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Dynamite Foothills Character Area
Adopted by Scottsdale City Council March 21, 2000
Resolution #5492
the Dynamite Foothills Character Plan
This plan sets forth the long-term vision created for the Dynamite Foothills area through the character planning process. The goals and strategies in this report lay out the intentions for this area. A companion document to this Character Plan titled "Implementation Program" includes design and performance guidelines and potential city action items, illustrating some methods of attaining this Vision.
The Dynamite Foothills area is located generally between the McDowell Mountains on the south and the Lone Mountain Road alignment to the north, and east of 112th Street to the City boundary at 136th Street. (See the map to the right.)
The Dynamite Foothills Character Study is unique in that this area was examined in a partially-completed study a few years ago. When CityShape 2020 was initiated in 1994, the Dynamite Corridor/Area study was incorporated into the CityShape deliberations and recommendations. This character area study has provided an excellent opportunity to re-examine the issues and goals for this area of the city using the Guiding Principles and the character-based General Plan format from the CityShape 2020 recommendations.
Dynamite Foothills Character Area Study Process
The first phase of the Dynamite Foothills character area study involved research of existing conditions and projections of population, employment, and economics for this area of the city. The Dynamite Foothills Background report (January 1997) contains information on current ordinances and policies; environmental conditions; man-made conditions; the planning history of the area; and ownership patterns. The background report can be found in the Appendices document, Appendix B. This information was also presented at an open house, the first public participation opportunity in the character study.
In phase two of the character study, ideas, goals and issues were identified through a questionnaire of Dynamite Foothills residents, property owners, neighbors, and other interested persons (Appendix C), through discussions among an interdepartmental staff team, and through a Planning Commission retreat.
A second open house was held in May 1997 where the questionnaire results, and some of the goals and strategies, were presented. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and to make individual comments if they wished.
A Planning Commission public hearing was held in June 1997 to gather more input from interested citizens. During the rest of the Summer and into Fall the Planning Commission and city staff refined the goals and strategies of the Character Plan preparing for an October 1997 public hearing. The Planning Commission forwarded a recommendation to approve the Plan to the City Council.
A third open house was held in November to provide another opportunity for citizens to comment and ask questions. At a November public hearing City Council heard testimony and referred the Plan back to the Planning Commission with a request to bring forward the Character Plan and its Implementation Program at the same time. Two dialog sessions with citizens were held in December 1997 to identify issues to be addressed in the Implementation program. A fourth open house was held February 1998.
In April 1998, anticipating the Growing Smarter law from the state legislature, the City Council put a hold on the three active character area studies north of Deer Valley Road. In the Winter 1998 the studies were reopened, beginning with the Desert Foothills Character Area Study.
The character planning process is the first major step of a further planning process that may involve, for example: ordinance and guideline changes, character plan integration with the city budget, ongoing education and information programs and updates in order to achieve the goals envisioned in this plan. The companion documents to this Character Plan contain design and performance guidelines and action items for implementation, and appendices which outline the study process and background.
Dynamite Foothills Area Background & Planning
The Dynamite Foothills area is located in far northeast Scottsdale. To the north of the Dynamite Foothills area is a 15 square mile area of State Trust lands which has been designated as part of the Arizona Preserve Initiative (A.P.I.). (The Arizona Preserve Initiative indicates that these lands are suitable for sale for conservation purposes). North and northeast of the State lands, is the Tonto National Forest. To the west of the Dynamite Foothills area are the master planned communities of Troon Village, Troon North, Troon Ridge Estates, Desert Highlands, and the proposed Four Seasons Resort. To the south are the McDowell Mountains. To the southeast of the area is the Maricopa County-operated McDowell Mountain Regional Park. To the east is unincorporated Maricopa County land.
The majority of the Dynamite Foothills area was annexed to the City of Scottsdale from Maricopa County in the early 1980’s. Before being annexed by Scottsdale, this area was examined in the Maricopa County Desert Foothills Plan. Zoning for the area at that time was for low density, single family residential. Following annexation, a General Plan for this area was created, first as the Pinnacle Peak Interim Plan (1982) and then in the Scottsdale Foothills General Plan (1984).
A portion of the Dynamite Foothills area was rezoned to reflect the recommendations of the Scottsdale Foothills General Plan. The Tonto Foothills General Plan (1986) included areas previously examined in the Scottsdale Foothills General Plan, but encompassed land farther north than the previous General Plan did. The Verde Foothills Annexation Study (1990) examined Maricopa County lands to the east of 136th Street, including the proposed Scottsdale National project at the southeast corner of 136th Street and Dynamite Boulevard/Rio Verde Drive. Scottsdale National was annexed to the City in 1990, following the annexation study. A local infrastructure planning study for four (4) square miles at the south end of the Dynamite Foothills study area was done in 1990, however, recommendations from this study were not adopted by the City Council. In 1993, the Dynamite Corridor Study was initiated, a focus group provided guidance, and ultimately this study formed the basis for the Dynamite Foothills Character study. A large portion of the Dynamite Foothills Character area is included in the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Desert Spaces Plan, adopted by the MAG Regional Council in 1995. The Desert Spaces Plan identifies much of the study area as a conservation and retention area.
In 1996, the City Council appointed the Desert Preservation Task Force, which was charged with the mission:
"Recommend implementation of a strategic plan to preserve the Sonoran Desert and retain and enhance the unique character of our community."
The Task Force’s Strategic Plan (found in the Appendices document - Appendix D) was presented to City Council in April 1997, with definitions of meaningful desert open space, open space standards, trail recommendations, and a desert open space system (shown in a map to the right). The City Council directed staff to coordinate efforts and include the recommendations of the Desert Preservation Task Force in the Dynamite Foothills Character Area Plan. In 1998, the City Council approved the expanded Recommended Study Boundary for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve which includes those lands identified in the Desert Preservation Task Force Strategic Plan. The majority of this land in the desert open space system is under the jurisdiction of the State Land Trust. The Arizona Preserve Initiative allows local governments to request portions of State lands within their jurisdiction to be reclassified for conservation purposes. Scottsdale submitted their request for this land in late 1998. This request, if approved, would give the city the opportunity to purchase the land for conservation purposes and remove any potential for future development. It is anticipated that the review process will take well over a year. In the meantime, the voters of Scottsdale approved funding to acquire those lands with the sales tax dollars slated for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The total area proposed for natural desert open space is 36,400 acres or 1/3 of the city’s land area. Approximately 6 square miles of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Recommended Study Boundary lands are contained in the Dynamite Foothills Character area.
These previous studies are listed here to provide context for our knowledge and understanding of the area. Much of the groundwork for this character study was established through the findings of the previous works.