After recent discussions between town staff and the Fountain Hills Unified School District regarding potential re-use of school buildings, the Planning and Zoning Commission ultimately took no action while weighing the unintended consequences of opening schools to commercial real estate.
Town Development Services Director John Wesley said that given the nature of the school district’s declining enrollment, it created concern with how buildings might be maintained and the impact on neighborhoods in the long term without viable use. He extended the thought to other nonresidential buildings such as churches that at one point were in use but are no longer used for the original purpose.
“How can they be reused in a way that’s appropriate for the neighborhood so they don’t just decline and deteriorate and be an eyesore,” he said.
