By Jerry Butler.
This is the political season; don’t be misled!
Why did two Town Council candidates and the current mayor reveal during the candidate forums that a developer is showing interest in the State Trust Land (STL) on the north side of town? Was that the proper time to share that information? How long has it been a secret?
Twenty years ago, the STL was annexed by the town (June 5, 2006) and 10 years later aninterested developer backed off and the property was reclaimed by the state. Could that have been because the Arizona State Land Department concluded the area was not feasible for residential development due to infrastructure costs, such as streets, parks, utilities, etc.? What’s changed? Have infrastructure costs decreased?
The first time around the town asked for a park to be included with a $30M price tag. Can you imagine what the council will expect this time?
Assuming that what was revealed at the forum is true, the State Land Department will need to reconsider its conclusion and reevaluate what the land is worth; that will likely take three years. Then, the developer will have to create a land use plan and get it approved by the town; another potential three-year venture. Installing the infrastructure could take another six years so, in the end, the next STL development could potentially take 15 years before welcoming the first resident (the first time took 10 years and not a spade of dirt got moved).
The STL should not be a political topic. Having candidates insinuate that the development will not happen unless they are on the council because they have inside information is ludicrous. Don’t be misled!
