condernsA lot of traffic passes through Palisades and Palomino boulevards, and the small subdivision on the hill to the northwest of the intersection may not draw much notice even to those drivers.

Given its proximity off Eagle Ridge Drive west of Palisades and Palomino, even those familiar with the 80-lot Cordabella subdivision may not realize it is technically not in the Town of Fountain Hills.

While within the city of Scottsdale boundary, Cordabella was developed at the same time as the CopperWynd Resort in Fountain Hills just to the north.

It is still located within the Fountain Hills Unified School District, however, as well as the local Sanitary District.

Now the proposal to make changes and begin development in Adero Canyon just up the road from Cordabella has stirred this usually quiet neighborhood.

A group of residents organized and met with town officials to learn more about the proposal, and they turned out in force at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting last week.

Dean Wieber and Vlad Hermann, co-chairs of this residential committee, met with town staff about the proposal and sent a list of issues that concern residents.

Those concerns include:

*Changing the character of the neighborhood with more intense development.

*Noise from additional residential and construction traffic.

*Increased traffic on Eagle Ridge Drive.

*Access, with Eagle Ridge Drive the only way into the neighborhood.

*Economic or business risk with perception the plan is being used to aid MCO through an economic downturn.

*The town’s desire to consider the proposal along with promised access to the town’s Preserve trailhead.

*Reduced property values due to increased traffic and noise.

*Residents attracted, purchased based on knowledge of previous land plan.

*Conflicts with planning theory related to the proposed multi-family/hotel element.

*Conflicts with town General Plan.

*Alternatives available – increase density in Eagles Nest, develop Adero Canyon without increasing density, develop Adero according to original plan.

Bill Monahan, a Cordabella resident, told the Planning and Zoning Commission last week that although they are not technically Fountain Hills residents they feel as though they are.

“We feel we are part of this community,” Monahan said. “This project impacts our quality of life. We support Fountain Hills in a very big way and we want to protect our way of life.”