19 May 2019

NOTHING "Serene" or "Pristine" About This Mesa Land-Auction Deal

The 132-acre tract of open desert land looks harmless and empty and undeveloped enough, located adjacent to an ammunitions manufacturing factory in northeast Mesa. It has been that way for a long time, but now the city has plans to sell it off to supposedly pay-off some GO Bond Debts . . .
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Pardon your MesaZona blogger for saying so, but something about this "land auction deal" is suspicious . . .
1. It's not the only land-deal going on, but it certainly is getting the most attention over 132 acres.
2. The bigger land deal involves over 11,400 acres with water rights from the city-owned Pinal Water Farm that were contracted for purchase by an entity named Pinal Land Holdings, purchased by Saints Holdings Company LLC.
3. Tomorrow the 132-acre Land Auction Deal is on the agenda to gain approval, or not, by actions that may be taken by the Mesa City Council. It deserves more scrutiny. 
4. The Final Agenda is already jammed up with 53 items - including some public hearings on land annexations.
5 One BIG ITEM is consideration of next year's City Budget and consideration of a longer-range 5-year Spending Plan.
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Here's the headline story today Sunday, May 19, 2019, from the favorite go-to reporter for Mesa city officials Jim Walsh, Staff Writer for the East Valley Tribune:
(Compare it with the earlier front-page headline to the right >)
Mesa set to OK controversial land deal
"A mostly pristine swath of desert studded with saguaro cactus and an undulating wash in northeast Mesa may turn into a resort-style gated community in about four years . . ."
Say What?? Who is 'set to OK' this land deal???
...and please notice the very conditional subjunctive "may turn into" - it might not turn into another gated community.
It was promised years ago to be reserved for open park land. That's the way Verl Farnsworth, a member of The Farnsworth Real Estate-Developer Family - wants to keep it as a regional park and to hold the city to keep its promise made long ago to reserve the open space as a public park.
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Here's an article from 3 Days ago published by https://www.roselawgroup.com
NOTE THE DISCLOSURE FIRST THING:
Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Blandford Homes
NOTE ALSO: Mike Sunnucks used to report for the Phoenix Business Journal
Mesa looks at Blandford Homes land deal, new development near Falcon Field
Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Blandford Homes
By Mike Sunnucks | Rose Law Group Reporter

(Image to the left Blanford Homes is shown with the report)
The report is very sketchy, skipping over a lot of details
"The Mesa City Council will be briefed Thursday and is slated to vote May 20 on the results of a land auction and potential residential development on 132 acres of land owned by the city at Recker and Thomas roads.
The city held a land auction in March for the land with Blandford Homes outbidding Toll Brothers for the northwest Mesa parcel.
Blandford bid $21.1 million for the land which has had previous development plans come and go. The site is near Falcon Field and Boeing’s large manufacturing and technology footprint there.
Blandford specializes in master-planned residential development.
The Mesa City Council need to approve the land sale as well as Blandford’s development and site plans.
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RELATED CONTENT:
Public Auction at NWC of Thomas and Recker Roads | City of Mesa
https://www.mesaaz.gov/.../real-estate.../public-auction-at-nwc-of-thomas-and-recker-r...
Jan 31, 2019 - Auctioneer: Stewart Larsen, The Larsen Company Real Estate and .... (C) Requirements for Entering into Purchase and Sale Agreement and ...
Blandford Homes makes top bid for Mesa land once set aside for ...
 
https://www.azcentral.com/story/.../mesa/.../blandford...mesa-land.../3205824002/
Mar 22, 2019 - Land once set aside for Mesa regional park auctioned to luxury homebuilder for $21.1 million. ... Mesa got a good deal: it bought the property at Thomas and Recker roads for $4 million in 1998.
Watch Mesa land auction where $21.1M is winning bid for land at ...
 
https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/mesa/.../mesa-land-auction.../3240448002/
Mar 22, 2019
Auctioneer John Payne keeps the bidding process moving at Mesa Convention Center. The city auctioned 132 ...
 
Mesa land auction rekindles a stormy past | News | eastvalleytribune ...
www.eastvalleytribune.com/.../mesa-land-auction.../article_3987e106-4775-11e9-8a6...
Mar 17, 2019 - It was “a two for one” deal that reserved land for park development, while also quieting fears among Red Mountain Ranch residents about ...