City of Maricopa Still Growth Leader
Even in a slowing market, homes are still under construction in Maricopa. In the month of March, the City of Maricopa issued 104 new single family residential permits. Out of 18 municipalities in the metro area it was second only to the City of Phoenix, which issued 253 permits. Next in line to Maricopa was the Town of Buckeye with 102, the cities of Chandler and Mesa with 64 each, Surprise with 63 and the Town of Gilbert with 62. Pinal County issued nearly three times the number of permits than Maricopa County. This data comes courtesy of the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona. |
State Route 347 safety projects start in January
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The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) will begin work this month (January) on several projects to improve safety along State Route 347 between I-10 and the City of Maricopa.
A left turn restriction will be put in place at the intersection of Old Maricopa Road and SR 347. Motorists traveling south on Old Maricopa Road will be restricted from making a left-turn onto SR 347 to head toward I-10. Motorists driving south on Old Maricopa Road will be required to turn right and continue south on SR 347 where they can then turn east on Riggs Road to reach I-10. Signs will be installed on SR 347 and Riggs Road to inform drivers to turn east on Riggs Road to reach I-10.
ADOT will add an additional left-turn lane at the I-10/Queen Creek Road traffic interchange. The addition of the left-turn lane will increase traffic flow heading west into Phoenix and is scheduled to be complete early spring 2008.
Several trees also will be removed along the highway. ADOT follows national safety standards to identify and remove trees greater than 4 inches in diameter and in a location that makes them more likely to be hit by an errant vehicle.
ADOT also will install new reflective pavement markings to mark lanes and shoulders on SR 347. The lane striping marks the final step to complete the repaving of SR 347 between I-10 and the City of Maricopa.
Crews will create roadway rumble strips along the shoulders of SR 347 as an added safety measure to alert drivers if they are drifting off the highway. | |
Maricopa Council/Mayoral candidates
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At the December 12 deadline for filing, the final list of candidates filing to be on the ballot for Maricopa City Council and Mayor contained two incumbents, some familiar names and one omission.
Mayor Kelly Anderson has decided not to run for reelection as mayor. He has future plans for a possible State position, as well as continuing on in his role as Board Member of the Greater Phoenix Economic Development Council, to which he was recently appointed. As the first elected mayor of Maricopa and a member of one of the founding families, Anderson has been instrumental in presenting Maricopa to businesses and the state in a positive light, as well as involvement with negotiations with the Union Pacific Railroad.
On the ballot for a City Council seat are: Marvin L. Brown, Carl Diedrich, Will Dunn (incumbent), Marquisha Griffin, Kelly Haddad (incumbent), Marty Hermanson, Robert Lewis, and Camerino Lopez.
Running unopposed for mayor is Anthony O. Smith, current chairperson of the City’s Planning & Zoning Commission, which makes recommendations on businesses planning to move to Maricopa prior to the Council’s approval. The primary election is March 11, 2008 and the general election will be held on May 20, 2008. Elected officials will begin their terms on June 2, 2008.
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Villages Elementary
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The Maricopa Unified School District and D.L. Withers Construction hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday October 30, 2007 at 10:30 am for the new K-5 elementary site located in the Villages at Maricopa. Speakers included Superintendent Dr. John Flores, Governing Board Vice President Tracy Davis, Neil Pieratt from Gilleland Brubaker Architects and Dan Withers from D.L. Withers Construction. Construction began approximately one month ago and the site is scheduled to open for students for the 2008-2009 school year. The school site is located on the corner of Honeycutt Road and Donithan Way in Maricopa. | |
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$33 million budgeted for next phase of high school |
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By Katherine Winkley |
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October 28 , 2007 |
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The budget for phase two of the Maricopa High School reconstruction was approved by the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board Oct. 24 (see related story). The total guaranteed maximum price for this phase of the project is just over $33 million.
Phase two includes 160,800 square feet of new construction. A two-story classroom building, administrative building, additional classroom wing and kitchen will be included. The construction of new baseball and softball fields, which were demolished in phase one, is also part of phase two.
Final phases of the project will include additional softball and baseball fields and a performing arts center.
Teacher Recruitment
To help fill the new classrooms at the high school, the board also approved a proposal for two teacher recruitment trips.
Designated representatives will travel to Illinois in November and February to participate in job fairs at universities throughout the state. Director of Human Resources Heidi Fawcett said she hopes the trips will prove successful in bringing teachers to Maricopa.
Fawcett said many teachers in Illinois have recently lost their jobs, and she looks to bring some of those teachers to Arizona. | |
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Pacana Park Getting Bigger; City encourages walking to school
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Pacana Park may be getting a new look. At the February 19th City Coincil meeting, SMarty McDonald, director of the Parks, recreation, and Libraries Department, delivered additional information about proposal by which the city would purchase ten acres of land adjacent to Pacana Park. The land, currently in the hands of El Dorado Holdings, will be sold to the Community of Hope church, which is also adjacent to the land to be acquired. The City will be able to purchase the ten acres at $70,000 an acre, almost $10,000 below market value.
Draft layout of the park's expansion
Some of the new additions include two new lighted soccer/football fields, covered armadas, service buildings, a children’s covered playground, trails, and space for additional parking. “More kids want to play,” said McDonald, “and we need a place to facilitate that.” McDonald also said that the expansion is not just to facilitate the 650,000 kids wanting to use it for sports and other recreation. It will also be a place where we can have larger festivals and more community events that can accommodate the growing city.
The park’s growth, however, is not without growing pains. Some people oppose the purchase because of possible parking conflicts. As part of the agreement, the Community of Hope will have permission to use the new parking as overflow parking for services and activities at the church. There are also those that question why the city would purchase land from the church, a second party, as opposed to the current owner of the land, El Dorado Holdings. Robert Olsen, a resident of Maricopa and an outspoken critic of the purchasing plan, questioned why the city is buying the land from a group that doesn’t currently own the land. He also questioned why the city has to pay a premium to get the land. Mr. McDonald responded that the Community of Hope will be purchasing 15 acres of land from El Dorado Holdings for roughly $65,000. Council Member Estes added that the church has it under contract that El Dorado would sell the land for worship purposes and the church has agreed to sell the land to the city. According to McDonald, the extra five acres would be used for primary parking and other church purposes. The shared parking agreement, also objected to by Olsen, is limited to overflow parking only.
Maricopa’s water is safe and continues to meet national standards of quality. So say Ed Borremeo, general manager of Global Water’s Maricopa facility, and Graham Simmons, their chief technical officer and senior vice president of regulatory affairs. The two once again spoke to the City Council regarding Maricopa’s water quality, specifically about the levels of uranium to be found. Borremeo assured the City Council and residents of Maricopa that the water they provide meets all the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, including the new regulations for contaminants like uranium. Global Water’s ongoing goal, said Simmons, is to ensure that Maricopa’s water “meets the high standards that we need.”
Simmons said there are about 90 safe drinking contaminants in the water, both naturally occurring and man-made. Ever since a concerned resident raised questions during a city council meeting in November about unsafe levels of uranium, Borremeo and Simmons have presented several times to the council that their test samples have shown the water provided is in full compliance. Even when the government imposed stricter guidelines pertaining to acceptable levels of uranium in the water, Simmons told the council they continue to be fully compliant. Information about Maricopa’s water quality, including uranium levels, will be sent out in their consumer confidence report to residents in June.
Ed Borremeo addressed water quality concerns
Borremeo and Simmons also responded to the Council’s questions regarding illegal grease dumping. Grease haulers have been illegally dumping grease into the city’s sewer system, allegedly using unsecured manholes during at night, at the outskirts of the city. Borremeo told the council that, as these haulers dump their grease hauls, it gets passed to the water treatment plant and turns into a “floating mass” that they then have to deal with. It is costly, said Borremeo, and, with some trucks dumping as much as 5,000 gallons at a time, is a big concern to them and the problems it causes for the water recycling process. They are working closely with county and law enforcement officials to find those responsible, said Borremeo, and will continue to update the City Council and residents.
Maricopa is joining with the national Safe Routes to School program to help fight childhood obesity. Moving Past Barriers, a study funded though the Arizona Department of Transportation, seeks to find and eliminate any obstacles keeping children from walking or biking to school. With childhood obesity almost three times higher now than even 25 years ago, it is important for children to get the exercise they need; walking and biking has been an excellent way for children to get exercise every day.
Douglas McCants, project manager for PBS&J, the engineering firm selected to administer the study. They sent surveys out to every household with children attending a Maricopa elementary school. Some of the results were eye-opening for both the administrators of the program and the City Council:
- 54% of the 500 respondents lived within one mile of their children’s’ schools; only 24% of their children walked or biked to school.
- The reasons for driving or carpooling their children to school instead of walking or biking, included the potential for violence or crime, the safety of the intersections, the speed of adjacent traffic, and the lack of bike storage space at the schools.
- 59% of all respondents said they would not allow their elementary school-aged children walk or bike to and from school.
Moving Past Barriers, said McCants, seeks to change the attitudes of parents, so more feel comfortable allowing their children to get to school walking or by bicycle. A draft of the Maricopa Safe Routes to School program has been sent to city and school officials for comments and review. McCants said they hope to use all input to forge a plan that would not only improve and increase the number of routes children can take, but to continue to work with the City, developers, the police and fire departments, and parents in developing school safe route maps to school for students, improving infrastructure that inhibits walking or biking, and finalize a sustainable plan for the future
One of Maricopa’s own has won a $1,000 scholarship through the Central Arizona Project. Rachel Turner, a home-schooled 9th grader, was selected as Cap’s Pinal County high school winner after completing a three-level water education contest called H204U. The purpose of the contest was to educate middle and high school students on Central Arizona Project and the fundamental role that the Colorado River plays in supplying and sustaining Arizona’s water supply. As part of the contest, the winner’s school wins a new computer. Because Rachel is home schooled and took part of the contest using a computer at the Salvation Army, the Maricopa Salvation Army won the computer. This is the second year in a row for the Salvation Army to win a computer throughout his program; Rachel’s brother won it last year.
$1.7 million may be coming from the government to Maricopa to help pay for Maricopa’s budding mass transit system. Brent Billingsley, Maricopa Transportation Director, came before the City Council to ask for approval to apply for a section 5311 grant through the Arizona Department of Transportation. While Billingsley doesn’t know how much they will give, it will be enough to pay for a 12-month program. This transportation grant may help alleviate the amount of traffic using State Route 347, especially at rush hour. Approval was given unanimously to proceed in seeking the grant; the city has agreed to help share the cost of the program with ADOT. The amount the city will put forth will depend on the grant amount.
The City Council took a milestone step today towards bringing an airport to Maricopa. The City Council approved the selection of a site for the proposed Maricopa Airport. The selected site currently houses the Estrella Glider Facility and is the preferred site for the new airport. Ed Beauvais, the Director of Aviation for the city and Steve Bensen with Coffman Associates, presented their findings during phase two of the Airport Feasibility Study. Bensen and Beauvais have been working with the council and the design team to bring this economic boost to Maricopa. Coffman Associates, based in Missouri, is one of the country’s leading experts in airport development. They have spent the last year looking at the community, evaluating the type of airport needed, and also finding sites for the project. With Phase II completed and approved, Coffman will proceed to Phase III, a financial analysis. This step will examine the development and operating costs associated with an airport.
After telling the Council that the City is looking at a $7 million budget shortfall for the current fiscal year two weeks ago, Roger Kolman, finance director for the City, returned to the council to present his recommendations for resolving the budget shortfall and bringing the City back into the black. Kolman said his department will be “tightening the belt” to keep the government operating through until the end of the fiscal year. While departments, such as the fire and police departments, will also be dealing with a reduced budget, there will be no drop in the level of service to residents.
A new carbon dioxide processing facility is coming to a part of Maricopa. Kazi Haque, senior planner for the project has been working closely with the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as Amy Haberbosch, director of planning and community development, to build a Reliant Processing Carbon Dioxide (CO-2) Facility in Maricopa.
The site is located south of Cowtown Road and east of White & Parker Road in eastern Maricopa. It will be a planned addition to the current ethanol plant and will be one of the first of its kind in the United States. There have been some concerns as to the safe transportation of some of the more dangerous by-products of CO-2 production, especially the aqueous ammonia. However, the planning team is working closely with Brent Billingsly, the Maricopa Public Safety Committee, and the Planning and Zoning Commission to develop safe transportation routes and emergency leak plans.
Maricopa’s leadership is going to the Biosphere 2. Once again the City is taking a leading role at the 21st Annual Pinal County Town Hall, which will take place at Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona. The theme of this year’s meeting is "The Greening of Pinal County: Conserving for Future Generations". It will focus on sustainability in the desert..
The Mayor also recognized a few of the girls taking part in the “Suite 16” reality show, currently in the audition process here in Maricopa. The Mayor will formally introduce tem and explain the show at the March 4th City Council Meeting. Anyone interested in learning more about the reality show is encouraged to attend.
The City Council adjourned the meeting at 8:26 pm.
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City Redevelopment Plan Continues
The second public forum to discuss the proposed redevelopment district was held Tuesday, January 29th, 2008, at Global Water. The turnout was large, and people wanted answers. City of Maricopa Management Assistant Danielle Casey started the meeting with a power point presentation to answer many of the questions that were raised at the first meeting.
A redevelopment district is an area designated by the Mayor and Council as being in need of revitalization. The redevelopment plan lays out broad goals and guidelines for the area to be revitalized. Currently the area is designated as a special planning area in the general plan, but no goals or guidelines have been developed.
Per the city planners, the redevelopment district would improve quality of life by bringing businesses in so the residents can shop locally, bring jobs to the community and help improve the infrastructure of the area. Also, existing property owners will be able to participate in the development specific to the area that will help define Maricopa.
In answer to questions raised at the first public meeting about property condemnation and eminent domain, the City Planners cited AZ State laws that prohibit city to declare eminent domain for the purposes of economic development. Eminent domain can be used for public uses like roads and utilities whether the area is a development district or not.
These are the types of development the City is trying to attract to the community.
*Health and Wellness
*Clean and green technologies & Jobs
*Regional aviation
*Higher Education
*Business and professional services
*Hospitality and visitor attraction
*Retail and Entertainment
If the Council moves forward in designating this area as a slum/blight in need of redevelopment, a plan will be developed and there will be an opportunity for public discussion and input.
Questions and comments from the large resident turnout centered on possibilities of loosing their homes or businesses and if this does happen how would they be compensated and relocated. It was said that compensation would be at current rates and relocation would be part of the process. Other people asked about the property values of their homes if they are designated in a slum or blight area and were told that during the process of redevelopment this would not devalue their properties.
Council member Will Dunn reminded the crowd in attendance that their input is valued and the people in the redevelopment area will have to vote for the plan. Planning Director Amy Haberbosch said after the meeting had adjourned that the whole process is a key tool to help existing or future homeowners and business owners in the area have a say in improving their community. | |
Five Star Service Without Breaking the Bank
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Few things can make you feel like home more than a sizzling grill, a cold beer and your team on a big screen TV. And now, there is a place in Maricopa where you can have the experience without the mess – in fact, you are encouraged to drop your peanut shells on the floor. Opening Monday, January 28th is the newest edition in casual dining to Maricopa – Teakwoods Tavern & Grill. Located in the Fry’s shopping center, Teakwoods promises to feed you, serve you, and help you to unwind from your day.
For about $30.00, a couple can eat a full dinner with appetizers and drinks. All of the food is fresh – prepared “from scratch.” With a menu of 108 items, there is sure to be something for the whole family. Watching your weight? Teakwood offers many healthy and lean items, including a special “Atkins Plate.” While you wait for your food to be served, snack on peanuts provided at every table while you watch the premier sporting event on one of 12 42” HDTV’s mounted throughout the dining room and bar. Or, on the evenings when our weather is at its finest, dine out on the patio with a roaring fire in the centralized fire pit.
This is the second location for Teakwoods. A location in Gilbert has been in business for 5 years, and is met with critical acclaim for quality service on a regular basis. This newest location in Maricopa will offer the same bill of fare, extending the same service that has become a benchmark in the Gilbert community. Owner/operator Tommy Celluro guarantees a standard of “Five Star Service in a casual, sports-themed atmosphere.”
The restaurant crew, headed by Restaurant General Manager Alison Anders, is made up almost entirely of Maricopa residents, providing more local jobs to the community as well as a quality dining experience. Mr. Celluro is also planning to spice up the local night life with live music and special events for big ticket sports events and holidays. On your average evening out, there are as many as 15 food specials, as well as different drink specials daily. Visit from 3:00 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for happy hour, or every Tuesday night from 9:30 to close for Guest Appreciation night when you can get any beer for $2, or any drink from the bar for $3.
For a great dining experience without the trip to I-10, check out the new Teakwood Tavern & Grill. The full menu is available online at www.teakwoodstavern.com. | |
FEDERAL FLOOD INSURANCE NOW AVAILABLE IN MARICOPA
The City of Maricopa has joined over 20,000 communities nationwide that are allowed to purchase federally-backed flood insurance. This availability follows the community's adoption and enforcement of ordinances to reduce flood losses and acceptance by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
On December 27, 2007, two years after submitting the required paperwork, the City of Maricopa became a participant in the NFIP. This means that property owners in the City of Maricopa will be able to purchase flood insurance up to the limits under the Regular Phase of the program; for single-family dwellings, the limits are $250,000 for building coverage and $100,000 for contents coverage. Renters are able to purchase contents coverage to protect personal belongings. Commercial properties limits are $500,000 for both building and contents. Property owners wishing to take advantage of this program should be aware that there is a 30-day waiting period before the flood insurance coverage goes into effect.
Lenders must require borrowers whose properties are located in a designated flood hazard area to purchase flood insurance as a condition of receiving a federally backed mortgage loan in accordance with the Federal Disaster Protection Act of 1973.
The NFIP is implemented through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There are over four million flood insurance policies in more than 20,000 participating communities nationwide. |
Clydesdales come to Maricopa
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City Manager Contract Approved |
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In a meeting with many critical items, the last agenda item on the December 18 City Council meeting was approval of the new city manager’s contract being offered to Kevin Evans. Evans will be starting his three-year appointment on January 21, 2008. Kevin Evans has been the city manager of Huntsville, Texas, a city with 40,000 residents near Houston, since 2004. As such, he oversees a budget of $57.4 million and 276 full-time employees. He earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration from West Texas State University, now West Texas A & M University. He was also the city manager of Ardmore, Oklahoma, from 1992-1997; Athens, Texas from 1984-1992; Seymour, Texas from 1982-1984; and Shamrock, Texas, from 1978-1979. The City Council chose Evans from a field of over 50 candidates through a nationwide search, which also included a citizen panel and staff group who offered input on the finalists.
Mayoral candidate Anthony Smith was almost named to fill the vacancy on the City Council. When former Council Member Stephen Baker submitted his resignation, Mayor Anderson requested that the position be filled on an interim basis and called for applications for the position. At the meeting, Council Member Will Dunn suggested that the Council name Smith. Smith, “truly honored,” declined the honor. The Council moved on with the selection process, hearing remarks from five potential candidates. Ultimately, Dallas Paulsen was chosen to fill the city council vacancy created by former Council Member Stephen Baker’s relocation to Safford, Arizona. Dallas Paulsen, a regular at City Council meetings and a four-year resident of Maricopa, will now be an interim council member until an elected member is seated in June, 2008. Paulsen later stated that he would “bring an open mind and contribute to the city.”
Land annexation was the focal point of discussion between the Council Members, the Mayor and Vice Mayor, and residents of the land to be annexed. Council Member Will Dunn addressed the attendees at the start of the annexation discussion. Nicole Dailey, Annexation 07-01 project manager, presented the progress of the project and responded to questions from the City Council and many of the residents of the proposed affected areas. Dailey and the annexation project staff have tried to get as much community input and involvement as possible. According to both Dailey and Dunn, there are many residents who want to become part of Maricopa, while others do not. Dunn said that the Council should not move ahead of the wishes of the people. Because there has been a resistance to the annexation in the southern section of the proposed area, annexation will now be phased in with the current southern boundary to be Bowlin Road, instead of the previous southern boundary, Val Vista Road. More meetings with residents are planned and annexation project staff and the City Council will continue working with them to find the best solutions to all issues facing both the City and the citizens living in the annexation areas. “We’ve listened; we’ve heard what you’re saying; and we’re moving appropriately,” said Dunn.
Danielle Casey, Maricopa Economic Development Department, presented an update on their progress. Many initiatives are in process to bring in more business to Maricopa, retain and show appreciation to the business already operating in Maricopa, and make it easier to find funding for more public projects that would help increase the City’s overall economic development. “Shovel-ready sites” – commercial land ready for development - will help bring more new business to the city while “fast-track permits” will get permits to the developers in as little as 90 days. In addition, the Economic Development Department is looking for input from all Maricopa residents on the selection of a new, uniquely Maricopa logo. Three different designs are ready for input and, once selected, will allow the Board to move ahead in designing color schemes, signage, and other associated items to give the city its own feel. To give input on the City’s new logo designs, visit their website at: http://www.maricopamatters.com .
To allow more financing options for economic development, the Council approved incorporation of an Industrial Development Authority (IDA). An IDA board was nominated by Council Members and will review development projects, offering recommendations to the City Council for their approval. Named to the IDA were: Marshall Stone, Jake Romero, Cecilia Ashe, Doug Greer, Scott Helsel and Phil Nesbihal.
After hearing statements from candidates wishing to serve in the volunteer positions of Planning & Zoning Commissioners and Parks, Recreation and Library Committee, the Council Members nominated and approved the following: For the P&Z Commission: (3-year terms) Bruce Houghton, Tom Bradbury and Courtny Tyler; for PRL Committee (2-year terms): Joe Griffin, Nancy McTighe and Kristen Trussel.
Gina D’Abella, Executive Director of Environmental Concerns Organization (ECO), addressed the Council. With recent and, sometimes, heated debate over zoning changes and changes to Maricopa’s General Plan, D’Abella felt it was important to “maintain the balance” between future development and Maricopa’s existing local interests, such as the popular equestrian trails in southern Maricopa. “Equestrian community trails are very popular,” said D’Abella, “and people from all over the country and from all over the world come to enjoy them.” ECO is a non-profit corporation based in Maricopa dedicated to making Maricopa and the world more self-sustaining. D’Abella is also the founder of the Recycling Association of Maricopa.
Prior to the regular meeting, Global Water presented information regarding the safety of Maricopa’s water supply, which was questioned at the previous meeting. Global Water’s engineer, Graham Symmonds, assured the audience that the water supply is in compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act regulations for all contaminants, including uranium, which had been questioned. Symmonds stated that of “public health, personnel, environment and equipment” that public health was their first priority and they strive for the “maximum amount of transparency” in their compliance.
The meeting was adjourned to Executive Session at 9:05 p.m. for an annual review of the City Attorney. | |
Pinal officials want countywide Wi-Fi
Lynh Bui The Arizona Republic
Nov. 19, 2007 12:00 AM
PINAL COUNTY - The rural communities of Pinal County could soon get pulled into the digital age.
Many of the county's small cities and towns can only access the Internet through telephone lines, a method widely considered slow and inefficient. But county officials and other leaders have been working to develop a Wi-Fi cloud over the entire county. They hope providing residents access to high-speed Internet will improve education and quality of life.
"It's designed to level the playing field for our residents," said David Snider, chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.
The goal is to have all populated areas of the county wired by fall 2009. If the plan is successful, Pinal County could be the first in the nation to provide countywide Wi-Fi access for an area of its size.
Communities that want to stay competitive economically need to ensure telecommunications networks are considered as important as utilities such as sewer and water, said Andrew Clegg, business development representative for the Central Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation. Everything from small businesses to major corporations needs reliable and quick access to the Internet or they take their high-paying jobs to other communities, he said.
The Wi-Fi access in Pinal County would be treated like any other city or county-provided utility. The government would run and maintain the network, while residents would subscribe for a monthly fee. Officials currently estimate that residents would pay $29.95 a month, while business rates would start at $39.95 a month.
Public-private partnerships between several county, state and national agencies are funding the Wi-Fi initiative.
In June, Superior became the first Pinal County town to develop a complete Wi-Fi network. The project was paid for with help from the Arizona Department of Commerce, Pinal County, Superior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and several local businesses. The same type of collaboration is expected in order for the network to spread throughout the county.
In September, Pinal County received a $190,000 grant from the USDA to start the next phase of the broadband project, which involves bringing high-speed Internet access to all of Eloy.
Technicians are planning to start building a Wi-Fi network in Eloy in January, and the town is expected to be completely wired by April. After that, officials will start expanding the network through eastern Pinal County. |
A Phoenix-based investment team announced it plans to build a 240-acre rock and roll theme park in Pinal County intended to rival Orlando's Disney World complex and Busch Gardens amusement parks across the country. The $800 million project, which is proposed to include a luxury hotel and retail space, would be known as Decades Music Theme Park. One of the consultants for the project was a project manager of Disney's Epcot Center. Key state lawmakers seem intrigued by the proposal, said Kevin DeMenna, a lobbyist who is pushing for legislation that would help provide bond funding for the park. Jason Rose, a spokesman for the project, declined on Wednesday to identify the private investors who intend to help support Decades. The park would be in Eloy, with roller coasters and other rock-themed rides divided into sections associated with music through the decades, starting in the 1950s. With the state's usual tourism base and with residents of Phoenix and Tucson nearby, Decades could attract at least 5.4 million visitors annually, according to Peter Alexander, the Epcot project manager and a consultant who worked on other parks, including Disneyland and the Six Flags chain.
Eloy is about 65 miles from downtown Phoenix and 60 miles from downtown Tucson.
"It's the only large metropolitan market . . . that doesn't have a theme park," Alexander said of the Phoenix area. "Obviously, it's the perception that it's too hot here." But the heat index in the area averages 93 degrees in July compared with 92 in Orlando, home to Disney World, Alexander said. And Orlando was a sleepy town before the park opened there, he added. While it remains to be seen whether the project can attract the financial support to begin, other landmark plans for the state have floundered.
Political action needed
Arizona's theme-park laws would have to be rewritten to allow Pinal County to establish a locally controlled district with bonding authority, DeMenna said. If approved, it would allow the park's builders access to a $1 billion state fund for theme-park construction, he said. Sales taxes that could reach 9 percent at the park would help repay the project's construction costs.
State Sen. Rebecca Rios, D-Apache Junction, said she was thrilled with the concept of the project in her district, especially because the bonds would be repaid by revenue the park generates from sales. "At this point I haven't been able to see any downside," she said. Rios said she assumes the Legislature would be open to revising the amusement-park law to include Pinal County after similar revisions for proposed projects in Williams and the West Valley. Lionel Ruiz, a Pinal County supervisor whose district would include the park site, was more guarded. "We had some other inquiries, and none of them materialized," he said of the county. "But there could be some merit to it. Nowadays, I don't think anything is too farfetched." Eloy Mayor Byron Jackson said he is urging his Town Council to support the project. He said the project seems better planned and more serious than others he has seen, in part because Decades already has the land.
The project could create about 3,000 jobs to build the park and about 5,000 jobs when it opens. Developers hope to open by July 2012.
Similar to S.C. park
Next spring, Myrtle Beach, S.C., expects to open Hard Rock Park, a 140-acre, $400 million rock and roll theme park affiliated with the Hard Rock Café.
Like the Decades plan, Hard Rock is divided into different sections based on genres of music. Decades is positioned as the West Coast counterbalance to Hard Rock, which is owned by another investment group. Martin West, creative director of Decades, said he first envisioned a rock-themed amusement park more than a decade ago. He and Alexander publicly discussed the proposed theme park just a day after Mesa voters easily approved a land sale that helps clear the way for Waveyard, a water-sports resort development.
While generally declining to discuss their potential investors, West did say that Gene Simmons of Kiss expressed interest in a possible coffee shop at the park. Decades' design plans include an 850-room luxury hotel on the park's grounds as well as at least 120,000 square feet of retail space. West envisions an amphitheater similar to the former Compton Terrace in Phoenix and a 5,500-seat indoor concert hall. Attractions could include an MTV logo in the center of the park intended to resemble the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris and busts of rock legends reminiscent of Mount Rushmore. To cope with the desert heat, Alexander said lines can be shaded or include misters. The park also plans to include water rides. Rose said the area around Eloy sits on an aquifer that has actually gained water supply in recent years as the agricultural industry has slowed in the region. Rose said licensing agreements with the various musical artists are among the details that need to be worked out if the state provides help with the legislation.
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