Land exchange moves forward despite objections

Payson Town Council meeting well attended

By Matt Brabb
Mogollon Connection Editor

The Payson Town Council took the first step to rezone land that was included in the Montezuma Castle Land Exchange, completed in 2008. The area, some 220 acres, is located west of the airport, on either side of Airport Road.

The council conducted a first reading and public hearing on the matter Thursday. If the measure is eventually passed, approximately 120 acres will be zoned for mostly low and medium density residential use, though 15 acres will be zoned for multi-family development. Most of the remaining acreage will be zoned for commercial or industrial use.

The council made a number of changes to the plan during the meeting, mostly based on input from members of the public. One modification was an agreement to monitor traffic in the area for two years rather than one to identify changes needed in infrastructure based on new development. They also added several traffic calming methods including narrowing roads to 24 feet, installing landscape islands and using stamped concrete within a proposed traffic circle, and for periodic rumble strips.

The meeting was well attended and several residents spoke to the council during the public hearing. Most were in favor of the change, with a few reservations, though the sentiment in favor of the measure was not unanimous.

Though generally in favor of the zoning changes, resident Don Evans brought up concerns about a scenic overlook that is included in the plan. He conceded that the overlook would be nice, but that “kid stuff, party stuff could be a problem.”

“I can see potential problems for houses right below it,” he said.

Another resident, Charlotte Casey, was the most ardent opponent of the ordinance to speak to the council.

“Some people think this is a done deal,” she said. “I hope there are other alternatives.”

Casey brought a petition with her that she had attached to a community mailbox for neighbors to sign who were against the measure due to an extension of Vista Road that is part of the proposal.

She said that a number of her neighbors had signed it in a very short amount of time.

“You know what we’re afraid of,” she told the council. “You never put a big busy street through a residential area.”

She predicted the result would be decreased property values, a loss of quality of life, and increases in air, noise and trash pollution.

“Payson is a jewel. Are you going to ruin it?” she asked the council, in closing her remarks.

Resident Dan Kealey told the council that most residents were not opposed to the development, but that he had grave concerns about the Sherwood Drive extension.

“I’m concerned with only one year of traffic monitoring, we might need to monitor it for five years,” he said, alluding to the fact that development in the area would almost certainly not be complete after only one year.

Councilor Ed Blair agreed, and said that it was very important that construction trucks do not use Sherwood.

Resident Jere Jerrell also expressed concern about the Sherwood extension.

“It’s important to control traffic from the beginning. If we had the best of everything we would prefer Sherwood not to go on at all, but that decision was probably made a long time ago,” he said.

Jerrell did however express appreciation to the town’s planning and zoning commission, and said that developers had recognized their input.

The council was amenable to suggestions from the citizens who spoke during the meeting.

“We need to take a look at all of the suggestions we received from the public tonight,” said Councilor Fred Carpenter at the close of the public hearing.