1/5/2006 10:24:00 PM As far as the eye can see. . .
Open space and recreation attract people to WV area
By PAULA RHODEN The Daily Courier
People throughout Arizona are realizing the value of open space. The Arizona Legislature includes it in the Growing Smarter legislative mandates.
The residents of Williamson Valley live in an area that epitomizes open space, and they want to protect it.
The final element in the draft Williamson Valley Corridor Plan (WVCP) deals with open space and how to protect it.
Most of the undeveloped land within the WV corridor is un-zoned open space. It is either Arizona State Trust Land or private property and is considered unprotected open space.
The WVCP Open Space and Recreation Element subcommittee believe the county and WV residents should work together to meet the goals of the Growing Smarter legislation. The subcommittee members recommend the design of a master plan that proactively preserves open space within the WV corridor.
Residents Jennie Flood and Gayle Hicks co-chair the Open Space and Recreation subcommittee.
Hicks said, “People think that with state land and Forest Service land we have open space. But we still have to protect it.”
Flood said it is important to preserve the scenic views within the corridor. She added that it is also important to maintain the trail system throughout the WV corridor for equestrian and foot use.
“There are no legal motorized trails in the corridor,” Flood said.
Hicks said the subcommittee used the results of the 2005 Williamson Valley Corridor Survey to develop the open space and recreation element of the draft plan. She said it includes how people feel about their property.
“Most of the residents indicated they would like two-to-five-acre lots. The people were not that excited about Planned Area Developments (PADs), although they do provide open space. I think through education people will realize the difference between a PAD and home owners association,” Hicks said.
Hicks said a lot of residents use the WV Trailhead. She said the subcommittee proposes the use of state land to enhance the trailhead with ramadas and other facilities. She said community groups could help construct and maintain the structures.
The corridor survey asked residents about the need for parks.
Hicks said residents did not see a need for parks since they were already living in the country; however, she said the corridor plan looks to the future, and when everything is built up, it would be nice to have land set aside for parks.
The developers of Talking Rock Ranch have deeded 15 acres to the county for public use. The property would revert back to the developer if the county does not develop it by the time 80 percent of Talking Rock Ranch is sold.
Residents and county officials plan to establish a natural park on the donated property at Nancy Drive.
Former WVCP Steering Committee Chairman Walter Burcham said he appreciates the decision by Williamson Valley Concerned Citizens board members to transfer the group’s assets to the park after its disbandment.
“Pat and Gary Acosta have taken the park under their wing and are working with the people in the area,” Burcham said.
Hicks said it is frustrating when the community works with developers to provide open space and then developers create wildcat subdivisions without any oversight or open space requirements.
Flood said the WV area has always been an equestrian area. She said a large number of the population that relocated to WV since 1995 are horse people.
“The percentage of horse people remains the same in relation to the total population,” Flood said. “Even those people without horses are drawn to the area because there are horses.”
Hicks and Flood said the most important goal is to preserve the open space character of the area.
Officials could preserve open space by encouraging and providing incentives for continued use of private land as ranches and farms; incentives for developers to preserve open space within the corridor, either through PADs or conservation easements, when seeking approval for new subdivisions or developments; and maintaining existing density in residential zoning.
Officials also can protect open space by encouraging developers to connect existing trails where feasible and by creating an interconnecting trail system throughout the entire corridor; collaborating with citizens’ groups in Yavapai County to petition legislators to reform laws dealing with the sale/lease of State Trust land for lot splits; promoting the adoption of a hillside ordinance to protect scenic ridges; and educating and encouraging residents to comply with the county’s Dark Skies Ordinance.
Additional goals include developing and implementing plans to create public parks and additional easements within the corridor that provide access to the Prescott National Forest; encouraging responsible use of off-highway vehicles; and cultivating a relationship with the National Forest Service and State Land Trust Department to protect and preserve the most scenic areas within the WV corridor.
Flood said the draft corridor plan is a reflection of how much the residents love and cherish the WV area.
Hicks noted that the corridor plan steering committee would need the continued support and cooperation of corridor residents during its presentation to the Yavapai County Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
“People seen to realize, whether they live here now or not, that they bought property here and are going to live here eventually. They want it to remain pristine,” Hicks said.
For more information on the WVCP visit www.williamsonvalleycorridorplan.com.
