Maybe the community is changing, or perhaps one could pin it on economic conditions since 2008, but the events leading up to last week’s ground-breaking ceremony for Adero Canyon stood in stark contrast to some previous developments.

Dating back to the 1970s, there has always been an “us vs. them” attitude when it came to the community developer, whether it was McCulloch or its predecessor company, MCO Properties.

While this very well could be MCO’s last major development in Fountain Hills, at least for the moment the acrimony that often accompanied previous projects was absent for Adero Canyon.

It’s true the Town of Fountain Hills was eager to see Adero Canyon started. New construction means revenue for the town’s coffers, and it also means new residents eventually moving into our zip code. It also paves the way for the future construction of a McDowell Mountain Preserve trailhead and public access into the natural area.

While a pure custom-home development sounds enticing, the Valley’s economic conditions have changed, and giving MCO some flexibility when it comes to housing types and increasing the number of residential units only made sense for all parties involved. One only has to look north to Eagles Nest to see how slowly that custom neighborhood has evolved over the years.

While Adero Canyon won’t be the panacea for our declining student enrollment or bolstering every single small business in town, it certainly is a positive development in our community and that armada of yellow bulldozers right now is a welcome sight in Fountain Hills.