Growth Areas Element Page 153

Introduction

Since1967,thecityofScottsdalehasdiligentlyprepared,adopted,implementedandupdateditsGeneralPlanasaguideforanticipating,anddirectingtheinternalandexternaleconomic,physical,socialandpoliticalinfluences affecting growth of the community. The General Plan has been a guideforthedevelopmentofbothprivateandpubliclandslocatedwithinthecity.Scottsdaleimposesstringentdevelopmentregulationsandstandardsonalldevelopmentthatoccursinthecommunity.Thispracticehasresultedinanationallyrecognized,high-qualitybuiltenvironmentandhascontributedtomakingthecity,allthemore,atargetofopportunityforbusinessesandfamiliesalike.

Duringthelastdecadeofthe20thCentury,thecityofScottsdaleunderwentthemostintensegrowthperiodofitshistorywiththedevelopmentofnearly 38,000 new dwelling units and the resulting inflow of 82,700 new citizens.Theabsorptionandmanagementofanaverageannualincreaseinthecommunity’shousingstockof4.5%andanaverageannualpopulationincreaseof5.1%,sustainedfor10years,createsdemandsonmunicipalphysical and financial resources that can be difficult to confront and satisfy andcanbeaproblemtomaintainthequalityoflifestyletowhichthecommunity’sresidentsandvisitorshavebeenaccustomed.

Growth Areas he remaining developable capacity of the city of Scott-sdale will be fulfilled through a rational, managed, and timely process that is the result of public participation and endorsement. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve will be acquired and managed for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. The many diverse neigh-borhoods and lifestyles that comprise the unique fabric and character of Scottsdale will be protected and enhanced, and a sense of community, shared among residents across the city, will be both obvious and admired. The composition and strength of the community’s economy will assure healthy and prosperous levels of employment, income, and work-ing environment for both local and commuting labor forces. Intermodal transportation systems will be established and operated to improve the efficient movement of people and goods to, from, and within the community within acceptable and affordable physical and environmental standards.

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Duringthissameperiod,thePhoenixmetropolitanareawasthe2ndfastestgrowinglargemetropolitanareaintheUnitedStates.Thissituationhasleadto increasing construction and commuter traffic, dust, noise, pollution, and thelossoffarmandranchlandandnaturalopenspacetotheurbanizationprocess.Bothlong-timeresidentsandnewcomershavebeenexasperatedwhentheyperceivethatthechanges,diminution,andlossofthecharacterandqualityoflifethatoriginallyhadattractedthemtothisdesertsettingwereunacceptableandpreventable.

Also,duringthissameperiod,thecitizensofScottsdaleauthorizedthecitytoacquire36,000acresoflandtobepreservedasnaturalopenspaceforalltimeintheMcDowellSonoranPreserve.Whentheapprovedopenspaceacquisitionprogramiscompleted,andallremainingdevelopablecapacityofScottsdalehasbeendevelopedinaccordwiththelandusesanddensitiesoftheScottsdaleGeneralPlanLandUseElement,therewillbeapproximately280,000citizenslivingwithinthecommunity,andmorethan40%ofthetotallandareawillbeinbothnaturalandrecreationalopenspace.Thecitywillhaveanaverageof170acresofopenspaceper1,000householdsinthecity;anoverallpopulationdensityof1,500peoplepersquaremile;andanoverallresidentialdensityofabout1.13dwellingunitsperacre,allofwhichwillmakeScottsdaleoneoftheleastdenselydevelopedcommunitiesofitssizeintheUnitedStates.

Development that has occurred in Scottsdale cannot be defined, correctly, as ‘sprawl.’ ‘Sprawl’ is defined as ‘unplanned, haphazard, uncontrolled, unserviced,disconnecteddevelopment.’DevelopmentinScottsdalehastakenplaceexactlywhereitwasplannedaccordingtotheLandUseElementof the General Plan, first adopted in 1967 and periodically updated through today.Theareasareservicedwithallcityutilities;majorstreets,collectors,sceniccorridors,parkways;publictransportationinareasofconcentrateddevelopment;equestrian,biking,andhikingtrails;parks,playgrounds,aquaticcenters,communitycenters,youthandseniorcenters,libraries;publicsafetyand crime prevention services and facilities including fire, police, airport safety, and nationally acclaimed flood control systems; and city government andadministrativefacilitiesandCitizenServiceCenters.AlthoughavalidargumentcanbemadethattheextremegrowthinScottsdale

Higher Density Areas Impacts and OpportunitiesHigh density is generally regarded as having a negative impact on the city’s infrastructure and services; however, placing higher densities in certain areas, such as downtown, may promote the use of transit, which in turn would mean fewer cars on the road and less pollution in the community. Additionally, some in our community may believe high densities are preferable to sprawling, which can be an inefficient way of distributing services.

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overthelasttenyears(1990’s)hasbeenmanageableand,basically,inaccordandcompliancewiththecommunity’sadoptedGeneralPlan,therecanbenodenialthatthereisastrongpublicperceptionthatthedevelopmentprocessanditsresultshavebeennegative.Ifpublicsupportofthefuturegrowthofthecityistoberestored,itwillbenecessarytomakeacollaborativeandmoredetailed,criticalexaminationandevaluationoftheopportunitiesandconstraintsaffectingthetempo,styleandnatureofcontinuingurbanizationand the efficiency and character of Scottsdale’s neighborhoods. Furthermore,itisimportanttounderstandthetotalityofphysical,social,emotional, economic and fiscal impacts on the sense and character of the community,thevisionofitsresidentsandvisitors,thenaturalenvironmentwithinwhichwemustcoexist,andthesustainabilityofallthatwevalue.

TheGrowthAreasElementapproachesgrowthmanagementfromaperspectiveofidentifyingthoseareasofthecommunitythataremostappropriatefordevelopmentfocus.Havingcertain“growthareas”ofthecommunitythatwillbestaccommodatefuturegrowthwillallowincreasedfocusoncreatingorenhancingtransportationsystemsandinfrastructurecoordinatedwithdevelopmentactivity.Inthe“growthareas”thecitycanconcentrateonimprovementsthatwillsupportplannedconcentrationofavariety of uses (mixed uses), such as residential, office, commercial, tourism, andindustrialuses.Growthareasareintendedtodiscouragesprawlbyfocusingnewdevelopmentintotargetedareasthataremostappropriateforintegratingopenspaces,naturalresources,accommodatingavarietyoflanduses,andorientedtomulti-modal(transit,pedestrian,bicycling,aswellasautos,etc.)activity.Growthareasarenot“urbangrowthboundaries”.Urbangrowth boundaries are typically specific geographic boundaries within an area thatsetdownouterlimits(boundaries)fornewdevelopmentorinfrastructure.Growth areas are not prohibitive to new development, but target it to identified areas,andtheymaynotbecontiguoustoeachother.

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Scottsdale Values ... Continuinggrowth,development,revitalization,andredevelopment

withinthecityofScottsdalethatembracesthecommunity’sstatedvisionandguidingprinciples.

Growthandexpansionthatisdirectedandsustainedinareaswithinthecitywithoutovertaxingthemunicipality’sexistingandplannedservicesystemsandphysicalinfrastructure,andwithoutseriouslyimpactingthehealth,safety,comfort,convenienceandgeneralwelfareofneighboringresidentsandguestsofthecommunity.

Meaningfulopenspaceasacommunityamenity,fromsmallneighborhoodparksandsceniccorridorstothelargeMcDowellSonoranPreserve.

Thequality,health,anddiversityofScottsdale’seconomy,supportedthroughcontinuingprogramsofretention,enhancement,andcommunitypartnershipdevelopment.

Management of the finite and renewable environmental, economic,social,andtechnologicalresourcesofthecommunitytoensuretheirsustainabilityandavailabilitytoservefutureneeds.

Multi-modalsolutionsthatwillsupportthediversemovementandcirculationrequirementsofallsocioeconomiccomponentsofourcommunity in ways that are efficient, affordable, and environmentallycompatible.

Therecognitionandsupportoftheconstitutionally-guaranteedprivatepropertyrightsandoppositiontoanypracticeorprogramthatwouldresultinaviolationofthoserightsorthetakingofpropertywithoutdueprocessandequitableresolution.

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Goals and Approaches1. Direct and sustain growth and expansion in areas of the city that

can support a concentration of a variety of uses and are particularlysuitable for multimodal transportation and infrastructure expansionand improvements.

• Promote infrastructure expansion where it will be most efficient andeffective and minimizes adverse impacts outside the identified areas.

• Identifyexisting,measurableedgesofgrowthareasandthetransitionsbetweenadjacentgrowthareas.

• Promotethecoordinationofinfrastructuredevelopmentandupgradewith opportunities for infill development and development activitywhereitwillencourageamixofusesandsupportpedestrianandtransitactivity.

• GivepriorityintheCapitalImprovementsPlan(CIP)toupgradesandimprovements that serve identified growth areas.

• Createtechniquesthatallowformixed-useactivitywithindesignatedgrowthareas.

• Define policies and implementation strategies designed to:- makeinfrastructureexpansionmorecost-effective;- provideforarationalpatternoflanddevelopment;and- identifyandsupportopportunitiesforregionalconnectivity.

2. Make automobile, transit, and other multimodal circulation moreefficient.

• Encouragephysicalplanninganddesigntechniquesthatfacilitatetheaccesstoanduseoftransitservicesandpedestrianamenities.

• Makeinfrastructureexpansionmoreeconomicalbyconcentratingitinidentified growth areas and coordinating it with development activity.

• Provideforarationalpatternoflanddevelopment,coordinatedwithamultimodalcirculationsystem.

3. Conserve significant natural resources and open space areas in thegrowth areas and coordinate their locations to similar areas outsidethe growth areas.

• Achievemeaningfulopenspaceasanintegralpartofactivitycoresand conserve significant natural resources and open space areas withingrowthareas.

• Provideopenspacesindesignatedgrowthareasthatencouragepublicgathering,enhanceaesthetics,preserveviewsheds,andserveasbuffersbetween uses of significantly differing function and intensity.

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4. Promote the public and private construction of timely andfinancially sound infrastructure expansion through the use ofinfrastructure funding and fiscal planning that is coordinated withdevelopment activity.

5. Identify legal mandates and policies concerning future growth,development, revitalization, redevelopment, and expansion of publicinfrastructure and facilities, services and crime prevention withinthe municipal boundaries.

6. Integrate public (civic) art into the visual character of designatedgrowth areas.

7. Promote development timing that is guided by the adequacy ofexisting and/or expandable infrastructure, services, and facilities.

• Planandpromotetheorderlybuildingofinfrastructure,suchaswater,sewer,drainage,andtransportationfacilities.

• Ensuredevelopmentapprovalisrelatedtocommitmentsfortheconstructionofprimarywater,wastewater,andcirculationsystems.

• Focusinfrastructureimprovementsindesignatedgrowthareasandcontiguoustoexistingdevelopment.

• Ensuredevelopmentoutsideofdesignatedgrowthareaspaysforallrelatedinfrastructureimprovements.

• Anticipatetheneedandsecurelandforpublicfacilities,suchaswatertreatmentplants,reservoirs,transportationrights-of-way,parks,libraries,community centers, and other public needs, such as police and fire.

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Related Plans and Policies:• Scottsdale’scityoperatingbudgetsandCapitalImprovementPlans*• DepartmentalMulti-YearOperationalandCapitalImprovementsMaster

Plans• Comprehensive Annual Financial Report*• OperatingManagement,CapitalManagement,DebtManagement,

Reserve,andFinancialReportingPolicies• EconomicVitalityActionPlan2000-02*• Cactus Corridor Area Plan (1992)• Shea Area Plan (1993)• Desert Foothills Character Area Plan (1999)• Dynamite Foothills Character Area Plan (2000)• Greater Airpark Character Area Plan (2010)• Southern Scottsdale Character Area Plan (2010)• Old Town Scottsdale Character Area Plan (2018)• Comprehensive Adopted Financial Policies• Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Pension Funding Policy• Economic Development Strategic Plan (2015)• Five Year Strategic Tourism Plan (2013)• Economic Development FY 2017/18 Annual Report - Enhancing

Employment Centers (2018)• City of Scottsdale Fiscal Sustainability Analysis (2011)• City of Scottsdale General Plan Economic Analysis: Development

Forecast Update (2011)• Tourism Related Downtown Economic Feasibility Study - Downtown 2.0

(2018)*updatedannually

Reference:• FiscalImpactofDevelopmentStudy,Tischler&Associates,1996• SustainabilityIndicatorsReport

Element Graphic:• GrowthAreasmap

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Growth Areas Map

Activity Areas -

Growth Areas -

Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve(See Preservation and Environmental Planning Element)

Areas where future development is focused - mixeduses and multi-modal transportation are most appropriatein these areas

Areas where future development is concentrated, but to a lesser degree than the Growth Areas

0 21 Miles3

North