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This Week
NEWS................................... 3 Court fight continues over candidate’s residency.
BUSINESS.................. 29 Local man’s pet supply company hits milestone.
SPORTS.........................33
DV frosh Everest Leydecker already a champ.
GET OUT....................... 37
Company offers marijuanaflavored beer, cocktails.
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
@AhwatukeeFN |
@AhwatukeeFN
Traffic concerns snarl Upper Canyon’s bid for city approval BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
T
he Phoenix Planning Commission on Aug. 4 dealt a 30-day setback to the developers’ timetable for the massive Upper Canyon development in Ahwatukee after expressing confusion over their request and questioning city staff’s analysis of a related traffic study. Blandford Homes and subsidiary Reserve 100 LLC have the zoning to build 1,050 mostly single-story houses, 150 build-to-rent townhouses and 329 apartments on the 373-acre former State Trust Land parcel along Chandler Boulevard between 19th and 27th avenues. But they need City Council approval of a proposal to leave South Chandler Boulevard at
three lanes and downgrade the classification of 27th Avenue between the Boulevard and South Mountain Freeway from “arterial” to “collector” street. They had hoped to get Planning Commission approval during last week’s virtual hearing in time for City Council to act on it at its first postsummer-vacation meeting Sept. 7. Blandford and Reserve 100 aim to start selling houses by 2024. But their timetable was thrown off by at least 30 days after the Commission directed them to more clearly explain the impact of so many homes on traffic and road safety in light of their opposition to widening South Chandler Boulevard. Some commission members also complained Blandford’s reasoning confused them
while residents who opposed the plan said Blandford wants to avoid the cost of road widening and have more land for more houses. Residents fear for the ability of emergency vehicles to access not only Upper Canyon but the three communities west of there – Foothills Reserve, Promontory and Calabria. Among those expressing concern was John Barton, one of the developers of those three communities. Stressing that he supported the Upper Canyon development, Barton nevertheless ripped Blandford’s request, noting that the nearest fire station is six miles away and the city has no immediate plans to build one in western Ahwatukee.
LD 12 contests ‘Nutcracker’ made new appear set, GOP senate race tight
see CANYON page 18
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
T
he Nov. 8 General Election for the three legislative seats representing Ahwatukee appears to be a battle of the sexes of sorts as an all-male Republican slate will vie with three Democratic women. The two Ahwatukee women running in a five-way race for two Democratic House nominations in Legislative District 12 topped the field and the all-Ahwatukee contest for the Republican Senate nomination appeared won
see ELECTIONS page 8
This is a scene from what turns out to be the 22nd and last presentation of of ”The Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker.” No, the community Christmas tradition – one of Ahwatukee’s oldest – isn’t going away but rather has been rebranded “The Arizona Nutcracker.” And where this scene is taken from may surprise you too, as you’ll read on page 23. (Tubitv.com)
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