Mission creep is when a simple plan evolves and grows far beyond the original intent. It’s typically a result of unforeseen events that cause the mission to change. This continues on as other events, usually caused by prior unforeseen events, result in further changes until the original mission is no longer recognizable.

Viet Nam is the classic example, where U.S. involvement went from providing limited assistance to the South Vietnamese in 1957 with 200 U.S. advisors, to 575,000 U.S. combat troops fighting a major land war in Asia. The result 20 years later, 55,000 Americans killed and hundreds of thousands wounded, physically and mentally. That’s mission creep!

We have our own mission creep going on right here in Fountain Hills. It’s that beautiful parcel of hills, ravines and Saguaros at the corner of Palisades and Shea. In the1990’s this parcel was zoned as residential. After a few years, the zoning was changed to accommodate a small boutique inn on only 15 acres of the parcel. Mission creep just started.

The new normal became a small inn. Then it was rezoned to a much large hotel on 25 acres. That then morphed into a convention hotel with scores of condos surrounding it, then it evolved into a hotel with multi-family residences. Now, Daybreak wants it rezoned to build 270 apartments in 15 separate buildings, a three-story, 40-foot high, 600-foot long senior living dormitory with 100 rooms and finally, a 30-bed assisted living facility.

Talk about mission creep! The people of Fountain Hills need to tell the Planning Commission and the Town Council, “No way. Enough is enough.” Stop this foolishness now, before we end up with this huge eyesore forever damaging our town’s reputation for spectacular, breathtaking views.