PHOENIX — Communities near Pyramid Peak in north Phoenix are raising their voices against a 6,000-acre project that is happening south of a major tech company’s new facility.
The development is slated to be at the northern edge of the Stetson Valley neighborhood.
“NorthPark, as it’s currently proposed, would overwhelm our community. We’re really concerned that the rezoning doesn’t reflect responsible growth,” said Amanda McGowan, the Stetson Valley Owners Association board president.
This past summer, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, threw in their hat with Pulte Group to build a massive mixed-use development known as NorthPark.
The project would be located directly south of TSMC’s facility and would presumably be open to its employees.
“When we moved in, the zoning was for 6,000 homes,” said Don Diehn, the Stetson Valley Owners Association board vice president.
The Stetson Valley Owners Association says a new rezoning proposal would increase density from the current one dwelling unit per acre to about five per acre – that’s more than 15,000 homes.
Families in the area are worried about an increase in traffic, especially around their schools and crosswalks.
“We’re just mostly concerned about their safety as they commute to school. My son rides his bike, and others as they get older, they’ll be riding their bikes,” said Allison Bishop, who lives in Stetson Valley with her family.
“We’re not against development, what we’re against is irresponsible development in this area, right? We know that things change over time but the area that’s in question back there was slated to be a preserve, and that’s what we’re hoping they’ll maintain it,” said Jim Umlauf, a Stetson Valley resident.
And it is not just their neighborhood they are worried about. Happy Valley Road is already a busy thoroughfare, and residents say a NorthPark development could make it even more congested.
“It’s going to cause the same thing that we’ve seen at 43rd Avenue at our community right through the center of Stetson Valley,” said Brian Lewis, the treasurer of Stetson Hills Homeowners Association.
Residents are calling on Phoenix city leaders to lower the density proposals. They plan on attending several meetings to voice their concerns before heading to city council on December 17.
Upcoming Meetings Where Residents will speak out:
• North Gateway Village Planning Committee Informational Meeting – October 9 at 6 p.m., Goelet A C Beuf Community Center 3435 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027
• North Gateway Village Planning Committee Vote – November 13 at 6 p.m., Goelet A C Beuf Community Center 3435 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027
• City of Phoenix Planning Commission Vote – December 4 at 6 p.m., City Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St
• City Council Hearing – December 17 at 2:30 p.m., City Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St
ABC15 has reached out to the developer as well as TSMC for comment. We are awaiting their response.
