Town property tax will not be ne

Per the 2008-2009 budget: “The Town is projected to exceed its budgeted revenue for FY 2008.”

“The Town must comply with the State’s expenditure limitation. The fiscal year 2009 expenditure limitation is $23,701,201.” The Town spent $22,390,000 in Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2007, was projected to receive revenues of $25,336,441 in FY 2007-2008 (without Montelucia bed tax income) and is budgeted to receive $25,426,700 in FY 2008-2009 (without bed tax from Ritz-Carlton.) The Town had over $36 million in deposits and investments at June 30, 2007. The Town will spend over $6 million to build two new fire stations to give EVERYONE free fire service.

From The Arizona Republic by Diane Balazs - Oct. 13, 2008 01:01 PM

(Town Mayor) "Parker said the town ended fiscal 2007-08 on a positive note with revenues exceeding expectations and expenditures coming in below what was budgeted.

(Town Manager) Bacon said the town ended the year with "a $1.3 million financial advantage."

"At this stage, as we look to our (current) budget, we still believe that our revenues will be at least equal to our expenditures," Bacon said."

POP notes: this is without the Montelucia Resort, to come on stream Nov. 4th, and certainly without the Ritz-Carlton Resort.

Our town was founded upon the principle of ONE HOME PER ACRE. Resorts welcomed.

Low density residential zoning is what brought us here to Paradise Valley and for the great majority of Town residents remains their vision of the future. The intent, spirit and letter of the Town's General Plan are clear. "The Town shall maintain low population density by requiring a minimum of one acre per residence and encouraging the preservation of lots currently in excess of one acre."

The General Plan recognizes and values the Town’s unique role as a low-density residential community and requires the Town to preserve and maintain the community’s primarily one-acre, single-family residential character. These regulations are intended to further the goals and policies of the General Plan by ensuring that primarily non-residential uses and structures do not adversely affect the integrity and enjoyment of adjacent residential neighborhoods (emphasis added).

These requirements are echoed in the Town’s 2003 General Plan, which provides, at page iii:

… These themes or values collectively constitute the Town’s Vision for its future. They are as follows:

The Goals and Policies of the “Land Use and Growth Area Element” of the General plan states, in relevant part:

1.1 To support development in the Town that contributes to the overall quality of life of Town residents.

1.1.1 The Town shall preserve and maintain the community’s primarily one-acre lot, single-family residential character.

1.1.2 The Town shall strongly discourage the conversion of land from residential to non-residential uses. The Town shall ensure that non-residential uses shall not affect the integrity and enjoyment of adjacent residential neighborhoods.

1.2 To maintain the Town’s low density residential character and preserve the community’s open space and natural features.

1.2.1 The Town shall maintain low population density by requiring a minimum of one acre pre residence and encouraging the preservation of lots currently in excess of one acre. The Town’s Zoning Ordinance Article XI, Section 1102, also notes:

A special use is a primarily non-residential land use listed in this article that is deemed to be generally compatible with the residential character of the Town of Paradise Valley. However, because of its potential adverse impacts on the community, a special use should be permitted only on a site that can be individually planned and developed in a manner that promotes the goals and policies of the General Plan and that protects the surrounding neighborhoods (emphasis added).

The aforementioned Town Zoning Ordinances, 2003 Town General Plan and state law in the Arizona Revised Statutes all demonstrate how a high-density residential development with more than two residences per acre will violate the expressed law of the Town. For all of the above reasons, Proposition 411 must be defeated. Resorts are welcome.

The Ritz-Carlton Proposal Violates the Town's Expressed Definition of the Character of a "Resort"

The high-density 161-unit residential condo proposal by Ritz-Carlton does not meet the definition of "resort" property as defined in the Town's ordinances and guidelines.

Town Zoning Ordinance Article XI, Section 1102.2(A)(1), reads, in part: “A resort is a facility, operated under a single unified management structure, containing guest units primarily for the temporary residence of persons (emphasis added) …” The Ritz-Carlton proposal, in contrast, would allow the private purchase of many residential units in addition to the smaller resort units proposed.

The Ritz-Carlton proposal, in contrast, consists of 146 high-density residential units and only 15 one-acre home sites that adhere to the Town's expressed low-density, single-family residence lifestyle. Because the actual resort property in this proposal comprises only 23 acres of the 105-acre parcel, and because all of the additional residential units will not be occupied for "temporary residence" purposes, this proposal fails to qualify as a "resort" under the Town's Zoning Ordinance.

Five Star Contends	POP Responds with facts
All structures on Lincoln, Mockingbird and Indian Bend will be one-story	The number of stories has no bearing; all structures on Lincoln, Mockingbird and Indian Bend will be allowed to rise to 24 feet, the maximum permitted per Town residential zoning
Height will be limited	Patio homes will be allowed to rise to 28 feet within the development, plus chimneys
The Ritz-Carlton will bring $2 million in revenue to the Town per year	The residences will bring no tax revenue to the Town each year, only expenses
The Ritz-Carlton at 225 rooms is better than the originally approved Little America Resort at 500 rooms	If 225 rooms is good because of revenue generated for the Town then 500 rooms would be even better
The Five Star Development is better than the plan approved back in 1987 because Five Star only covers 25% of the land	25% coverage is the maximum permitted by Town ordinance
The Five Star plan is better than the 1987 plan	The 1987 Little America/Sinclair/Sun Valley Resort plan permitted one-home per acre on 46.832 acres using the Town’s R-43 cluster zoning ordinance with only 39 “luxury homes” plus an open-space 10.7 acre golf course
The Town Council unanimously approved the Five Star plan	The Town Council unanimously approved the Montelucia plan at Lincoln and Tatum
The Planning Commission unanimously approved the Five Star plan	The Planning Commission unanimously approved the Montelucia plan at Lincoln and Tatum
Ritz-Carlton revenue will forestall Town property taxes	Without Ritz-Carlton or Montelucia and with Camelback Inn under re-modeling the Town still brought in enough revenue to meet its needs. The Town does not need more revenue than it currently receives. The Town has over $30 million in reserve.
Water is no problem	Five Star does not yet have water allocated for its use. Eight units per acre will require more water than one-home per acre. The residents of Scottsdale object to the construction of water facilities to meet Paradise Valley needs. PV water supply is already over-stressed.
Traffic increases will be minimal	Traffic studies were done by the developer’s engineers. The numbers are inconsistent with logic.
Prior to Council approval Five Star claimed to know nothing about plans for high-density hotel, retail, condos and office use on the 18 adjacent acres in Scottsdale	After Town Council approval plans were announced for a 150-225 high-rise hotel along with retail, condos and offices adjacent to the PV property on the southwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Indian Bend in Scottsdale. More traffic, more water, more everything.
Many prominent citizens approve the Five Star project	Most are real estate people, developers or have commercial interest
POP is a small group of naysayers	POP raised more than 800 valid signatures in a petition drive in less than the 30 day allowed time period in order to generate a referendum. Only 314 were required by law
A political action committee generated a website, yes on 411	Yes on 411 has primary funding provided by Five Star Development and is headed by a former councilman, founding partner of the "premiere supplier of fine iced and hot teas for the foodservice industry." POP is funded entirely by grass roots donations.
Five Star told residents not to sign the POP petition	Was this democracy in action?
Five Star is a Scottsdale corporation	From the Five Star website “A privately held business established in 1978.” Started in Texas by Jerry Ayoub and only recently brought to Arizona. Five Star Development Group Inc. was incorporated in Arizona on 11/13/2007
Five Star’s website states “The first of its kind in the world, The Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley is a 123-acre enclave that will include a 225-room Ritz-Carlton resort hotel, a residential development including villas, luxury homes and one-acre estate lots as well as a high-end, mixed-use component.”	Paradise Valley has no “mixed-use component” zoning.
Five Star spent four years generating this project	Five Star purchased the property in May 2007, a year and a half ago
No Five Star comment here	Marriott paid $74 million and sold the property to Five Star for $89.5 million two years later, according to published sources. A 21% profit in two years. Five Star vastly overpaid.
The project will create 1,055 direct construction jobs, 750 indirect construction jobs and 297 permanent jobs.	How many jobs will go to Paradise Valley residents? How much traffic, noise, smog and dust pollution will be created for Paradise Valley residents?
Project is supported by the Citizens Forum	The Citizens Forum did a violent 180 turnaround from strong opposition to support despite objections from some board members and a secret vote by others
The entire 105 acre project features less than 25% building coverage. By comparison, the new Montelucia project features 45% building coverage	Town Planning Director advises that the Montelucia project has 45% "Floor Area Ratio" which she defines as "lot coverage plus square footage of any second story." With regard to the Ritz-Carlton, she noted: "We do not know what the Floor Area Ratio for the Ritz-Carlton project will be." The “Little America” project approved in 1987 states “total building coverage must not exceed 13% net site area.”
The Ritz-Carlton hotel can not be constructed without all the approved residences, it is not financially viable. No major resort has been built in Arizona, in recent years, without a residential component.	A massive resort and conference center will be built in southeast Mesa by Nashville-based Gaylord Hotels without a residential component. None of Gaylord Hotels have a residential component
a NO vote kills the entire project	Five Star or Ritz-Carlton can always go back to the drawing board and start over again
Five Star sued in Maricopa Superior Court, in an attempt to have the legal POP referendum dismissed	An attempt to thwart the democratic process burning up Town and resident money and court time for no reason. POP won
The project will be LEED certified	What happened to LEED certification?
A 225 room hotel will generate a lot of revenue for the Town	The 1987 approved 500 room hotel had the potential to generate more than twice as much revenue for the Town
A 225 room hotel with 100 villas, 46 luxury homes and 15 one-acre estate lots is better than a 500 room hotel on 57.87 acres with a 10.87 acre golf course, and 39 homes on 46.832 acres	Why?
over 150 site plan changes were made by the project team	Changes are always part of doing business.
The project complies with all Town guidelines for use, parking, setbacks, landscape, height, lot coverage and density	True for a Special Use Permit which is different from normal residential requirements. They were given the green light to do what could not be done in a residential sub-division
The project pays all off-site costs, including road improvements and utilities	So do residential developers
No economic incentives were offered to the project, or developer	The economic incentives derive from the character of our Town, something we have fought to maintain over the years
The General Plan was approved by Town residents	The General Plan states, “The Town values its unique role as a low-density residential community conveniently located in a growing urban area.”
The site is designated for a resort and residential uses in the Town's general plan	The site was annexed by the Town in 1964 and zoned R-43 residential until re-zoned to Special Use Permit in 1987
Resorts keep Paradise Valley economically strong without a residential property tax.	Per the 2008-2009 budget: “The Town is projected to exceed its budgeted revenue for FY 2008.” “The Town must comply with the State’s expenditure limitation. The fiscal year 2009 expenditure limitation is $23,701,201.”
Resorts keep Paradise Valley economically strong without a residential property tax.	“As of June 30, 2008 the Town will have approximately $17 million in excludable revenues available for future years.” Excludable revenues are monies that can be spent above and beyond the State’s expenditure limitation.
Resorts keep Paradise Valley economically strong without a residential property tax.	What is not said is that existing resorts already keep the Town economically strong. Additional resort income is neither needed nor, by State law, could it be spent. There is no likelihood that a Town property tax will ever be required, even without the Ritz-Carlton.
The Project has unanimous support from the people who reviewed it.	Many of us reviewed and objected to both the Planning Commission and the Town Council. Our objections were ignored. Well over 800 signed the referendum petition.
The Ritz-Carlton preserves our resort tradition and our one lot per acre standard.	146 residential units on fewer than 65 acres does not equate to one house per acre
The approved plan actually downsizes the resort, reduces the density, reduces traffic, and creates more community friendly open space.	Just not true, added more residential units, more cars, more traffic, less open space

From The Arizona Republic by Diane Balazs - Oct. 13, 2008 01:01 PM

The Project has unanimous support from the people who reviewed it.

The Ritz-Carlton preserves our resort tradition and our one lot per acre standard.

The approved plan actually downsizes the resort, reduces the density, reduces traffic, and creates more community friendly open space.