"Thomas Jefferson said a democracy is dependent on an informed citizenry. I don't care whether it sounds corny or not. It's the truth." -Jim Lehrer
Lyn,
Thanks for your continued monitoring of Carefree development and politics. I have lived in Carefree for 20 years and appreciate the information you provide.
I have a question about the “Reaction to Proposed Revisions Petition”. You state “A small group of residents in Carefree are demanding changes in the proposed Carefree General Plan . . .” and you go on to say, “In light of these concerns, it is important to eliminate the proposed changes identified above from the Carefree General Plan . . .” Are the changes you outlined already included in the proposed General Plan or is this group of residents trying to have them included in the General Plan?
I agree with your analysis that the proposed changes are not in the best interest of Carefree. What I don’t understand is the position of the Council and Baker International is on these demands.
Regards,
Tom Rohn
(Lyn's note: Hi Tom. I have not been involved with this iteration of the General Plan update due to my back surgery and knee replacement within the past year, although I served on the P&Z Commission since 2007 through a GP update, and was an audience of mostly one for the update before I was on P&Z, so I am quite familiar with the previous General Plans. None of these demands being made now by that small group have been in any previous GPs.
In my opinion, the one demanding the elimination of allowing living spaces on the second floor on commercial establishments is ridiculous. There have been people living on the second floor of some of those establishments for years, and it is a common practice throughout the U.S. We are originally from suburban Philadelphia, and I know it was common practice in our towns. I believe that clause would be considered a down-zoning, making the properties less valuable, and would certainly leave the Town open to lawsuits by the property owners.
I also don't believe it's even legal to down-zone a property owned by the State Land Trust, making that property less valuable when the Land Trust goes to sell it. As it stands now, that 48 acres has a zoning overlay that would allow for approximately 27-28 single family homes. Requiring it to be left as Open Space/Park would drastically reduce the value of that parcel. I can't imagine the State would take kindly to that, and I'm certain it would have to be reversed, with lawyers involved.
I cannot speak for others. To get the opinion of the Council and Baker International, you will have to contact the Town. But I have attended many years of Council workshops and meetings with involvement by Baker International. I never heard them suggest either of these demands that are being made by this small but very organized and vocal group of residents, nor have I heard them from any Council member over those years. My educated guess is that most of the Council members and Matt, the representative from Baker, do not favor these changes.)
Lyn,
Thanks for your prompt and very thorough response. I totally agree with you on the proposed changes. I will communicate that to the Council.
All my best,
Tom
The Kiwanis Club of Carefree is currently investigating new project possibilities to fund. They are asking organizations, businesses, and individuals to submit a request to fund projects of $50,000 and up. The Major Community Project/Funds Committee has been formed to evaluate these requests. The request form can be filled out online with the primary requirement that the project meets the mission of serving the kids in our Cave Creek/Carefree Community, and the Kiwanis Carefree goals and objectives.
The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2024.
To fill out the application visit kiwaniscarefree.org/community-project-request/ or to find out more about Kiwanis Club of Carefree visit kiwaniscarefree.org
The Kiwanis Club of Carefree is one of the largest Kiwanis clubs in the world, with over 150 members. Our focus is on helping children recognize and develop their potential. We support post-secondary scholarships, summer art programs, special needs support, youth service organizations and more.
Contact: Jen Miles – Tech 4 Life
Phone: 480-477-0773
Email: Jen@techfourlife.com
Thank you!!
Jen Miles Vice President, Digital Marketing Tech 4 Life
480-488-0773 x 20
Thanks for your continued monitoring of Carefree development and politics. I have lived in Carefree for 20 years and appreciate the information you provide.
I have a question about the “Reaction to Proposed Revisions Petition”. You state “A small group of residents in Carefree are demanding changes in the proposed Carefree General Plan . . .” and you go on to say, “In light of these concerns, it is important to eliminate the proposed changes identified above from the Carefree General Plan . . .” Are the changes you outlined already included in the proposed General Plan or is this group of residents trying to have them included in the General Plan?
I agree with your analysis that the proposed changes are not in the best interest of Carefree. What I don’t understand is the position of the Council and Baker International is on these demands.
Regards,
Tom Rohn
(Lyn's note: Hi Tom. I have not been involved with this iteration of the General Plan update due to my back surgery and knee replacement within the past year, although I served on the P&Z Commission since 2007 through a GP update, and was an audience of mostly one for the update before I was on P&Z, so I am quite familiar with the previous General Plans. None of these demands being made now by that small group have been in any previous GPs.
In my opinion, the one demanding the elimination of allowing living spaces on the second floor on commercial establishments is ridiculous. There have been people living on the second floor of some of those establishments for years, and it is a common practice throughout the U.S. We are originally from suburban Philadelphia, and I know it was common practice in our towns. I believe that clause would be considered a down-zoning, making the properties less valuable, and would certainly leave the Town open to lawsuits by the property owners.
I also don't believe it's even legal to down-zone a property owned by the State Land Trust, making that property less valuable when the Land Trust goes to sell it. As it stands now, that 48 acres has a zoning overlay that would allow for approximately 27-28 single family homes. Requiring it to be left as Open Space/Park would drastically reduce the value of that parcel. I can't imagine the State would take kindly to that, and I'm certain it would have to be reversed, with lawyers involved.
I cannot speak for others. To get the opinion of the Council and Baker International, you will have to contact the Town. But I have attended many years of Council workshops and meetings with involvement by Baker International. I never heard them suggest either of these demands that are being made by this small but very organized and vocal group of residents, nor have I heard them from any Council member over those years. My educated guess is that most of the Council members and Matt, the representative from Baker, do not favor these changes.)
Lyn,
Thanks for your prompt and very thorough response. I totally agree with you on the proposed changes. I will communicate that to the Council.
All my best,
Tom
The Kiwanis Club of Carefree is currently investigating new project possibilities to fund. They are asking organizations, businesses, and individuals to submit a request to fund projects of $50,000 and up. The Major Community Project/Funds Committee has been formed to evaluate these requests. The request form can be filled out online with the primary requirement that the project meets the mission of serving the kids in our Cave Creek/Carefree Community, and the Kiwanis Carefree goals and objectives.
The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2024.
To fill out the application visit kiwaniscarefree.org/community-project-request/ or to find out more about Kiwanis Club of Carefree visit kiwaniscarefree.org
The Kiwanis Club of Carefree is one of the largest Kiwanis clubs in the world, with over 150 members. Our focus is on helping children recognize and develop their potential. We support post-secondary scholarships, summer art programs, special needs support, youth service organizations and more.
Contact: Jen Miles – Tech 4 Life
Phone: 480-477-0773
Email: Jen@techfourlife.com
Thank you!!
Jen Miles Vice President, Digital Marketing Tech 4 Life
480-488-0773 x 20