engineering and administrative costs, over the next five years. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is currently improving the Beeline Highway (SR 87) which is outside the Town limits but is critical for regional access. These improvements will result i~ a slight relocation of the roadway. The signalized Shea-_ Boulevard/SR 87 intersection has been relocated to the east some 300 feet. This intersection will be improved by providing more traffic lanes and a new traffic signal. The City of Scottsdale will be widening Shea Boulevard west of the Town limits to a six lane facility consistent with the roadway further to the west. Maricopa County plans to widen and improve the shoulders for McDowell Mountain Road north of the Town limits to provide a 34-foot roadway by 1997. New developments which have been proposed for the Town will provide additional paved streets and pedestrian facilities as they occur. A proposal is being studied which would extend Palisades Boulevard from Mustang Drive to Shea Boulevard to provide a third major access point onto Shea Boulevard. 5.2 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Specific transportation issues expected to be of concern over the next twenty years were identified through a series of public meetings conducted during late 1991 and early 1992 as well as thorough research by the VSA planning team. These current and potential issues (not necessarily listed in priority order) include: • More east-west connections between Saguaro and Fountain Hills Boulevard. Access control for frontage roads along Saguaro Boulevard. • Safety and capacity improvements to SR 87 between Fountain Hills and Mesa. l • Ensuring adequate access control along Shea Boulevard and other arterial streets. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-5 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Developing policies for curb cuts and driveways that provide access to businesses from arterial and collector streets. Creating a bike route system serving schools and recreational facilities. Needs for improved regional transit service and park-&-ride facilities. Needs for local dial-a-ride or "jitney" service within the community. Arterial and collector street system continu ity. Completion of Palisades Boulevard. • Potential signalization of the Palisades/Fountain Hills Bou levard intersection. Traffic safety at the Shea/Palisades intersection. Aesthetic landscape treatments of arterial streets. Better special events planning to ensure adequate circulation and parking. Subdivision access and interconnections. The impact of limited access to new developments on fire service rates. • Sidewalk and street lighting needs. 5.3 VISION, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES The Vision Statement, Goals and Objectives developed for the circulation element of the Fountain Hills General Plan are presented in this section. Vision: Provide a safe, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing circulation network which considers all modes of vehicular and non-vehicular movement, and does so in an environmentally sensitive manner. GOAL 1.0 Create safe and efficient patterns of circulation. Objective 1 . 1 Objective 1.2 Objective 1.3 Objective 1.4 Objective 1.5 Objective 1.6 Provide criteria for the location of ingress and egress points, along Shea Boulevard. Develop policy for cu rb cuts for generalized land uses. Encourage secondary access to all new development areas for temporary and permanent emergency access as a minimum. Continue to develop plans for large event circulation. Examine safety of streets without street lighting and develop a policy for major streets. Assess accident potential and operationally deficient areas periodically to determine the need for traffic control measures. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-6 May 6, 1993 ( ( L Objective 1. 7 Develop a policy to address drainage crossings. Investigate the need tor proper flood control and drainage accommodations at drainageways and street crossings. GOAL 2.0 Provide aesthetically pleasing circulation systems. Objective 2.1 Objective 2.2 Objective 2.3 Objective 2.4 Develop a policy for roadway standards in hillside areas which may respond more to topographic considerations and result in less environmental disturbance. Develop roadway right-of-way (A.O.W) standards and landscape design standards which allow tor adequate landscaped areas, pedestrian/bicycle accommodation where desired, and provide for sate and efficient circulation. Utilize roadway widths which are consistent with the actual need, and avoid overly wide streets within residential areas. Encourage the design of off street parking areas with adequate landscape provisions. GOAL 3.0 Provide for and encourage use of non-vehicular modes of circulation. Objective 3.1 Objective 3.2 Objective 3.3 Objective 3.4 Objective 3.5 Objective 3.6 Ensure that new developments will consider the provisions for pedestrian or bike paths. Develop standards for bikeway systems along the roadway, oft the roads, or within drainageways, etc. Establish and encourage pedestrian/bikeways which lead to and from all school sites, activity centers, or recreational sites. Determine within each new development where sidewalks should occur and if not, how pedestrians are accommodated within the planned area. Develop design standards tor non-vehicular modes of circulation. Promote pedestrian linkages from residential parcels to schools, parks, Town Center, etc., to encourage convenient pedestrian movement. GOAL 4.0 Provide adequate provisions for regional public transportation. Objective 4.1 Develop and coordinate a usable and convenient plan tor bus stops and routes to and from major destinations. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-7 May 6, 1993 ( Objective 4.2 Objective 4.3 Maintain and provide park and ride locations within the Community for car pooling or bus service. Encourage provisions for a shaded and aesthetically pleasing bus stop for regional or local school bus users. Regional and local bus stops should be integrated into an overall pedestrian/bike system. As planned improvements are considered, the community must be significantly involved in the planning process. This will ensure that the implemented solutions maintain environmental quality and community character in a manner consistent with the goals and objectives defined herein. 5.4 PLANNING GUIDELINES The circulation planning guidelines of the Fountain Hills General Plan are presented in the following seven sub-sections: AJ Traffic Impacts of New Development BJ Street Design Guidelines CJ Driveways CJ Parking DJ Access Control EJ Traffic Signals ( FJ Functional Roadway Classification System l A) Traffic Impacts of New Development The Town of Fountain Hills should adopt a policy regarding the development of a Traffic Impact Analysis, sealed by an Arizona registered professional engineer specializing in traffic engineering, on all new development that the Town Engineer determines is necessary, as well as substantial reconstruction projects within the boundaries of the Town. This policy should address how costs of capital improvements identified in the analysis should be paid. The Traffic Impact Analysis should incorporate graphics illustrating the site development plan, physical roadway and driveway features and traffic volume data. The Analysis should also include, but not be limited to, a description and analysis and recommend- ations in regard to the following features as set forth by Town policy: • Physical Roadway Features • Traffic Characteristics Speed Characteristics Existing Traffic Controls • Traffic Generator Characteristics • Analysis of Impacts and Deficiencies • Identification of Mitigations • Proposed Mitigation Implementation Plan Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-8 May 6, 1993 ( ( l The Town of Fountain Hills should require the developer to implement the necessary approved mitigations at no expense to the Town, or by some other equitable proportioning of project costs, as approved by the Town. B) Street Design Guidelines The design of the physical features of collector and local streets should be based, in part, upon the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Recommended Practice entitled Recommended Guidelines for Subdivision Streets. It must be recognized that these standards have been developed for application on a national basis, and do not always take into consideration the special circumstances that may be encountered in a community such as Fountain Hills. Final approval of any deviations from the ITE guidelines will be made by the Town Council, based on the Town Engineer's recommendation. Specifics related to right-of-way width, roadway width, the use of curb, sight distances, maximum grade, and the use of sidewalks shall be dependent upon terrain and development density and, as directed by the Town Engineer, based on the traffic requirements of the roadway and nature of the area in which the roadway is located. -The various types of arterial, collector and local roadways are subject to variance at the - direction of Town staff in regard to the use of curbing, sidewalks and bicycle facilities. Specific design criteria include: • Street name signs shall be a component of all new street construction, indicating the correct name of each street at each junction with another public street. • The need for installation of pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian facilities will be determined in conjunction with surrounding land uses. • Street lighting may be required at major intersections for safety reasons. Beeline Highway and the section of Shea Boulevard southeast of Fountain Hills, are under the authority of the Arizona Department of Transportation, and a three-quarter mile section of Shea Boulevard, north of the Los Altos Hills area, is under the authority of Maricopa County. The Town should encourage the responsible agencies to respect the Town's desire for new road designs that make these routes safe and easily accessible roadways. C) Driveways The design features and locations of driveways to provide access to a property shall be in accordance with the ITE Recommended Practice entitled Guidelines for Driveway Location and Design, or as approved by the Town Council, based on Planning and Zoning Commission recommendations. Driveways shall be located so as not to inhibit the flow of traffic on the public streets and not present a safety hazard by location or operation. Minimizing the number of driveways along an arterial or collector roadway is desirable. The use of joint-access drives serving more than one property, as well as the Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-9 May 6, 1993 ( ( l interconnection of property access and parking areas is desirable, thus reducing the number of driveways with access to the roadways. D) Parking Enforcement of the Town of Fountain Hills policy for on-site parking requirements and standards is necessary to promote an equitable and adequate parking supply for new development. The design features and layout of parking facilities shall be in accordance with the ITE Recommended Practice entitled Guidelines for Parking Facility Location and Design, or as approved by the Town Council, based on Planning and Zoning Commission recommendations. E) Access Control The lack of access control along the arterial roadways increase the potential for accidents and reduce safety for the residents of Fountain Hills. Through the creation of an Access Control Plan, the Town will ensure the functional integrity of the arterial roadways and protect residents and business patrons from the high level of exposure to conflicts which result with frequent and uncontrolled driveways and curb cuts. Access control can be achieved through the use of medians located along the middle of- an arterial roadway. Median breaks should be located a minimum of one-eighth mile (660 - feet) from the nearest intersection where topography will allow intersections. The desirable median break spacing should be one-quarter mile (1,320 feet) wherever possible, but may be reduced to the minimum distance as local conditions require. Median breaks at the intersections with collector streets, local streets, or major driveways should be limited to a maximum of five per mile with access allowed based on traffic flow efficiency and safety. Direct access to private parcels of land should be controlled utilizing right-in/right-out only access points when they do not align with established median break points. Frontage roads can be another effective form of access control, especially in residential areas. F) Traffic Signals The need for new traffic signals in Fountain Hills must be carefully evaluated ber.ause unnecessary traffic signals significantly increase delays, increase accidents and add to driver frustration. Any location which exhibits an undesirable level of service or safety problems resulting from a high frequency of accidents (more than five per year) should be reviewed to determine if any of the warrants for signalization as set forth in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) are met. The meeting of a signal warrant should then be considered to determine if a traffic signal should be installed. The following issues should be reviewed as a part of the consideration for signalization: Meet MUTCD warrants Spacing of adjacent signals Cost/benefit Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-10 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Legal liability Maintenance costs Traffic signal spacing should be a minimum of one-quarter mile in order to achieve coordinated traffic progression, and the interconnection of traffic signals will allow coordinated operation of the signal timing, resulting in the coordinated flow of traffic from one signal to the next. G) Functional Classification System The implementation of any of the policies or recommended projects or studies presented in this Circulation Element to the Fountain Hills General Plan must be consistent with the hierarchy of streets, as defined by the functional classification system. The functional classification system describes the service performed, typical trip lengths, access spacing and continuity of the Fountain Hills roadway system. For circulation planning as well as definition of specific design criteria, roadways are most effectively classified by function. Roadways have two basic functions: Mobility, and • Access to adjacent land uses From a design standpoint, these two functions have proven incompatible. For land access, low speeds are desirable, usually accompanied by inconsistent flows. For mobility, higher speeds and uniform flows are desirable. Principal arterial roadways are designed and constructed to satisfy the public demand for high mobility. Rapid travel between points in a safe and uniform manner is the primary objective of these roadways. Access to land uses should be tightly controlled, and limited only to approved intersections in order to preserve the higher speeds and volume characteristics of the facility. Extremely dangerous conditions would result if low speed, land access traffic were permitted on these roads. At the opposite end of the circulation spectrum, local roadways are developed with the primary objective to provide convenient access to adjacent land uses. Between these two extremes lie the majority of all roadway mileage. This group of roadways is the most difficult to categorize because the roads must provide both mobility and access. Roadway functional classification establishes the type of circulation service that is provided. Directly related to the type of transportation service provided is the degree of access control. Increasing control of access allows traffic to travel in a uniform manner, allowing design speeds to increase. Table 5-1, Roadway Functional Classification System, illustrates the relationship between the various roadway categories, primary function and desired degree of access control. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-11 May 6, 1993 ( ( l TABLE 5-1 ROADWAY FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM Roadway Category Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Roadways Hillside Private Right-of-Way 110'-130' 80'-110' 50'-66' 40'-50' 20'-40' 20'-40' Source: VSA Planning Team, June 1992. Degree of Primary Function Mobility Mobility Mobility/Access Access Access Restricted Access Access Control Very High High Moderate Low High Very High In the Town of Fountain Hills, the six functional classifications of roadways are directly related to the types and lengths of the generated trips, and are illustrated in Figure 8, Proposed Roadway Functional Classification System. Each functional roadway class is discussed below, relative to the distinguishing features of each category of travel ... continuity, and desired access control. 1. Principal Arterial Roadways Principal arterials are high traffic volume circulation facilities that carry a high proportion of the total urban traffic on a minimum of mileage. Ideally, principal arterials are fully controlled access facilities with intersection spacing dictated by either designated major highways or key access points located on other inter-regional facilities. 2. Minor Arterial Roadways Minor arterial roadways provide functional service to retail, commercial and industrial land uses. Minor arterial roadways are moderate traffic volume circulation facilities that carry a medium proportion of the total urban traffic on a moderate amount of mileage. Minor arterial roadways are ideally fully or partially controlled access facilities spaced at approximately one mile intervals. Minor arterials, over time, may develop into principal arterials as development occurs. In the Town of Fountain Hills, the existing street system layout does not lend itself to identification of minor arterials by the normal spacing characteristics of a minor arterial roadway. 3. Collector Roadways Collector roadways carry a relatively high volume of traffic within larger neighborhoods and can accommodate minor retail and other commercial establishments abutting their alignments. Collector roadways are generally located at approximately mid, or quarter- section lines (in a grid system) and are intended to provide convenient traffic movement within residential, commercial and industrial areas, and access to the arterial roadways. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-12 May 6, 1993 ( ( C Town of FOUNTAIN HILLS GENERAL PLAN FOUNTAINHILLS,ARIZONA ., -~ 1' I--------. -, -------I ' ----J ---------I I --"" I I " • r,• • -,,,s_. sso-· " I , ::: SY> .• : iiili · , .,,,~,, • (,,,/ ••• '.\ !"':;~. 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' ~~ •• • I '"-; •••• . ...... .., \ I ··, ' >, • z· ,: ............. ,, '<__ ' -~.. ., -, I I ' .,.. •• ._ I' _, ... ~ ' , __ . .,....,..._ ·._. ,,., ------.; ·,."" ., • '., . ·•----.. ,_ .... .. . ., • • • • • • • . . ' . . " t-• \ v .--s_;, ·• -. ___ --, .~ _.,_,_ : MARICOPA r 'f , \...:;?-'.;-~-. __ __:::-.. ,,::-.-',;,,'./':~~ I COUNTY I :,,. l-~z.:----<·;< ___ ·:.· .. /.. ' '\i . :/:, _I•· , I I ' ----• •-.... . ' '• ., ., •·--' ' I .. L •• -• 1J!. •·--•, I .. '-'"• "-. I -· --••-••-.•• • -.. •• • '-' .. ;' ,r ·,; • i ••• ♦ --···♦ ... ·~· .,. : .,,,, ,---~-••• ". .... I I .. I : ;-. •·-I • •• ' • -,' • •• •' ' . .. ; ' ·-..... !I. ••••• : '\. ~ ---.,_ . ~;_-,.~. -~~~,. •••• . ' . . . . ,,. . : ,I ~... I • ·''.!. ,~. • • ' .. , ',.-. ,) ,,. • -'.!' I • -..,,_ •• ,. • '-. • . '·\ I ,,,, 1/ ... ~. • 1'·' --•-;-r7:":--~~ .......... .,,..., __ , . ·-•• ~ , • • • • '"F"·• • ----• ......... . · ... ".,.,,.. . . . ·' ~ / ' ,. -- / I •., _/, ., -----~-' ·' : ....... '• :.;, • •1,t. ~ •. • :~··· ~\ •~.-_; o1:_, :)L •.>:,), ,., Cl•' ,~ -------·--- - - / ';;;.-.. ; ' ' -•"· --'!;3/ . 6S; V%_hVERNON SWABACK ASSOCIATES, P.C. PROPOSED ROADWAY FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM 5-13 ( ( L 4. Local Roadways Local roadways are generally utilized in residential areas where frequent access points cause and require a reduction in vehicle speed. Local roadways serve abutting land uses and also provide access to higher level roadways. Local roadways are designed where slow speeds and discontinuous travel are needed and should consist of one or more of the following types: Local roadways with on-street parking • Reduced-width residential roadways • Cul-de-sacs Most of the Fountain Hills roadway system consists of local roadways with non- commercial abutting land uses or open space as an adjacent land use. 5. 6. Hillside Further development to the western portions of Fountain Hills will result in hillside development. In an effort to minimize scaring and to allow development closer to-_ the pavement, measures to reduce right-of-way and pavement widths in hillside areas need to be explored. Such roadways are areas that will not allow on-street parking, wide lot frontages, and low traffic volumes. Hillside roadway development should never compromise the safety design aspects of roadway design principles. Private Private streets allows for access control by private developers or individuals. Some communities have allowed private streets to be of lower standards in terms of construction and design. When such compromises are permitted and subsequent requests are made for public maintenance, the local government either has to acquire the needed right-of-way (if additional land is available) and reconstruct substandard streets; accept the streets as-is; or require such streets to be brought up to at least minimum municipal standards before acceptance. Private streets in Fountain Hills may be permitted, but must be constructed to at least minimum Town design and construction standards, and must be at such a level prior to any acceptance of such streets by the Town. 5.5 PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS The intent of the Circulation Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan is to provide a long-range plan for development of the community's transportation system in a manner compatible with planned land uses and expected community growth. Selection of specific circulation improvement projects beyond those already funded for construction will be based on the availability of funds, benefit to the public, and level of community support. In some cases (e.g., public transit), further studies must be conducted to evaluate the need, feasibility, and implementation methodologies appropriate to the specific project. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-14 May 6, 1993 ( ( l As the Town pursues the areas of improvement described below, ongoing development may cause shifts in priorities for specific projects to better serve the community in response to land use changes. These changes are expected in a dynamic community and will require the Town to reevaluate annual transportation needs when funding commitments are made. Because of these uncertainties, the recommendations in this section emphasize planning tools and policies that will help the community to meet the demand generated by future growth and development. A) Adopt a Traffic Impact Analysis requirement. Traffic Impact Analyses (TIA) should be required of subdivision and commercial developers when deemed necessary by the Town Community Development Director, who would determine such a need when conducting the concept review of a proposed development plan. A TIA is a detailed study of the potential impacts that a development will have on operations of adjacent arterial and collector streets. The evaluation will reveal any potential problems which should be addressed in the design of access points. Methods to mitigate potential traffic impacts would also be proposed and reviewed. The preparation of a TIA should be initiated by the Town as soon as the developer submits its preliminary development plan for review. - The services of a professional traffic engineering firm (hereinafter called "the Engineer") should be retained to conduct the analyses and to prepare an unbiased assessment of the impacts of a proposed development. Developers would be assessed a fee for this analysis. Depending on the scale of the project and judgment of the Engineer, Traffic Impact Analyses could require different levels of evaluation. These different levels are: Access Analysis -to review curb-cut requests and assist with site plan approval. Traffic Impact Study -to analyze impacts to adjacent streets as a result of major projects or rezoning requests; and • Transportation Plan -major projects such as Planned Area Developments which require special analysis and design related to the roadway network traffic flow and mitigation of impacts. B) Establish Access Control Guidelines for Arterial Streets One of the most effective methods of maintaining the functional integrity and safety of the arterial system is to manage the access needs of existing land uses. Access control is especially crucial for principal arterials such as Shea Boulevard that serve regional high- speed traffic. It is also desirable, however, for minor arterials such as Fountain Hills and Saguaro Boulevards that serve the bulk of traffic across the community. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-15 May 6, 1993 ( Access control guidelines should be a flexible tool allowing local government and developers to work together, unifying access patterns along an arterial fronted by several different land owners and uses. The guidelines should include Traffic Impact Analysis requirements for arterial access from proposed developments; intersection traffic control criteria; and guidelines for design and location of access driveways. C) Develop An Ongoing Transportation System Management (TSM) Short-Range Improvement Program Many circulation improvements can be carried out fairly inexpensively to enhance safety and traffic operations, without major capital investment or roadway construction. These cost-effective projects should not be neglected when developing and updating the five- year capital improvement program. TSM approaches include: Speed Limit evaluations/reductions Upgrading of signing • Installation of left turn arrows • Installation of turn restrictions Upgrading of pavement markings Installation of raised pavement markers • Spot geometric improvements to eliminate hazardous conditions • Installation of safety lighting at major intersections • Closing of selected curb cuts ( Maintaining intersection sight triangles l Installation of raised medians D) Develop a Communitywide Bicycle Plan An issue raised during the development of the General Plan was the need for a coordinated plan to promote bicycle usage and design safe bicycle facilities throughout the community. The plan should include provisions for integrating local bike routes into the MAG regional bikeway system, and publication of a bicycle route map. Design features for bicycle facilities should conform to standards set forth by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). Such standards have been established for the following facility types: Class I -Exclusive Bike Path or Trail. An exclusive path offers the highest degree of safety but is relatively expensive to implement and maintain. Class II -Delineated Bike Path. This configuration is common to most collector and arterial streets designated as bike routes. Installation involves providing the lateral clearance necessary for safe bicycle operations by the installation of a paint stripe and supplemental signs and markings. Class Ill -Shared Roadway Bike Path. This configuration is appropriate on lightly traveled collector and local streets. This class of facility is the least costly to implement and maintain. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-16 May 6, 1993 E) Develop a Communitywide Pedestrian Circulation Plan with Facility Guidelines for Subdivisions ( The two principal types of pedestrian facilities are sidewalks and trails. Sidewalks are an important circulation and safety feature along high volume roadways and near local activity centers. Trails are oriented toward recreational use and are often located away from major roadway corridors. ( l The pedestrian circulation plan should include sidewalk warrants, sidewalk design elements, and requirements for new subdivisions. It should also include a recommended trail system: in some cases, pedestrians and cyclists can share off-road trails. F) Implement Bicycle Route and Trail System in Phases Implementation of bicycle routes and pedestrian trails needs to be phased in accordance with available funding and community needs. The plan should be prioritized to serve the following facilities: Schools Libraries Parks Government centers - Commercial and employment areas Transit facilities • Popular scenic/recreational sites Youth centers Arts and cultural facilities Where appropriate and affordable, bicycle parking should also be provided at these facilities. G) Conduct a Community Transit Needs/Feasibility Study Transit needs was another issue raised repeatedly during public discussions of the General Plan. Clearly, there is substantial public interest in improved transit, but also real questions whether sufficient demand exists to support additional services. A community transit needs/feasibility study would shed light on these issues. The study should consider both the need for improved regional connections to Phoenix, Scottsdale and the East Valley; and the need for intra-community service, possibly in the form of a jitney or dial-a-ride operation. It should also evaluate future park-and-ride facility needs. The existing RPTA regional transit plan, which encompasses all of Maricopa County, could be used as a foundation and resource document for the study. H) Improve Collector Streets as Volumes Warrant The Town of Fountain Hills should continue to improve collector streets as requ ired by increasing traffic volumes within the community. The Town should look at all available public and private funding sources to finance these improvements. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-17 May 6, 1993 ( ( I) Adopt and Implement Special Event Parking and Traffic Management Plans Special Event parking and traffic management plans are issues that need to be addressed to facilitate special events which take place in the Town. While the Town has sufficient roadway and parking capacity to accommodate typical existing traffic volumes, localized traffic congestion and parking problems tend to develop during the most popular events. J) Formally Adopt the Roadway Functional Classification Plan The Town Manager should request the Town Council to formally adopt the functional classifications shown in Figure 8, for use as a planning and development tool. K) Conduct Periodic Communitywide Traffic Volume Counts as a Basis for Future Planning The Town should arrange for periodic traffic counts on all arterial and collector streets under its jurisdiction. If new roadways are constructed in the future, additional count locations will be needed. Average daily traffic can be obtained through automatic tube counts: it is recommended that this information be updated every two years at each count location. In addition, manual turning movement counts should be conducted periodically at key intersections, particularly at those with high accident rates or rapidly- increasing traffic volumes. - L) Adopt Roadway Design Standards by Functional Classification For each of the four major functional classifications (principal arterial, minor arterial, collector and local street), the Town should adopt one or more typical cross-sections as guides for future roadway development and street reconstruction projects. The approved cross-sections should provide for safe movement of all roadway users: motor vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. The cross-sections should be adopted in conjunction with written standards governing traffic separation, curbing and arterial access control. M) Develop Appropriate Street Landscape Design Standards As public comment has made clear, aesthetics are another important element of roadway design, especially in a community such as Fountain Hills that emphasizes attractive desert landscaping, accentuation of scenic terrain features, and tourism. In developing landscape design standards, the Community Development Director and Town Engineer can obtain valuable input from other desert communities that have placed a high priority on aesthetic roadway treatments. In addition, the Town should consider adopting landscaping requirements for all new off-street parking lots, whether publicly or privately developed. N) Assess the Adequacy of Existing Roadway Illumination and Guide Signage To maximize roadway safety under nighttime conditions, and to ensure that visitors can reach points of interest in an expeditious and safe manner, the Town should evaluate the adequacy of existing roadway illumination and determine whether guide signage is clear, l legible and properly located. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-18 May 6, 1993 ( ( l 0) Coordinate Street Improvements with Drainage and Flood Control Needs One advantage with the Town administering its own flood control regulations is that it can properly coordinate street improvement projects with drainage and flood control needs. All areas should be accessible when there is a 100 year flood occurrence. P) Implement an Identification and Mitigation Program for High Accident Locations The Town Engineer should regularly review police data on traffic accidents, flag high accident locations, and implement appropriate mitigations where techn ically and financially feasible. Many high accident locations can be mitigated using one or more of the TSM measures enumerated in Section 5.5.C. Q) Develop Neighborhood Traffic Control Plans As visitor-generated traffic continues to grow, more aggressive measures may be required to deter through traffic from using local streets as "short cuts" through residential neighborhoods. Undesirable "spillover" traffic into neighborhoods is a particular problem in communities that lack a rectilinear street system with arterials and collectors spaced at fixed intervals. Appropriate steps will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, but may include improved guide signage, turn regulations, "speed bumps"; and, in extreme cases, physically closing off streets or creating cul-de-sacs. It is important that such measures preserve adequate access for legitimate local traffic, especially emergency vehicles. R) Explore Mitigating Alternatives to Frontage Roads Entrances to Arterial Streets Along portions of the arterial streets are frontage roads to facility the various land uses bordering along these streets. Although these frontage roads allow for traffic to enter and exit the houses and businesses safer, the accessing of the arterial streets has become hazardous because the frontage road only has 1 O to 20 feet parallel separation from the arterial streets. The narrow separation causes traffic confusion and hazards with vehicles exiting the arterial street at the same cross street that a vehicle is exiting the frontage road and attempting to enter the arterial street. Also traffic exiting the arterial street and attempting to enter the frontage road is obstructed by traffic queuing at the stop sign of the cross streets. Traffic engineering analyses need to be performed to identify the mitigating alternatives to entering/exiting the frontage roads. 5.6 IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM AND GUIDELINES The Planning and Zoning Comm ission should review and revise the following Implementation Action Program on an annual basis in order to continue to pursue implementation of the Fountain Hills General Plan in an expeditious manner. The Community Development Director and Town Engineer should monitor the status of each implementation action throughout the year and provide a general recommended framework to the Planning and Zoning Commission for annually updating the General Plan's Circulation Implementation Guide. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-19 May 6, 1993 ( ( l The Implementation Action Program for the Circulation Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan is presented in Table 5-2, Circulation Implementation Action Program. The table is presented under the following five headings: Action Purpose Timeframe Initiation Responsibility Resources Lists the action necessary to carry out the General Plan. Identifies the intent of accomplishing that particular action. Establishes the target 5-year priority within the 20-year planning horizon for implementation of the action. Designates the individuals principally responsible for initiating the implementation action. Lists the potential funding, Town staff, volunteer or other community resources necessary to achieve the implementation action. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-20 May 6, 1993 ' Action 1.0 Adopt a Traffic Impact Analysis requirement. 2.0 Establish Access Control Guidelines for Arterial Streets. 3.0 Develop on-going Transportation System Management (TSM) Short-Range Improvement Program. 4.0 Develop a Town wide Bicycle Plan. 5.0 Prepare a T ownwide Pedestrian Circulation Plan with Facility Guidelines for Subdivisions. I""'. TABLE 5-2 CIRCULATION IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Initiation Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 Responsibility To ensure adequate • Town Manager, Town transportation facilities for all Engineer (requires new developments/ Council Ordinance) subdivisions. To maintain safe and efficient Community movement of through traffic. Development Director, Town Engineer To use available street funding • • • • Town Manager, in an economical and cost-Town Engineer effective manner. To provide adequate mobility • Community and safety for cyclists. Development Director To ensure safe circulation and • Community access for pedestrians. Development Director, Town Engineer Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-21 ) Resources Town Staff, Consultants, Developers, Other Cities Town Staff, Consultants Street Superintendent, HURF, LTAF, Federal Highway Funds Parks and Recreation Commission, Town Staff, Consultants, MAG and ADOT Bicycle Planners Park and Recreation Commission, Town Staff, Consultants, Other Cities. May 6, 1993 r ~ ' TABLE 5-2 (continued) CIRCULATION IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Initiation Action Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 Responsibility Resources 6.0 Implement Bicycle Route To provide a continuous • • • • Community L TAF, General and Trail System in network of bicycle and Development Fund, Developer Phases. pedestrian facilities. Director, Town Dedications/ Engineer, Parks Contributions, Director ISTEA Funds 7.0 Conduct a Community To provide ahernative • Town Manager, LTAF, Federal Transit Needs/Feasibility transportation and meet Community Transit Study. regional air quality goals. Development Director Administration, RPTA Staff, Consultants 8.0 Improve Collector Streets To ensure effective linkages • • • Town Manager, Town HURF, LTAF, as Volumes Warrant. between arterials and local Engineer Developer streets. Dedications/ Contributions 9.0 Adopt and Implement To provide safe circulation with • Town Manager, Town Chamber of Special Event Parking minimal disruption to residents. Engineer, Marshal, Commerce, Town and Traffic Management Parks and Recreation Staff, Consultants, Plans. Director Event Promoter Fees to Fund Enforcement 10.0 Formally Adopt the To provide a basis for long-• Town Manager Town Staff, Roadway Functional range community and regional (requires Council Consultants, Classification Plan. systemwide planning. Resolution) MAGTPO ' Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-22 May 6, 1993 r-~. 1 TABLE 5-2 (continued) CIRCULATION IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Initiation Action Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 Responsibility Resources 11.0 Conduct Periodic To better anticipate roadway • • • • Town Engineer Traffic Data Townwide Traffic Volume system improvement and Collection Firms Counts as a basis for expansion needs. Future Planning. 12.0 Adopt Roadway Design To establish uniform cross-• Town Manager, Town Staff, Standards by Functional sections that are safe and Community Consultants, Classification. familiar to motorists. Development MAGTPO Director, Town Engineer 13.0 Develop Appropriate To improve the aesthetic • • Community Town Staff, Street Landscape Design environment for residents and Development Director Consultants, Standards. visitors. Developers 14.0 Assess Adequacy of To promote safe roadway • Town Engineer Town Staff, Existing Roadway usage at night and by visitors. Consultants, HURF Illumination and Guide and LT AF Funds Signage. 15.0 Coordinate Street To provide safe all-weather • • • • Town Engineer Consultants, Improvements with roads and maximize utility of County Flood Drainage and Flood road projects. Control District, Control needs. Arizona Dept. of Water Resources 16.0 Implement an To facilitate timely and cost-• • • • Town Engineer, Town HURF, LTAF, Identification and effective traffic safety Marshal Federal Highway Mitigation Program for measures. Funds High Accident Locations. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 5-23 May 6, 1993 ,- Action 17.0 Develop Neighborhood Traffic Control Plans. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan ~ TABLE 5-2 (continued) CIRCULATION IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Purpose To prevent through traffic spillover onto local streets. TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • • • • ' 5-24 Initiation Responsibility Town Engineer, Community Development Director ' Resources Town Staff, Developers, Neighborhood Associations, Community Groups May 6, 1993 6.0 PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE ( ( l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan May 6, 1993 ( ( 6.0 PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Element of the Town of Fountain Hills General Plan is presented in the following five sections. 6.1 Existing Conditions Overview 6.2 Problem Identification 6.3 Vision, Goals and Objectives 6.4 Planning Recommendations 6.5 Implementation Program 6.1 EXISTING CONDITIONS OVERVIEW The existing park and open space system within the Town of Fountain Hills consists of_ several components including;· developed parks that are privately owned, school- campuses, a privately owned golf course, a community center, and areas of undeveloped natural open space. The 21,099 acre McDowell Mountain Regional Park lies immediately north of the Town. There are no developed municipal parks or Town owned tracts of preserved natural open space at this time, however, the Town does own a tract of land that will be developed into a park beginning in 1993. A Parks and Recreation Department was established in 1991. The Department currently coordinates a variety of recreational programs and community events. Due to the lack of municipal facilities, these programs and events are being conducted at school sites and other facilities within the community. The programs and events that have been sponsored by the Town have been very popular. Their popularity has served to make residents aware of the current deficiencies in the parks and open space system. As a result, the development of a multi-faceted municipal park and open space system has been the topic of discussion at several recent community forums and meetings. There is widespread community support for the incremental development of such a system. A) Developed Park Sites/ Privately Owned Fountain Park, with its lake and world renowned fountain, is an important landmark within the community. The lake itself is not currently used for recreational purposes, but the park that surrounds it is widely used by community residents and visitors for both active and passive recreational pursuits. Existing improvements include; limited picnic facilities, an exercise course, a playground, restroom facility, and large open play areas. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-1 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Fountain Park is currently owned and maintained by the MCO Properties. There is currently no legal requirement that mandates Fountain Park remain a park site in perpetuity, and in fact, the park is zoned for commercial and residential uses. A second privately owned park is the North Heights Recreation area. This neighborhood park was developed and is maintained as an amenity for the surrounding North Heights subdivision by the North Heights Homeowners Association. B) Developed Elementary School Sites Two schools, Four Peaks Elementary and McDowell Mountain Elementary, have been constructed within the Town and each has a campus that includes facilities for active recreation. Existing facilities at these two sites include; (1) softball / baseball fields, (1) youth baseball field, (1) multi-purpose field, (4) half basketball courts, (2) tennis courts, (1) sand volleyball court, and miscellaneous play equipment. Public use of these facilities is limited. C) High School Site The Fountain Hills Junior/Senior High School was completed in August 1992, and- opened in September 1992. • A gymnasium with basketball and volleyball courts, and- an interscholastic football/soccer field, with a running track, are part of the Junior/Senior High School campus. Discussions between the Town and the School District have been conducted relating to the potential for joint use of these facilities. D) Proposed Municipal Parks Golden Eagle Park will be the Town's first developed park facility. At the present time the site is undeveloped. Funding for the initial development of the park has been secured. Preliminary concept plans for Golden Eagle Park suggest a variety of facilities including; baseball/softball fields, soccer/multi-purpose fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts and playgrounds. E) Golf Course The 18 hole Fountain Hills Golf Course is a privately owned facility that is open to the public for play. In addition to being a recreation resource for golfers, its location within a residential neighborhood and adjacent to Saguaro Boulevard makes it a visua l amenity for the general public. F) Undeveloped Wash Corridors As a result of the Town's location within the foothills of the McDowell Mountains there is a network of natural drainage channels or washes extending through the community. These washes are typically undeveloped although some do contain utilities and utility easements. These drainage corridors are currently owned by MCO Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-2 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Properties. There is currently no legal requirement that mandates these washes remain as open space in perpetuity. This network of undeveloped washes provides the community with significant natural open space. It also provides an opportunity for the development of trails and walkways that are not adjacent to the Town's system of streets and roads. The washes provide opportunities for the community to enjoy the natural plants and wildlife of the Sonoran Desert. G) Designated Bike Lanes Within the Town there are several streets with sufficient width and capacity to include designated bicycle lanes. At the present time these streets are not striped and marked as required for official bicycle route designation. The Parks and Recreation Department and the Planning and Zoning Commission are currently investigating the potential for the development of a more comprehensive bicycle lane system. H) Other Facilities The development of several other facilities has been initiated by citizens residing within the community. The most significant of these is a small desert botanical garden. This garden is located on a parcel of land that is owned by MCO Properties.- but developed by the Fountain Hill Women's Club. - In summary the Town of Fountain Hills, with its magnificent natural setting and spirited citizens, has a wealth of resources to draw on in the development of a comprehensive park, recreation, and open space system. This system, like the Town as a whole, is currently in its infancy. It must grow and mature if it is to achieve its full potential. 6.2 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION There are several problems currently associated with the Town's park, recreation and open space system. These include: A) A Lack of Developed Municipal Facilities B) Fountain Park's Longevity C) The absence of a Comprehensive, Long Range Park, Recreational Facility, and Open Space Plan D) The Absence of Established Funding Mechanisms E) Municipal Control Over Drainage Corridors F) Long-Term Treated Effluent (Reclaimed) Water Use Plan G) A Lack of Indoor Recreational Facilities These problems are not insurmountable. Indeed the adoption of this General Plan represents an important first step towards their resolution. Each of these problems is discussed below. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-3 May 6, 1993 ( ( l A) A Lack of Developed Municipal Facilities The Town of Fountain Hills currently owns one park site located along Golden Eagle Boulevard north west of the Fountain Hills High School. This park is the first and only publicly owned park and is expected to be started in 1993. The Town does not manage or control any areas of preserved natural open space. While the Town can, and does, utilize private facilities and developed school sites for some of its programs, the absence of municipal facilities places a severe limitation on the scope and number of programs, activities, and recreational opportunities it can offer to its citizens. Clearly, the ultimate park and open space system should not consist exclusively of facilities that are owned and operated by the Town. Private facilities, school campuses, and homeowner association managed recreation sites should also be components of the system. The Town should take the lead, however, and design and construct those improvements that are most appropriately developed and managed as municipal facilities. B) Fountain Park's Longevity Fountain Park is an important landmark and a focal point and attraction of the- community. The park is privately owned and maintained by MCO Properties. There - is low density residential zoning which will permit about 14 single-family lots to be built. There is also commercial zoning in the southwest corner of park area and on the levee in the southeastern portion of the park. Longevity of the park is dependent upon the present or future owner of the park being willing to maintain the park. C) The absence of a Comprehensive, Long Range Park, Recreational Facility, and Open Space Plan The adoption of this General Plan is important in that it articulates specific goals and objectives related to parks, recreation and open space. It also identifies a land use pattern that includes park and open space sites. As important as this General Plan is, its purpose is not to be a long term, detailed plan for the development of parks, recreational facilities, and open spaces. To accomplish the required development, a plan is needed. The plan should identify specific real property and facility needs, identify the most appropriate location for required facilities, and prioritize these needs so that they can be incorporated into the Town's overall capital improvement program. The plan should address not only those facilities and improvements to be constructed by the Town but should also give consideration to facilities that can and should be developed and operated by the private sector. An additional golf course is an example of such a facility. D) The Absence of Established Funding Mechanisms In its brief history, the Town of Fountain Hills has had limited opportunity or need to address the issue of funding for park development and open space preservation. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-4 May 6, 1993 ( ( l However, this issue has come to the forefront and in the future will need to be addressed. Within the context of competing community priorities, a strategy that includes several funding mechanisms for park development and open space preservation will be necessary. E) Municipal Control Over Drainage Corridors The real estate associated with the network of drainage corridors and washes that cross the Town are currently under the ownership and control of a private entity, MCO Properties. While MCO has exercised stewardship over these natural areas, tit le to the subject properties could be transferred to other parties. Developed with pathways or left in a natural state, these drainage corridors represent valuable open space and are an important amenity for the community. Appropriate actions should be taken to enable the Town to provide for the long term protection of these drainage corridors. F) Long-Term Treated Effluent (Reclaimed) Water Use Plan Waste water collection, treatment, and disposal service are provided by the Fountain Hills Sanitary District. The Sanitary District has contracted with MCO Properties to take the treated effluent. MCO Properties uses the treated effluent to supply the lake in Fountain Park and to irrigate Fountain Park. The amount of effluent exceeds the capacity of Fountain Park. As the community grows, the volume of effluent will increase. At the present time, excess reclaimed water is being disposed of within the Town in a manner that does not result in benefits to either the public or private sector. This practice represents a gross utilization of reclaimed water. A long-term plan for disposal of effluent was prepared for the Sanitary District in September of 1991. This plan discusses numerous beneficial uses for the effluent. However, more effluent will be produced than can be beneficially reused. Consequently, ground water recharge and/or discharge must be considered as options to dispose of excess effluent. The concept of utilizing reclaimed water for the irrigation of parks, golf course, medians, and other landscaped areas is widely practiced in Arizona. The Town needs to work closely with the Sanitary District and MCO Properties to ensure the implementation of plans that identify the highest and best uses for the available reclaimed water. G) A Lack of Indoor Recreational Facilities Fountain Hills is experiencing a significant growth in its adolescent population. The geographic location of the Town causes a distance barrier to activities and recreational facilities. Facilities that provide activities and recreation for teenagers do not exist in Town. Fountain Hills has a bowling alley, but lacks a movie theater, a hobby shop, Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-5 May 6, 1993 ( ( l or other facility that is of interest to teenagers. A Recreation Center that will provide activities and entertainment is desired in Fountain Hills. In summary, the current problems associated with parks, recreation and open space, as identified above, are solvable. Specific recommendations that will begin the process of solving these problems are presented in section 6.4 -Planning Recommendations. 6.3 VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The Vision Statement, Goals and Objectives developed for the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan are presented in this section. Vision: To enhance the quality of life by providing and maintaining safe, available and accessible parks and recreation services that will meet the intellectual, cultural, fitness and leisure needs of residents, and by maintaining a system of natural open space that supports the biological diversity and enhances the visual character of the community. Goal 1.0 Provide and maintain an open space network throughout the community. Objective 1.1 Objective 1.2 Objective 1.3 Objective 1 .4 Objective 1.5 Objective 1.6 Acquire or otherwise protect the existing arroyo areas within the- platted portfons of the community as permanent open space. - Evaluate all arroyos in unplatted areas and develop policies for encouraging those areas to be rezoned to the Open Space (OS) Zoning District, in cooperation with the land owners. Develop criteria to establish an open space inventory. Encourage the connection of major open space with pathways, in the design of public and private developments. Develop community support for an open space acquisition and management program. Establish procedures for assessment of recreational/open space needs and impacts as part of reviewing new planning submittals. Goal 2.0 Encourage design of recreational facilities or provisions which maximize their potential multi-use benefits to the community. Objective 2.1 Objective 2.2 Evaluate all arroyo areas which provide for drainage and sewer easements, and determine the benefits of pathways that provide sewer maintenance access, in addition to greater bicycle and pedestrian access throughout the community. Identify the location of all existing and potential park sites which have the potential of being developed as Town/School District joint use facilities. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-6 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Objective 2.3 Objective 2.4 Consider in all recreational facility planning the potential multi-use of the improvements themselves, including multi-use playing fields or multi-use deck surfaces. Encourage the establishment of new partnerships between the Town, the School District, and other public or private entity. Goal 3.0 Provide regional continuity with our parks and open space network. Objective 3. 1 Objective 3.2 Encourage trail systems which link Fountain Hills with McDowell Mountain Park, potential trail systems on both Indian Communities, and connection to the McDowell Mountains and the City of Scottsdale pathways. Coordinate with the City of Scottsdale for potential bikeway system along Shea Boulevard, especially where new improvements have been or will be scheduled in the future and study possible rerouting of a bike lane off of Shea Boulevard. Goal 4.0 Promote community wide cultural and recreational activities which foster- the existing community spirit. Objective 4. 1 Objective 4.2: Objective 4.3: Plan and promote activities and facilities which celebrate Fountain Hills existing and future commitment to the arts. Analyze the benefit of large events and promote development of facilities which address this opportunity. Evaluate, prioritize, and accommodate the recreational needs for teens, seniors, and visitors. Goal 5.0 Monitor available potential funding sources and seek additional local support for the planning, acquisition, and development of facilities. Objective 5.1: Objective 5.2: Acquire when possible county, state, or federal funding through available grants or other financing mechanisms to assist in the acquisition of private land and in the maintenance and enhancement of a park system. Prepare a parks and recreation dedication program which provides incentives to private parties to dedicate open space and recreation facilities. Goal 6.0 Ensure proper protection of existing park facilities. Objective 6. 1: Identify methods of acquiring the Botanical Garden site to remain as permanent open space and identify improvements for it. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-7 May 6, 1993 ( Goal 7.0 Minimize ground water consumption in existing or future park or open space areas. Objective 7.1 Objective 7.2 Encourage the owners of reclaimed wastewater of the need to identify potential disposal sites for treated effluent and plan for the distribution system required. Maintain and promote the use of treated effluent in all new recreational facilities and landscaped roadways. 6.4 PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS Provided below are ten planning recommendations related to parks, recreation, and open space. These are general recommendations that will allow for, and facilitate the realization of the Vision, Goals, and Objectives presented above. The implementation of these recommendations will not in and of itself create a park, recreation, and open space system. Additional and more detailed planning will be necessary. Their implementation will, however, provide the Town with a framework within which a diverse and appropriate park and open space system can be created. The ten general planning recommendations are as follows and are not prioritized in any particular order: ( A) Ensure that Fountain Park Remains a Community Park l B) Develop Municipal Parks in addition to Golden Eagle Park. C) Ensure the Protection of Drainage Corridors and Washes as Preserved Natural Open Space D) Develop Trails along Selected Wash Corridors E) Strengthen the Existing Partnership between the Town and the School District F) Encourage Development of Additional Public Play Golf Courses G) Encourage Private Dedications of Land as Permanent Natural Open Space H) Encourage Private Development and Operation of Recreational Facilities and Neighborhood Parks I) Prepare a Plan for the Beneficial Use of Reclaimed Water J) Prepare a Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan Each of these recommendations is discussed in greater detail below. A) Ensure that Fountain Park Remains a Community Park Fountain Park has for many years been perceived as the center of the Fountain Hills community. It is a landmark that distinguishes the town from other surrounding communities. Its facilities are widely used by residents and it has the potential to accommodate new improvements and even greater public use. The park's size and strategic location make it an economically viable candidate site for a variety of other potential land uses. The development of the park site for other Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-8 May 6, 1993 ( ( l uses is possible under current ownership and zoning conditions. If this were to occur, it would result in a major loss to the community and would be a significant step backward at a time when the community is working very hard to expand the size and scope of its park system. It is therefore recommended the Town work cooperatively and expeditiously with MCO Properties to develop a strategy that will ensure the long term protection of Fountain Park. B) Develop Municipal Parks in addition to Golden Eagle Park. To adequately provide recreational opportunities to a growing population, it is recommended that the Town develop municipal parks. The proposed municipal parks should be geographically distributed throughout the community. In addition to the centrally located Golden Eagle park site, it is recommended that parks be developed in the fo llowing general locations: • One park south of Shea Boulevard • One park centrally located along the western boundary of the Town • One park within the State Trust Land parcel (if and when this parcel is annexed - by the Town) It is not the intention of the Town to assume that land will always be donated. Specific negotiation with property owners for purchase, or exaction, will be determined at such time as a specific site and the development plan for each area is known. In addition to geographic distribution, the character of the proposed parks should be varied as well. The facilities constructed at each site should respond to the physical, natural, and amenity resources of the site and to the needs and preferences of the surrounding residents. This approach will result in a diversity of park types ranging from parks fully developed for active recreation to parks that include large areas of preserved natural open space. The implementation of this recommendation will provide the necessary physical space within which a responsive community park system can be incrementally developed. C) Ensure the Protection of Drainage Corridors and Washes as Preserved Natural Open Space Within the developed portions of the Fountain Hills community, the network of undeveloped drainage corridors and washes is the principal open space component. This condition will likely remain true, in areas that are currently undeveloped, as new subdivisions are constructed. At the present time these drainage corridors are in private ownership. Due to the high open space value associated with these corridors, it is recommended that the Town develop a strategy that will ensure their preservation and protection as natural open space. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-9 May 6, 1993 ( ( l D) Develop Trails along Selected Wash Corridors An advantageous characteristic of the washes and natural drainageways that cross the town is that they are linear. This attribute allows for their potential use as pedestrian routes between various locations within the community. Trails constructed along these corridors could also provide access from residential areas of the community to the nearby McDowell Mountain Park. There are three washes that are principal candidates for trail development. These are: the Ashbrook Wash, the Colony Wash, and the Emerald Wash. If developed with trails for pedestrians and possibly bicycles, they could function as safe and attractive alternative routes between various destinations within the community. Spur trails could be added to this primary trail network as determined to be appropriate by the surrounding neighborhoods. E) Strengthen the Existing Partnership between the Town and the School District Previous cooperation between the Town and the School District has allowed for the use of school campuses and facilities for Town sponsored programs and events. This existing partnership should be continued and strengthened. The goals of the partnership should include avoidance of duplicate facilities and the maximization of public access to all facilities and improvements constructed with public funds. An example would be a potential partnership in developing a school/community swimming pool. F) Develop Additional Golf Courses Within the context of the Town of Fountain Hills, golf courses are of particular importance. In addition to providing a recreational opportunity for resident golfers, they can also serve to enhance the attractiveness of the community as a winter home location and winter vacation destination. The advantages of strengthening the tourism component of the local economy are discussed elsewhere in this plan. G) Encourage Private Dedications of Land as Permanent Natural Open Space A successful park and open space system within the Town of Fountain Hills will be best achieved if is the product of both public and private sector efforts. The Town should encourage, support, and where appropriate require the dedication of private land as preserved natural open space. This land need not be conveyed to the Town or other public entity so long as its status as permanent natural open space is secured. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-10 May 6, 1993 ( ( l H) Encourage Private Development and Operation of Recreational Facilities and Neighborhood Parks The development and operation of private recreational sites can enhance and expand the recreational opportunities available to residents. Small neighborhood parks, which are often inefficient for a municipality to operate and maintain, can be effectively constructed by developers and operated by subdivision Homeowner Associations. I) Prepare a Plan for the Beneficial Use of Reclaimed Water A community issue that must be addressed is how to beneficially and cost effectively utilize available reclaimed water. The most likely use for this resource is the irrigation of parks and golf courses. Other uses, such as the irrigation of landscaped street medians should also be considered. The Fountain Hills Sanitary District or the contract owner of the reclaimed water needs to prepare a reclaimed water use plan that identifies the projected volume of available reclaimed water, identifies the location and annual demand of potential users, and describes a distribution system for this resource is therefore recommended. When adopted, this plan can be utilized in making capital improvement decisions. J) Prepare a Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan The recommendations listed above, if implemented, will provide physical space for the incremental development of park and open space systems that are capable of meeting the needs of the growing Fountain Hills community. In addition to providing physical space, however, it will be necessary to identify and articulate specific facility requirements and program needs. The prioritization of these facilities and needs must also be performed. It is recommended that these tasks be accomplished with the preparation of a Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. When adopted, the plan can be utilized as the basis for making capital improvement decisions. In developing the specific implementation of a Comprehensive Parks Plan, consideration should be given to starting implementation with a landscape beautification and passive use program prior to developing actual facilities. Then only implement construction facilities where immediate neighbors have come to a consensus on the uses acceptable in the park. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-11 May 6, 1993 ( ( (_ Town of FOUNTAIN HILLS GENERAL PLAN FOUNTAINHILLS,ARIZONA \~ i -!i e ' -• •~•,, -1!:1~,~;------------! l c.,, _-,,: < .,.. '"'"'o, "· * I .. ,, •. ". j,: ,_., ~_;,.T ~~{f.M .. Wl MARICOPA COUNTY : I , ,.~, I i ~y__ •• ~:.~ ASHBROOK WASH / ! I i l" ~ •;.::.~._-l,, : ~~~,., r .. ~:_...'" 1';.;:r-1'• l<'rr1,.x ;;"' , • • :::;; ... -wor,t.,... \ ;;.,,,.-;. 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At,, I :: ~;~ :: 0' . <'.'>.· ~J • >" 71 • :,.1,.c• >· :, ~.c',j,'t .J'.' !'W f ,r'.}..,,.,< :;.:11 EMERALD WASH (1) ACTUAL LOCATION AND ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR COMMUNITY PARKS WILL BE NEGOTIATED IN FUTURE WITH EACH LAND OWNER • •• I.••■■ •• = - ~ ,. ~--\;~ :~ v -----.q:-~:~L~\. ' . . . • ~-~-''),•-· ,v \ ', ~ .. -1\ ,..,~ oLl LJ,.,-.~...;.._,._t;(>).;'v ~,, ';\ .--~-, • -,-,J"iJ . V-,_/· '\:; C •N \-,~ ,,.(.,,:S~----1->-< ___ J,",, /.·:~~~I ~ FUTURE PARKS, RECREATION and OPEN SPACE PLAN --·---------✓ ,,•-✓-~~ ---¾;- ~ ·---------------------------------------------------{!/ -VS_hVERNON SWABACK ASSOCIATES, P.C. 'VI <o/ 6-12 ( ( l 6.5 IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM AND GUIDELINES The Implementation Action Program for the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan is presented on Table 6-1, Parks, Recreation and Open Space Element Implementation Action Program. The table is presented under the following five headings: Action Purpose Timeframe Initiation Lists the action necessary to carry out the General Plan. Identifies the intent of accomplishing that particular action. Establishes the target 5-year priority within the 20-year planning horizon for implementation of the action. Responsibility Assigns the elected or appointed public body, agency, group, individuals or volunteers principally responsible to initiate the implementation action. Resources Lists potential funding, Town staff, volunteer or other community resources necessary to carry out the implementation action. - The Parks and Recreation Commission should review and provide recommendations to the Town Council for revising the following Implementation Action Program on an annual basis in order to continue to pursue implementation of the Fountain Hills General Plan in an expeditious manner. The Parks and Recreation Director and staff-person responsible for General Plan implementation should monitor the status of each implementation action throughout the year and provide a general recommended framework to the Planning and Zoning Commission for annually updating the General Plan's Parks, Recreation and Open Space Implementation Guide. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6·13 May 6, 1993 r' Action 1.0 a) b) c) d) e) Prepare Comprehensive Plan for Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. Town Council Authorization for project. Develop Scope of Work, select and hire consultant Public Hearings Adoption of Plan by Town Council Implementation of Plan /'18'.. TABLE 6-1 PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE ACTION PLAN Town of Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Purpose Provide a basis for decisions related to open space acquisition and municipal park and recreational facility development. Identify specific program elements necessary to accommodate park and recreational facility needs and preferences of Town residents. TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • I • • • Initiation Responsibility Parks and Recreation Commission Town Council Town Manager • • • Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-14 ' Resources Fountain Hills General Plan Parks and Recreation Department staff Planning Department staff May 6, 1993 ,- Action 2.0 Appoint staff member or citizen to act as liaison between Town and School District a) Prepare statement of responsibilities b) Appointment by Town Council 3.0 Negotiate and enter into an Agreement with MCO Properties (conservation easement, Purchase Agreement, or other legal instrument) to preserve permanently the Botanical Gardens. ~ TABLE 6-1 (Continued) PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE ACTION PLAN Town of Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 Strengthen the exisling • informal relationship between the Town and the School District related to the development and use of joint-use facilities. To ensure that the current • land use at the Botanical Gardens is maintained in perpetuity and to ensure public access. , • • • • • • Initiation Responsibility Parks and Recreation Commission Town Council Town Manager Parks and Recreation Commission Town Council Town Manager • . • • • • • Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-15 ~ Resources Fountain Hills General Plan Parks and Recreation Department staff Planning Department staff Fountain Hills General Plan Parks and Recreation Department staff Planning Department staff Legal Counsel May 6, 1993 , Action 4.0 Design and Construct Phase One Improvements at Golden Eagle Park ,,,...,.,, TABLE 6-1 (Continued) PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE ACTION PLAN Town of Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Purpose Provide facilities for basic recreational programs that currently cannot be accommodated within the Town TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • • • • I I Initiation Responsibility Parks and Recreation Commission Town Council Town Manager • • • • • Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-16 ' Resources Fountain Hills General Plan Fountain Hills Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan (when adopted) Parks and Recreation Department Staff Planning Department staff Legal Counsel May 6, 1993 r- Action 5.0 Acquire property (purchase or long term lease) required for the development of a community park system. 6.0 Design and Construct municipal park facilities in accordance with the approved Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. ,,,-...,. TABLE 6-1 (Continued) PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE ACTION PLAN Town of Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 Secure in a timely and cost • • • effective manner the land required for the development of a community park system as defined by the General Plan and the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan Provide Town residents with • • • facilities and programs per approved Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. I I • • • • • Initiation Responsibility Parks and Recreation Commission Town Council Town Manager Parks and Recreation Commission Town Council • • • • • • • • Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-17 " Resources Fountain Hills General Plan Fountain Hills Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan (when adopted) Parks and Recreation Department staff Planning Department staff Legal Counsel Fountain Hills General Plan Fountain Hills Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan (when adopted) Parks and Recreation Department staff May 6, 1993 r- Action 7.0 Incorporate into the plat review process; requirements, procedures, and criteria for the identification of significant natural, cultural, and amenity resources within or impacted by proposed developments. ~ TABLE 6-1 (Continued) PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE ACTION PLAN Town of Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 Provide the Planning and • Zoning Commission and the Town Council with information required for a resource-based assessment of proposed developments and more specifically proposed open space dedications. • • • • Initiation Responsibility Parks and Recreation Commission Town Council Planning and Zoning Commission Town Manager • • • • Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-18 ~ Resources Fountain Hills General Plan Fountain Hills Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan (when adopted) Planning Department Staff Parks and Recreation Department staff May 6, 1993 r- Action 8.0 Incorporate into the plat review process; requirements, procedures and criteria for assessing the recreational facility needs of the residents of the proposed subdivision. 116'.. TABLE 6-1 (Continued) PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE ACTION PLAN Town of Fountain Hills General Plan IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 Provide the Planning and • Zoning Commission and Town Council with information required to establish, or waive, potential requirements for privately constructed and maintained recreational facilities within proposed subdivisions. I • • • Initiation Responsibility Parks and Recreation Commission Town Council Planning and Zoning Commission • . • • Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 6-19 ~ Resources Fountain Hills General Plan Fountain Hills Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan (when adopted) Planning Department staff Parks and Recreation Department staff ------- May 6, 1993 7.0 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT ( ( l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan May 6, 1993 ( ( l 7.0 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT The Economic Development Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan is an overview of existing conditions based on the socioeconomic and demographic profile and identifies potential issues or problems, visions, goals, opportunities and implementation program. The population, household, housing, employment, trade, and development characteristics presented are intended to describe the Town's evolving nature and define its current position as it looks forward to the challenge of expanding its job, income, and tax base in the future to meet the needs of its growing population. The population and household projections developed as a part of this element directly underpin the plan discussed in Section 4.0 of this plan. The Economic Development Element also provides guidance to the Town on what are significant opportunities for new private investment and job growth. Because of external market conditions, locational considerations, and community preferences, the focus of this analysis of opportunities is on retail trade and services sector job growth potential. The Economic Development Element is organized in the following five sections: 7.1 Existing Conditions and Projections 7.2 Problem Identification 7 .3 Visions, Goals and Objectives 7.4 Assessment of Economic Targets of Opportunity 7.5 Implementation Program and Guidelines 7.1 EXISTING CONDITIONS AND PROJECTIONS The data and analysis presented in this section of the Existing Conditions Inventory and Analysis is designed to provide maximum assistance in the process of making judgements about existing and future growth patterns and economic opportunities. For many of the economic indicators noted below, data is developed for Fountain Hills, Maricopa County, and other jurisdictions as it may be relevant for comparative purposes. Federal, state, and Town secondary data, as well as Sunregion's own survey and proprietary data is tJtilized in developing this detailed demographic and economic profile. This section contains the fol lowing data: A) B) Population Growth Seasonal Population Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-1 May 6, 1993 ( ( l C) Projected Population Growth D) Household Income E) Age Distribution F) Housing Unit Growth G) Distribution of Housing Units by Type H) Year Round Housing Tenancy I) Seasonal Housing Unit Count J) Employment Distribution K) Commercial Space L) Leasable Commercial Space M) Gross Commercial Space N) Projected Gross Residential and Commercial Land Use Needs A) Population Growth Table 7-1 provides population counts for Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, and Maricopa County as reflected in the Censuses of 1980, 1985, and 1990. The annual numerical and percentage growth rates are presented and also graphically portrayed in the following chart. TABLE 7-1 RESIDENT POPULATION GROWTH IN FOUNTAIN HILLS, SCOTTSDALE, AND MARICOPA COUNTY, APRIL, 1980-1990 1980 2,771 88,622 1,509,175 1985 5,792 108,447 1,837,956 1990 10,030 130,069 2,122,101 1980-1985 5501 3,605 59,778 1985-1990 9422 4,805 63,143 1980-1990 726 4,145 61,293 1980-1985 14.3% 3.7% 3.6% 1985-1990 12.9% 4.1% 3.2% 1980-1990 13.7% 3.9% 3.5% 1Average annual from April, 1980 to October, 1985 (5 years and 6 months). 2Average annual growth from October, 1985 to April 1, 1990 (4 years and 6 months). Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-2 May 6, 1993 ( ( l B) Seasonal Population Table 7-2 provides an estimate of the number of seasonal residents in Fountain Hills and Maricopa County. The seasonal resident estimates for 1980 and 1990 are based on: • The total number of housing units identified by the U.S. Census Bureau held for seasonal, occasional, and recreational use; and, • An estimate of 1.9 persons per seasonal housing unit. These seasonal population estimates do not include guests, community residents, or individuals staying in commercial lodging facilities. C) TABLE 7-2 SEASONAL POPULATION 111 11~:::::::J::::::::1111~,Itill~,~1 : 111;1i1111~~111111~a11111:::1:11:!1 1980 369 36,239 1990 978 73,500 Source: U.S. Census, 1980 and 1990; and Sun region Associates, Inc. Projected Population Growth Table 7-3 provides historic and projected total, resident, and seasonal population figures for Fountain Hills. These figures are based on the U.S. Census resident population count for Fountain Hills, and Fountain Hills' projected seasonal household population. These population projections assume the following: • The Town has adequate zoned residential land to support the projected population growth estimated to occur by 2012, -but rezoning of some properties will need to occur to address general plan considerations; • There is adequate water to support the projected population growth; • As a matter of policy the Town is willing to accommodate the projected population growth; • The rate of population growth during the entire projection period will be considerably slower than in the 1980-1990 decade, in step with State and County projections; • During the projection period the Town's population growth will represent an increasing share of the County's population base; and, Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-3 May 6, 1993 ( ( l • The population growth rate is projected to decline sharply from historic levels during the period 1992-1995, increase at an increasing rate from 1995 to 2000, and increase at a decreasing rate from 2000 to 2012. This growth pattern is consistent with that projected by the Arizona Department of Economic Security for Maricopa County. TABLE 7-3 PROJECTED RESIDENT AND SEASONAL POPULATION GROWTH FOR FOUNTAIN HILLS, 1992-2012 1990 11,008 10,030 978 1992 11,825 10,780 1,045 1995 13,820 12,640 1,180 2000 18,715 17,158 1,557 2005 23,775 21,793 1,982 2010 29,270 26,830 2,440 2012 31,505 28,880 2,625 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990; and, Sunregion Associates, Inc. 1992-2012 projections are mid-year projections. D) Household Income Table 7-4 indicates that the residents of Fountain Hills have considerably more purchasing power than the residents of Maricopa County. In 1990, both per capita and median household income in Fountain Hills exceeded per capita and median household income reported for Maricopa County by over 37 percent. TABLE 7-4 PER CAPITA AND HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN FOUNTAIN HILLS AND MARICOPA COUNTY ilili:::;:1!tlllilliill~lilll~tlli,lllll1111 :::::::::1:1:11:11:11111I1l!I l!iill1 1 Millllil!llllllll li!I"lllflt:::::::::;;1;:;1::1:1:1 !ill:~il!ll!lll l.ll lllllfl!l~ll lrf I 1979 $12,430.00 $7,716.00 $25,050.00 $17,728.00 1989 $20,551.00 $14,970.00 $42,231.00 $30,797.00 Source: U. S. Census, 1980 and 1990. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-4 May 6, 1993 E) Age Distribution ( Age distribution data is provided in Table 7-5, Items to note are the decline in percentage of persons age 55-64 between 1980 and 1990, and the increase in percentage of persons ages 25-34 and 35-44 in the same time period. ( l TABLE 7-5 AGE DISTRIBUTIONS AND MEDIAN AGE IN FOUNTAIN HILLS AND MARICOPA COUNTY, 1980-1990 5 and Under 147 5.3% 800 8.0% 8.9% 9.6% 6-13 258 9.3% 909 9.1% 12.3% 11 .5% 14-17 195 7.0% 433 4.3% 6.9% 5.2% 18-24 249 9.0% 558 5.5% 13.6% 10.7% 25-34 351 12.7% 1,482 14.8% 16.7% 18.5% 35-44 325 11.7% 1,600 15.9% 11.3% 14.8% 45-54 368 13.3% 1,261 12.6% 9.3% 9.6% 55-64 528 19.1% 1,355 13.5% 9.4% 7.6% 65+ 350 12.6% 1,632 16.3% 11 .6% 12.5% Total 2,771 100.0% 10,030 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Median Age 40.7 40.0 29.7 32.0 Source: U.S. Census, 1980 and 1990; and Sunregion Associates, Inc. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-5 May 6, 1993 ( ( l F) Housing Unit Growth TABLE 7-6 PROJECTED HOUSING UNIT GROWTH IN FOUNTAIN HILLS TO 2012 1990 5,061 3,972 1,089 1992 5,325 4,260 1,065 1995 6,092 4,996 1,096 2000 8,042 6,836 1,206 2005 10,214 8,682 1,532 2010 12,575 10,689 1,886 2012 13,536 11,450 2,020 1 ····:1iil:li!:A~e·~iffltliA11·nu~llll!(t6tJ~f~l!lli,Jn1t ···glftwth ':lill!J:'.I 1990-1995 196 1995-2000 390 2000-2005 434 2005-2010 472 2010-2012 481 :::::1,-~sl::;,ttribi1\lDlli~1it§~ii/a·~;a111 r R1~f;t;I 1990-1995 3.59% 1995-2000 5.71% 2000-2005 4.90% 2005-2010 4.25% 2010-2012 3.75% Source: Sun region Associates, Inc. 1 Note: Seasonal Units are included within the vacant unit count. Such units are classified as vacant by the U.S. Census Bureau. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-6 May 6, 1993 ( ( l G) Distribution of Housing Unit by Type As can be seen in Table 7-7, the housing stock in Fountain Hills contained a much higher percentage of single-family detached homes than in Maricopa County in 1990. This is in spite of the fact the single-family housing stock percentages were nearly identical in both areas in 1980. TABLE 7-7 PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL HOUSING UNITS BY TYPE AND MIX, SINGLE-FAMILY AND MULTI-FAMILY HOMES, 1980-1990 S.F. Att.2 9.2% 9.8% 6.0% 7.3% 2-4 Units 21.9% 13.0% 5.8% 5.6% 5+ Units 7.1% 10.6% 19.1% 23.8% MH & Other3 .0% .8% 8.0% 10.3% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Source: U.S. Census, 1980 and 1990. 1Single-Family Detached. 2Single-Family Attached. 3There were only 2 mobile home units reported in the 1990 Census. Housing units in the "Other" classification are housing units which can not be classified withln the other housing classifications reported in the table. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-7 May 6, 1993 ( ( l H) Year Around Housing Tenancy Table 7-8 discloses that the percentage of both owner-and renter-occupied housing units increased in Fountain Hills from 1980-1990. During the same period, the overall vacancy rate in Fountain Hills showed a decline from 28 percent to 21 .5 percent, while the County's overall vacancy rate increased from 8.6 percent to 15.2 percent. Clearly, the reduction in the vacancy rate in Fountain Hills from 1980 to 1990 is a positive sign for the residential construction market and indicates that excess inventory is being reduced. The reduction in residential inventory is especially evident from the decline in the owner-and renter-occupied vacancy rate in Fountain Hills from 17.7 percent to 9.7 percent. TABLE 7-8 YEAR-ROUND HOUSING TENANCY IN FOUNTAIN HILLS AND MARICOPA COUNTY, 1980-1990, EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL HOUSING UNITS ;::::::::::: • ::~;n:c:: _.:::::'':'::':':'::: •: :·ig~nta1-,::i,1s ,~,;M!Il~Ol)!!::!eunty:;;;:::: ;: ,f ijlJ ~i::::oi~i lllilii 11~it1~l~i~I!t!1t1111i1111~1111111111::: 1 :i:1i1ii11:191:1i1i1i1i11: 11i1iii111ii~i■i1:11l 1111,~,'-';1~i:i1Hiii111~11iH1~1~:1 111 :::i:1:1 Owner Occupied 57.4% 62.0% 62.8% 53.7% Renter Occupied 14.6% 16.55 28.6% 31.1 % ~9lJ1\oc·C?.:~:eiid ~ ilfiioo/o l:IIf e°$% ::I!:!~l!l~i.4o/ci"' lilliil:!ll!!!i:~4.S,:!!:I Vacant For Sale and for 17.7% 9.7% 5.6% 8.4% Rent Units Units Awaiting Occupancy .8% .8% .8% .9% Seasonal Units 6.3% 10.2% .7% 4.0% Other Vacant Units 3.2% .8% 1.4% 1.8% ·,:1,~ffl1llyiSlliii:iill:i:1ii:ti!:!:1:i:ii11:1;::::::::J:~9 !!ii:llr0:/4t ::i:11~,1:H!! 1iett 11 ::1;:11:1:~;,;1~J!!ii Number Vacant 406 1,089 51,290 144,481 Number Occupied 1,045 3,972 544,759 807,560 Source: U.S. Census, 1980-1990; and, Sun region Associates, Inc. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-8 May 6, 1993 ( ( L I) Seasonal Housing Unit Control Table 7-9 presents the seasonal housing unit counts in Fountain Hills for 1980 and 1990. As was noted earlier in this report, seasonal units are housing units which are occupied by non-residents at the time of the Census. TABLE 7-9 SEASONAL POPULATION HOUSING UNITS IN FOUNTAIN HILLS AND MARICOPA COUNTY, 1980-1990 l!:!:!:-,ar I 'Fqyptalri':;fl!J~ l}f"rleop~,e.~nty.::I 1980 1941 19,0731 1990 514 38,684 Source: U.S. Census, 1980-1990; and Sun region Associates, Inc. 1 Includes units classified as seasonal, migratory, and units held for occasional use. J) Employment Distribution Table 7-10 provides the distribution of total employment in Fountain Hills by place of work, as determined by Sunregion Associates, Inc. from a January, 1992 list of firms with business licenses, and a telephone employment survey of businesses. The employment estimates in Table 7-10 represent only employment within Fountain Hills. The employment statistics in Table 7-10 include both self-employed (the vast majority of whom work out of their homes), as well as wage and salary workers. Three industries, retail trade, F.I.R.E. (finance, insurance, and real estate), and services account for 71.4 percent of all employment in Fountain Hills, compared to 57.7 percent in Maricopa County. The Fountain Hills "location quotients" presented in Table 7-10 are measures which show the concentration of employment in each industry in Fountain Hills in relation to the concentration of employment in the same industry in Maricopa County. In economic base analysis, a location quotient greater than one means that an industry is a "basic" industry; that is, it draws money into the community from outside. Industries typically viewed as basic industries include manufacturing, mining, and tourism. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-9 May 6, 1993 ( ( l TABLE 7-10 PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IN FOUNTAIN HILLS IN RELATION TO TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IN MARICOPA COUNTY Agr. Services 1.2% Mining/Quarry .0% Construction 8.0% Manufacturing 6.0% Trans. Comm. Util. 2.0% Wholesale Trade 1.7% Retail Trade 30.2% Fin. Insur. Real Est. 14.9% Services 26.3% Government 9.7% lll!l•i 11111111 :::1 1 !~iiilJJi:j1::i:i:l:i:i:1::::r , ! ! : :iij:;lll!i llljlll l:!i:,11;1111 H Ii llliliitilliiti:/:i:ll!!!::1::!:!:l:::::1:J:~illllll 1.3% .92 .2% .00 6.9% 1.16 12.3% .49 4.5% .44 4.9% .35 17.6% 1.72 11.4% 1.31 28.7% .92 12.8% .76 Source: Sunregion Associates, January, 1992; and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Oct., 1990 data for Maricopa County, 1988 average employment. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-10 May 6, 1993 K) Commercial Space ( Table 7-11 provides an inventory of retail, office, and wholesale/business park space in Fountain Hills as determined from Maricopa County Assessor's records and Town of Fountain Hills building permit information. Table 7-11 does not include recreational space or public school space. The square footage estimates include both owner-occupied and leased space. ( l TABLE 7-11 HISTORIC ABSORPTION OF INDUSTRIAL, RETAIL, OFFICE, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL SPACE IN FOUNTAIN HILLS, 1971 THROUGH 1991 Retail 384,423 18,306 21,950 36,310 Office 229,449 11,999 11,452 18,008 Wholesale/BP 211,347 10,064 12,648 17,658 Other Comm. 47,824 2,277 1,473 na 14111■ i■iil Retail 330,600 30.7 s.f. 384,423 35.7 s.f. Office 215,700 20.0 s.f. 229,449 21.3 s.f. Warehouse/Ind 196,500 18.2 s.f. 211,347 19.6 s.f. Other Comm. 47,8245 4.4 s.f. 47,824 4.4 s.f. Source: Derived from Maricopa County Assessor's Office Property Files, and Town of Fountain Hills building permit data. 1 From 1971 up to 1992, 21 years. 2 From 1989 up to 1992, 12 years. 3Estimates by Sunregion Associates, Inc. based on field estimates. 4 Resident population 10, 780 5Church buildings and hospital. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-11 May 6, 1993 ( ( l L) Leasable Commercial Space Table 7-12 provides some comparative data based on 1990 leasable space square footages in Maricopa County as well as retail square footage statistics for Scottsdale and Tempe. TABLE 7-12 LEASABLE SQUARE FEET PER CAPITA, RETAIL, OFFICE, AND INDUSTRIAL _ SPACE, JANUARY, 1990 Retail 27.2 23.6 Office 18.6 14.3 Industrial 21.0 16.5 Scottsdale Retail 52.0 46.0 Tempe Retail 33.5 26.4 Source: Arizona State University, Grubb & Ellis Real Estate Repot1; and, Sunregion Associates, Inc. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7·12 May 6, 1993 ( ( l M) Gross Commercial Absorption Projection The gross commercial absorption projections provided in Table 7-13 below are keyed to the resident population projections previously presented in Table 7-3. Further, the projections assume 34 square feet of retail space per capita, instead of 35. 7 square feet to account for a more realistic long-term vacancy factor, 21.3 square feet of office space per capita, 19.6 square feet of business park space per capita, and 4.4 square feet of other commercial space activities such as church expansions. TABLE 7-13 PROJECTED COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS PARK GROSS BUILDING AREA SQUARE FOOTAGE DEMAND IN THE TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS, 1992-2012 - 1992-1995 63,240 39,618 36,456 8,184 1995-2000 153,612 96,233 88,553 19,879 2000-2005 157,590 98,725 90,846 20,394 2005-2010 171,258 107,289 98,725 22,163 2010-2012 69,700 43,665 40,180 9,020 i:iillffll~l!llllll;f:1\1::::::::1:::::: 111111l111■ II li!lll;§I • •llllllll•ill JJJJilll!li(llll ii ••• •:::::1:1:111:llilliiliilJllli~II~:::::: New and 998,823 614,980 551,141 127,464 Existing Source: Sunregion Associates, Inc. 1 Jncludes wholesale, warehouse and industrial activities. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7·13 May 6, 1993 ( N) Projected Land Use Needs Based on data and analysis developed earlier in the planning process, this section of the Economic Base/Economic Development Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan provides a direct foundation for estimating housing and employment land use needs in the years ahead. In this scenario, future demand is projected for housing by type, and for employment acreage based on an analysis of past trends and likely future events. This scenario identifies: • Residential land use mix needs, in acres based on existing densities; and, • Land use needs in acres for commercial and business park uses. 1) Projected Residential Land Use Needs -The alternative range of projected residential acreage needs identified in Table 7-14A was determined from the housing unit growth projections previously presented in Table 7-6. The housing_ units projected for each unit density ranges from 2.5 units per acre to 5 units per- acre as noted in Table 7-14A. These projections do not include recreational or public education land use needs. ( TABLE 7-14 A l PROJECTED GROSS RESIDENTIAL ACREAGE NEEDS IN FOUNTAIN HILLS, 1992-2012 1992-1995 767 307 256 219 192 153 1995-2000 1,950 780 650 557 488 390 2000-2005 2,172 869 724 621 543 434 2005-2010 2,361 944 787 675 590 472 2010-2012 961 384 320 275 240 192 111111 :-:•:-:.:-:-:-:-:-:::::::::::;:;:::::::::~:~•::::::,;, \ililifilil __ ::~}i~f\:\:(f:(~:(:\:\:I::;\:: !iji:::::::: 1 !1!1 11:!!I J.gliliii Source: Sunregion Associates, Inc. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-14 May 6, 1993 2) Projected Commercial Land use Needs ( Table 7-148 converts the commercial and business park square footage estimates previously presented in Table 7-13 into acreage requirements. The acreage estimates are based on lot coverage factors of .15 for retail trade, .30 for office, .35 for business park, and .1 O for other commercial. ( l TABLE 7-14 B PROJECTED GROSS COMMERCIAUBUSINESS PARK ACREAGE NEEDS IN FOUNTAIN HILLS, 1992-2012 1992-1995 17 10 3 2 2 1995-2000 41 23 7 6 5 2000-2005 43 24 8 6 5 2005-2010 45 26 8 6 5 2010-2012 19 11 3 3 2 l,::::ml~i''·~9<!iilll~:1;:::1:::~:: .,:;~j~iZ:!;;;ti:;:i~ll~!~::m:rn~~:::i!(illll!lliilJ:i:~::mi:1;;:;t~ill:l:,,;,}:::::1::,:::::;ii:iillilillliillil::::;:,y., ::+a llll::: .. > < :!!::1,:: . ~~i;rl Source: Sunregion Associates, Inc. 7.2 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION The Economic Development issues identified by the community in the first series of community workshops, the results of input received from the individuals and groups interviewed, and the inventory and analysis of existing conditions, provide a comprehensive understanding of the current problems or weaknesses relative to the economic development of Fountain Hills. A) Lack of Freeway Access or Closeness to Sky Harbor Airport B) Fountain Hills is remote in both aspects with a minimum of forty to sixty minutes travel time to Sky Harbor Airport. This is in contrast to other valley communities where freeway access is immediately available and Sky Harbor is adjacent to or within a ten to thirty minute commute. Small Immediate Market Area This is primarily due to the existing population of Fountain Hills, but secondarily a result of having two indian reservations, a 20,000 acre regional park, and a mountain range as its community borders. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-15 May 6, 1993 ( ( l C) High Property Tax The total primary, secondary, and miscellaneous property tax assessment in Fountain Hills is over $14 per $100 of assessed evaluation which is considerably higher than in most other nearby jurisdictions with the exception of the Deer valley area of Phoenix. This condition results from the tax load to service the bond indebtedness incurred when the Special Districts were created to develop the infrastructure. The tax load attributable to the old Road Districts will be phased out near the end of the decade. The goal of any community, vis-a-vis the localities it competes against for business investment and job creation, should be tax load "invisibility." By this we mean a community does not need to strive for a position as the lowest tax jurisdiction; rather, it should endeavor to rank somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, as Table 7-15 reflects Fountain Hills is in the position, vis-a-vis its northeast metropolitan area neighbors, of having one of the highest combined property tax rates. This was exacerbated in 1992 with the addition of the new Junior/Senior High School as part of the Fountain Hills Unified School District. This could, in fact, establish the Town near the top of the property tax list.- However, it is anticipated that the Junior/Senior High School will attract additional · families in sufficient numbers to offset the increased bond servicing costs by increasing the tax base proportionately. For the reader's information, the commercial/industrial property tax rates identified in Table 7-15 cover the following geographic areas: 1.) the Mesa Unified School District #4 which covers most of the City of Mesa; 2.) that portion of northern Phoenix within the Deer Valley Unified School District; 3.) that portion of the Paradise Valley Unified District which includes the Scottsdale Airpark area and vicinity; and 4.) the area within the Scottsdale Unified District #48 which encompasses the majority of the remaining geographic area in Scottsdale. The Town definitely will be well served by assessing its alternatives and relative reliance on existing as well as potential revenue sources for its capital and operating expense needs. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-16 May 6, 1993 ( TABLE 7-15 1991 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX RATES IN FOUNTAIN HILLS ANO COMPARATIVE COMMUNITIES (PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION) iil1iilgm:mH:5tti ::::i:1:i:::11i~i~iJ:JJ: 1i11 ::::::::::::::::;:::::-:-:::-:-:-:-·-·--.· 11~111111• 1•,ai,1 $4.061 Paradise Valley 7.9821 4.4356 na1 Scottsdale #48 7.2749 2.5536 na1 1 Primarily bond service for Special Districts created to develop the Town's infrastructure, due to be phased out near the end of the decade. ( Source: Maricopa County Treasurer. na 1 means that other miscellaneous taxes assessments could apply in the noted communities which were not readily identifiable from the tax rate information evaluated by Sunregion Associates, Inc. l D) Absence of a Sales Tax Although also considered a strength, in lieu of the previous issues, one alternative revenue source utilized in most communities is a sales tax. If a 1.5% sales tax had been levied during fiscal year 1990-91 on firms in Fountain Hills subject to Arizona sales tax collections, the Town could have generated approximately $485,000 from those businesses whose headquarters are in Fountain Hills. The General Plan is merely raising this as a related issue for the Town to consider. E) High Retail and Service Expenditure Leakage In spite of the importance of the retail trade and services industries in Fountain Hills, there is considerable expenditure leakage from the Town. It is estimated that during 1992 69% of residents' retail expenditures, and 72% of expenditures for services, are made outside the Town. The largest leakages occur for automobile purchases, health services, department store purchases, eating out, home furnishings, and automobile repair. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-17 May 6, 1993 F) Lack of Commercially Zoned Land along Shea Boulevard ( This relates to the adequacy of commercially-zoned acreage along Shea Boulevard to support the needs of larger retailing targets that require visibility along major arterials in order to attract regional markets. These relatively large employers appear as part of our retail sector target list. Commercial sites along Shea are very limited, while other sites within the Town lack adequate visibility and access. ( l 7.3 VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Introduction The Vision, Goals and Objectives developed for the Economic Development Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan are presented below. Vision: Fountain Hills should maintain a primarily residential focus, but provide an attractive location for clean industry, including a hotel or resort, appropriate retail and service businesses, and potentially an arts focus within the Town Center to accommodate daily needs of the residents and provide a pleasant place for visitors. Goal 1.0 Create a specific area master plan for the Town Center to coordinate public and private efforts in creating a place of vitality for residents and visitors. Objective 1. 1 Objective 1.2 Objective 1.3 Objective 1.4 Identify viable locations, quantity and type of retail or services appropriate to the Town Center. Explore all feasible mixed-use concepts for individual sites within the Town Center to encourage greater 24 hour occupancy in this area. Determine immediate priorities for improvements to the streetscape. Re-evaluate the proposed location of the future Civic Center and the potential contribution it will make to this area. Goal 2.0 Develop an Economic Development strategy for Fountain Hills. Objective 2.1 Objective 2.2 Objective 2.3 Establish and maintain supportive interactions for the retention and expansion of existing businesses, and facilitate communication and cooperation with the business community. Support the efforts of the local business community to create an Economic Development Plan that promotes a diversified and growing local economy. Establish a public/private economic development partnership and actively utilize resources available from each for plan implementation. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-18 May 6, 1993 ( ( L Objective 2.4 Objective 2.5 Explore means by which a more even distribution of the local tax load can be accomplished by utilizing specific types of taxes. Attract new retail and service businesses, especially those in under- represented categories, in order to help reduce expenditure leakages. Goal 3.0 Create a strong positive image for Fountain Hills to attract new residents and businesses. Objective 3. 1 Objective 3.2 Objective 3.3 Objective 3.4 Identify and prioritize key landmarks, gateways, nodes and travel routes for new improvements to enhance and express the community identity, including all major arterials that intersect with Shea Boulevard. Establish a cohesive community identity program through the enhancement of major access points, major roadway streetscape design, public amenity areas, design guidelines, and thematic character design of public and private development. Encourage quality residential and commercial development which embody all issues recommended herein, whereas these developments become sub-communities and must stand on their own as well as contribute to the whole. Establish an aggressive marketing program to establish a positive image for the Town of Fountain Hills as an ideal place in which to do business and to directly market targeted industries. Goal 4.0 Create an environment conducive to economic growth by providing the necessary incentives and support to businesses and by eliminating cumbersome and unnecessary regulations. Objective 4.1 Revise and stream-line the zoning ordinance emphasizing flexibility in the types of uses allowed in the commercial and industrial zones and encourage greater use of performance standards as a more effective approach to regulating land development. Goal 5.0 Capitalize on and promote Fountain Hills as a respite from urbanization but with the convenient access to metro Phoenix communities and the recreational destinations of the rivers, lakes, or the mountain recreational areas. Objective 5.1 Objective 5.2 Create attractions and services which are beneficial to those who are otherwise "passing through", and develop a tourism strategy to promote enhanced tourism. Demonstrate the opportunities of Fountain Hills to the potential destination resort or small convention hotel developers. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-19 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Objective 5.3 Objective 5.4 Analyze the appropriate and desired commercial activities along Shea Boulevard which support the "pass through" visitors. Support State, local and private sector visitor industry organizations on their promotional campaigns to encourage and strengthen the visitor industry. Goal 6.0 Preserve land and infrastructure needed to support economic growth. Objective 6.1 Prepare an infrastructure financing strategy and evaluate resources for completing the roads, sewers, utilities and other basic services necessary to support desired economic growth. Goal 7.0 Maintain a healthy balance between economic growth and environmental quality. Objective 7.1 Strengthen economic development program coordination with local cities and federal and State economic development agencies. 7.4 ASSESSMENT OF ECONOMIC TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY The retail and service business targets of opportunity identified below, stem from the market analysis conducted as a part of the economic base research. We have taken into consideration community input as well as Fountain Hills' economic development strengths and weaknesses and our own professional experience and information from Sunregion's data base. The Economic Development Problem Identification Section, and Strengths and Opportunity discussion is intended to provide general information about the planning team's view regarding Fountain Hills' business climate, labor force, quality of life, and general development climate in order to help answer some very important questions: • What factors in Fountain Hills' economy serve to encourage, or discourage, the retention and expansion of existing retail and services business? • What strengths or advantages are available in the community that would serve to encourage new firms to locate in the Town? • Similarly, what barriers or problems are present which might discourage firms from locating or remaining in Fountain Hills? How many of these can be remedied? (See section 7.2 for discussion on this issue). Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-20 May 6, 1993 ( ( l This review focuses on the most important of the components listed below in answering the questions posed above. • Operating Expense Components. • Operating Circumstance Components. • Quality of Life Components. Fountain Hill's particular interest should be in determining whether its strengths are environmental (that is, shared with a number of other communities in the region [i.e., climate]), or represent a unique opportunity which it can use to its advantage. With respect to problems, again the focus of interest should be on whether they are environmental (couldn't be altered or affected by the Town), or whether they are community-based, and subject to correction or mitigation. A) Major Retail/Service Business Strengths The Town possesses several significant business locational strengths. These include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Fountain Hills' pro-business atmosphere; Its growing population and labor force; A distribution of income skewed toward higher income levels; A good K-12 school system; Absence of a local sales tax; and A good mix of executive housing in a variety of price ranges. With respect to its labor force, Sunregion's analysis indicates that as much as two-thirds of the Town's employed residents presently commute to jobs outside the Town. Importantly, these individuals constitute a large pool of potential employees for new employers or business expansion within Fountain Hills. Other strengths include: 7. The availability of a range of basic retail goods and services; 8. Reasonably good accessibility to major goods and services providers in Scottsdale and Mesa; and, 9. The aesthetic beauty of the Town and its environs. Additionally, it is Sunregion's view that most business operating costs also are not significantly higher in Fountain Hills than in other locations in the Valley, and thus pose no threat to the expansion of existing business or the location of new business. All of these factors must be viewed as positive features for business retention, expansion and attraction. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-21 May 6, 1993 ( ( l There are also other factors to consider. As we noted earlier in Section 7.2, there are significant retail and services expenditure leakages from the Fountain Hills economy. Wh ile such a problem can cause consternation in local government and the business community, on the positive side these leakages provide opportunities for new businesses to serve underserved markets. Fountain Hills position in efforts to attract new and expanded business will also improve over the longer term , to the year 2000 and beyond, as improved access via the Beeline Highway and later the completion of the Outer Loop and Pima freeways occurs. The Town 's well known fountain has long been a scenic attraction to Valley residents and many other visitors, but its economic impact contribution can be buttressed through additional steps. In Sunregion's view the existing businesses along the Avenue of the Fountains would benefit if more retail/services business could be encouraged to develop at the approach to the Avenue of the Fountains, near Saguaro Boulevard. 8) Retail and Service Sector Opportunities Community survey research undertaken by Sunregion indicates that Fountain Hills residents feel the need for an additional variety of retail and service businesses in their_ community. The most frequently mentioned needs are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Department stores (i.e. K-Mart, Target, Wal-Mart, Ross); Movie theater; Restaurants (Chinese and other ethnics, Coffee Shop, High Quality); Clothing stores; Shoe repair services; Sporting goods; Resort/Motel; and, Improved quality of existing services. Other mentions included: 9. Building materials (i.e., Home Depot); 10. Computer Warehouse; 11. Childrens' museum; 12. Youth center; 13. Miniature golf; 14. Equestrian activities; 15. Notions; 16. Gas station; 17. Medical specialties; and, 18. Discount pet products; Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-22 May 6, 1993 ( ( l Sunregion has identified retail and service industry Targets of opportunity in Section 7.4.C. These are based on several factors, including: an analysis of the retail and services sectors where expenditure leakage is occurring; an assessment of the potential of businesses which are not currently represented in Fountain Hills and, Sunregion's own independent judgment. It is also important to emphasize that there may be other industries that have not been identified which could also find Fountain Hills a profitable business location. Our list by no means exhausts all the possibilities. Further, it is beyond the scope of this assessment to provide detailed feasibility studies for the opportunities identified. Our suggestions are based on the factors described above. Research conducted by specific firms in these industries could indicate that Fountain Hills may or may not meet all of their underwriting, market, and locational criteria. C) Targets of Business Opportunity In Fountain Hills New business opportunities which should be considered, as well as additional areas for retention and expansion opportunity, are listed below. No judgements have been made_ concerning whether or not these businesses are all compatible with community standards and desires, although these are certainly important questions to consider. 1. Automobile dealership 2. Building materials/hardware & related merchandise 3. Gasoline station 4. Home furnishings 5. Apparel stores 6. Auto repair shops 7. Restaurants 8. Health services 9. Barber shop 10. Commercial photography studio(s) 11. Hotel/motel Other Retail: 12. Shoes 13. Books/stationary 14. Jewelry 15. Sporting goods 16. Gifts/novelties 17. Florists Finally, although the opportunities mentioned above may prove to be more limited than others noted elsewhere, we also feel that it would be beneficial to contact business operators in the following areas as part of a broad-based marketing effort. These include: movie theaters; State, county, or federal government administrative services offices; and, Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-23 May 6, 1993 ( ( l discount department and variety stores (much of the retail expenditure leakage from the community could be addressed with the location of such an establishment). What is more, with the considerable leakage of amusement and recreational expenditures, it is possible that enough demand exists to support another community golf course. Such a facility would attract residents and non-residents alike. Generally speaking, efforts to attract these targets of opportunity should encompass carefully crafted marketing information with a unified theme aimed at the leading firms in the metro area and region. Key current demographic and economic data should be highlighted. Contacts should be made with the real estate departments of the target firms. Important factors to emphasize are the community's population growth, high median family income, educational facilities, and proximity to other growing northeast Valley communities. 7.5 IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM AND GUIDELINES The Implementation Action Program for the Economic Development Element of the Fountain Hills General Plan is presented on Table 7-16, Economic Development Implementation Action Program. The table is presented under the following five headings:_ Action Purpose Timeframe Initiation Lists the action necessary to carry out the General Plan. Identified the intent of accomplishing that particular action. Establishes the target 5-year priority within the 20-year planning horizon for implementation of the action. Responsibility Assigns the elected or appointed public body, agency, group, individuals or volunteers principally responsible to initiate the implementation action. Resources Lists potential funding, Town staff, volunteer or other community resources necessary to carry out the implementation action. The Planning and Zoning Commission should review and provide recommendations to the Town Council for revising the following Implementation Action Program on an annual basis in order to continue to pursue implementation of the Fountain Hills General Plan in an expeditious manner. The Director of the Community Development Department and staff-person responsible for General Plan implementation should monitor the status of each implementation action throughout the year and provide a general recommended framework to the Planning and Zoning Commission for annually updating the General Plan's Economic Development Implementation Guide. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-24 May 6, 1993 ,. ,----.. TABLE 7-16 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan ~ IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK Action 1.0 Establish an Economic Development marketing team. 2.0 Develop a marketing brochure which identifies types of business and financial assistance which is potentially available to small businesses locating in Fountain Hills. 3.0 Establish a business retention and expansion program. 4.0 Based on Action #1, contact individuals in representative target businesses. a. Incorporate carefully drafted marketing information with a unified theme aimed at the leading finns in the metro area and region. Purpose To implement a target business marketing plan. To describe the Fountain Hills market, re: size, purchasing power, key sites available for development/lease, and summary of business and financial assistance programs available. To understand the needs of community businesses through a census survey. To interest the Real Estate Department of the target finns in Fountain Hills. Town of Fountain Hills General Plan TIMEFRAME (years) 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 • • • • • • • 7-25 Initiation Responsi bi I ity Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council Chamber of Commerce, Commercial Real Estate Community Chamber of Commerce Commercial Real Estate Community Resources Chamber of Commerce, Community Development Department Staff Arizona Department of Commerce, Arizona Corporation Commission Securities Divisions Real Estate Community Community Development Department Chamber of Commerce, Community Development Department May 6, 1993 r Action 5.0 Develop a strategy for coordination with economic development offices of adjacent jurisdictions. 6.0 Develop a mechanism for evaluating the benefits of initiating sales tax. 7.0 Formal presentaion to prospects. ~ TABLE 7-16 (Continued) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PROGRAM Town of Fountain Hills General Plan ""' IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK TIMEFRAME (years) Purpose 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 To establish a local area • policy and business development network. To shift the burden of the • operation and future capital needs expenditures to a sales tax generated revenue stream. Create and update marketing • materials. Initiation Responsibility Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council Town Council Chamber of Commerce Resources Town Manager, Legal Counsel Chamber of Commerce Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 7-26 May 6, 1993 8.0 APPENDIX ( ( l Town of Fountain Hills General Plan May 6, 1993 ( ( l 8.0 APPENDIX 8.1 Support Documents The following reports were prepared by the VSA planning team as part of the General Plan Process, and contain further detail than is reported in the General Plan on their specific subject. VSA, General Plan Report # 1 -Identified Issues, March, 1992 VSA, General Plan Report #2 -Existing Conditions Analysis, March, 1992 VSA. General Plan Report #3 -Visions, Goals and Obiectives, April, 1992 Town of Fountain Hills General Plan 8-1 May 6, 1993