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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS www.ahwatukee.com
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
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Tempe Union land sale could bring 178 homes to Ahwatukee site
PARADE REVIEW
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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empe Union officials are selling a 63-acre plot of land in Ahwatukee that could lead to the construction of as many as 178 new homes not far from the South Mountain Freeway and make the school district co-developers of the project. The school board two weeks ago authorized Nathan and Associates to begin marketing the property on the southwest corner of Desert Foothills Parkway near Frye Road for a sale that could yield between $15 million and $19 million for the district. Despite several members’ strong reservations, the board also decided to leave open for now the possibility of entering a potentially risky joint venture with the builder who buys the site instead of only looking to sell it outright. Voters last November approved a ballot question allowing the board to sell the site. “It’s a highly coveted site by the development community,” Ryan Duncan of Nathan and Associates told the board during a study session April 5. “There’s not a builder in town who doesn’t know about it. “A property like this, given its size and
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS LET’S PARTY!
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HELPING PARENTS
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COMEBACK KID
(Special to AFN)
At just over 15 months, Adelyn Troutman of Ahwatukee looks full of life. But that life drains out of her in a few weeks, forcing her to undergo a monthly blood transfusion. For a look at Addy’s plight and how you can help, see p. 20.
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LAND on page 12
Freeway blasting starts this summer, several times a week into 2018 BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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>> See
Controlled blasting in areas east and west of Desert Foothills Parkway will begin this summer and continue several times a week into next year, when even “more
substantial” explosive work will start on South Mountain, the Arizona Department of Transportation has disclosed. The blasting is necessary to remove rock as work on the South Mountain Freeway continues gaining momentum along Pecos Road in Ahwatukee.
Meanwhile, there were other developments involving the construction’s impact on area residents and motorists: Residents who have been complaining about construction-related beeping noise
Take the first step – it’s time to enroll! Accepting preschool and kindergarten students.
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>> See
FREEWAY on page 16
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