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This Week
Cave Creek - Carefree Area Edition
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Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Group looks to block Boulders water tank BY TOM SCANLON Foothills Focus Staff Writer
NEWS ................. 6 Cave Creek declares Dairy Queen a historic landmark
FEATURES ........ 17 Bricks & Minifigs coming to North Valley
YOUTH ............. 25 Area students are doing remarkable things.
OPINION ................... 10 BUSINESS ................. 17 FEATURES ................ 19 YOUTH ...................... 25 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 26 Zone
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Serving the communities of Cave Creek and Carefree
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nable to obtain land from the Boulders in private negotiations, the town of Carefree dropped a two-word bomb: eminent domain. Some Carefree residents responded with their own two words: “No way.” While the town insists it plans to use eminent domain to take control of private land for “the public good,” some who live near the prop-
see BOULDERS page 5
The Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government group filed “Desert and Open Space Protection Act,” an initiative challenging Carefree’s use of eminent domain, on June 11. (Photo by Pablo Robles)
Save Our Desert group outlines initiatives BY TOM SCANLON Foothills Focus Staff Writer
The group Save Our Desert recently filed an initiative aimed in general at changing the way the town of Carefree can use eminent domain, with the specific goal of blocking the town’s planned takeover of land in The Boulders for a water tank. Here is the complete text of the initiative: Of�icial title: An Initiative Measure Amending the Carefree Town Code by adding Chapter 16, Relating to the Town’s Powers of Eminent Domain
and Placing Restrictions on Exercise of Such Powers in Certain Circumstances; Providing For Retroactive Application of Measure and Divestment of Assets.
Text of proposed amendment: Be it enacted by the people of the town of Carefree: Section 1. Title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Desert and Open Space Protection Act.” Sec. 2. Findings and Intent. The People of the Town of Carefree find and declare the following: (1) Remaining desert and open space
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in Carefree must be protected in a manner that is consistent with robust private property rights. (2) The citizens of Carefree have not been sufficiently included in the process whereby open space is preserved and/or developed, and this Act requires greater public participation in the decision-making process with regard to desert and open space preservation and conservation than exists under current law. (3) This act is to be retroactive and is to apply as of Jan. 1, 2021, to prevent any
see INITIATIVE page 4
