First off > Here's the NON_WOW from this blog: the 132-acre site is right next to 600 acres of an ammunitions manufacturing company in northeast Mesa . . .high-caliber it might be in more ways than what the East Valley Tribune says
04 January 2020
There's controversial history to this 136.7-acre site
According to this article yesterday by Jim Walsh East Valley Tribune Staff Writer, Sean Lake (the zoning attorney for Blandford Homes) has filed plans that describe how an essentially untouched swath of pristine desert land in northeast Mesa - long-promised as a public park that was auctioned off by the City of Mesa with a winning bid of $21.1M - would eventually turn into an upscale community - “a high-level gated, resort lifestyle residential community,’’ - with big lots for close to 300 homes.
However, at this point-in-time nothing is finalized - it is only the first filing made to the Planning & Zoning Board months after the controversial high bid at an auction that was a surprising $5,000,000 more than the estimated sale price - it essentially gave city coffers a windfall of five million if the sale is a done deal. The developer still needs to complete a site plan, a minor general plan amendment and all other necessary zoning approvals before it can complete the sale."
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Factoid1: Blandford looked at the smallest lots in Red Mountain Ranch and made sure their lots were larger.
"Blandford has put a substantial down payment on the property, but needs to complete a site plan, a minor general plan amendment and all other necessary zoning approvals before it can complete the sale."
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The first post on this blog for Nammo Talley was this from October 2015
https://mesazona.blogspot.com/2015/10/nammo-talley-back-in-news.html
04 August 2019
Controversial 132-acre "Auction Land-Deal" Gets A Name: It's Been Dubbed "Reserve at Red Rock"
However, at this point-in-time nothing is finalized - it is only the first filing made to the Planning & Zoning Board months after the controversial high bid at an auction that was a surprising $5,000,000 more than the estimated sale price - it essentially gave city coffers a windfall of five million if the sale is a done deal. The developer still needs to complete a site plan, a minor general plan amendment and all other necessary zoning approvals before it can complete the sale."
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Factoid1: Blandford looked at the smallest lots in Red Mountain Ranch and made sure their lots were larger.
Factoid 2: The northern border of the 132-acre "Reserve at Red Rock" abuts the 600-acre Nammo Talley Industries, a defense contractor that has requested a buffer zone of 27 acres between its ammunitions manufacturing facility and any residential housing.
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“Special attention was taken during the design process to create as many premium home sites as possible, taking advantage of the natural desert setting and mountain views,’’ the conceptual plan says.
Staff writer Walsh takes the time to note that Christine Zielonka, Mesa’s development services manager, clearly states: “We are absolutely at the very beginning stage, . . None of it is finalized yet. . . We are a long way from figuring out what this is going to look like.’’
“Special attention was taken during the design process to create as many premium home sites as possible, taking advantage of the natural desert setting and mountain views,’’ the conceptual plan says.
Staff writer Walsh takes the time to note that Christine Zielonka, Mesa’s development services manager, clearly states: “We are absolutely at the very beginning stage, . . None of it is finalized yet. . . We are a long way from figuring out what this is going to look like.’’
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When news of the city's proposed Auction Land-Deal became public, it was controversial from the very beginning.
Residents of the adjacent Red Mountain Ranch opposed it.
So did Verl Farnsworth, speaking up in public in front of the Mesa City Council:
Residents of the adjacent Red Mountain Ranch opposed it.
So did Verl Farnsworth, speaking up in public in front of the Mesa City Council:
BLOGGER NOTE: readers of this blog can use the Searchbox on this blog to more at least three or even more earlier posts featured about the auction land-deal topic of interest
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3Nevertheless, "the $21.1M auction land-deal" somehow managed to get approved by the Mesa City Council. In the face of that opposition. Staff WriterWhen complaints were made over the history and narrative initially provided by the city's 6-member Planning & Zoning Board (all nominated and appointed by Mayor John Giles) for the unspoiled 132-acre parcel, Zielonka also states in the article ". . . that officials also will update a page on the city’s website that lists documents describing the site’s history going back to the ’80s."
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3Nevertheless, "the $21.1M auction land-deal" somehow managed to get approved by the Mesa City Council. In the face of that opposition. Staff WriterWhen complaints were made over the history and narrative initially provided by the city's 6-member Planning & Zoning Board (all nominated and appointed by Mayor John Giles) for the unspoiled 132-acre parcel, Zielonka also states in the article ". . . that officials also will update a page on the city’s website that lists documents describing the site’s history going back to the ’80s."
Jim Walsh takes pains to publish yesterday that "Zielonka estimates that the Reserve at Red Mountain probably won’t come before the city’s Planning and Zoning Board for about nine months and before the City Council for about a year. . . "
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The filing by zoning attorney Sean Lake for the upscale high-level resort-style gated community — dubbed Reserve at Red Rock by developer Blandford Homes — is only a first draft for a 132-acre site once set aside with a promise made by the city for development of a public park in 1998.________________________________________________________________________
"Blandford has put a substantial down payment on the property, but needs to complete a site plan, a minor general plan amendment and all other necessary zoning approvals before it can complete the sale."
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The first post on this blog for Nammo Talley was this from October 2015
https://mesazona.blogspot.com/2015/10/nammo-talley-back-in-news.html
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High-end NE Mesa housing plan wows zoning panel
By Jim Walsh | East Valley Tribune
An undulating swath of pristine desert in northeast Mesa will be named The Reserve at Red Rock and become just the sort of resort-caliber residential community the city envisioned when it auctioned off the land last year.
In return for the $21.1 million land sale, Blandford Homes, one of Mesa’s premier builders, plans to build 296 high-end homes in the gated community, according to plans unveiled last week before the city Planning and Zoning Board.
