The proposed Preserve at Goldfield Ranch would be developed at a density roughly half of an approved 1995 Development Master plan.

Don Kile, president of Goldfield Preserve Development, LLC,  oversees the project to build about 1,000 upscale homes. The property is situated about five miles east of Fountain Hills, off the Beeline Highway.

Kile said the goal is to “create a community which integrates the surrounding natural environment into its design while providing a high quality development.”

He updated the status of an application to Maricopa County planners. The amended application proposes construction of fewer homes on larger lots, and retention of more open space.

The Ellman Companies purchased the approximately 2100-acre, four-parcel Preserve at Goldfield Ranch in late 2006 for $133 million. Goldfield Preserve Development, LLC. is an affiliate of The Ellman Companies.

Kile said the project team prefers to build a more luxurious, signature project rather than implement the 1995 plan that is more typical of mass production developments.

Fifty percent of the project (1,039 acres) would be designated as open space under the proposed plan. The figure exceeds the county’s open space requirements by 20 percent.

The application also eliminates a golf course and virtually all commercial uses. The Preserve would not include 100 acres of mixed-use commercial projects that included recreational vehicle and boat storage, a convenience store and other retail.

The new plan would add two new equestrian facilities and a small boutique hotel and spa.

Kile said the Goldfield Ranch property owners would benefit from numerous infrastructure upgrades from improved roads to phone service. Presently there is no phone service in the area. Residents depend upon cell telephones.

School annexation

At the request of Fountain Hills Unified School District, Kile’s company proposed legislation that will allow The Preserve to be annexed into the school district.

Current state law prohibits the annexation because The Preserve is not adjacent to current district boundaries. Fort McDowell Yavapai land separates the two parcels.

Most youngsters living in The Preserve would attend Fountain Hills schools. The Preserve, at build out, is projected to generate about 230 pupils.

If approved, the school district would benefit from The Preserve’s property tax base. Tim R. Leedy, assistant superintendent for business and finance for the school district, said the legislation would have no effect on existing homeowners in Goldfield Ranch.

“The district feels that this is a win-win for the developer, the district and the taxpayers of Fountain Hills,” said Leedy.

Water conservation

Hydrologic studies indicate there is more than a sufficient supply of ground water to meet existing and future water demands for the Goldfield Preserve, said Kile.

Projections are the development, as now proposed, will use an estimated 732 acre feet of water per year. The project under the approved DMP called for use of 2,600-acre feet of water annually.

Traffic 

The estimated increase in traffic under the 1995 DMP was 34,150 trips per day.  Under the new plan only 10,000 additional trip or a third of the forecasted traffic is anticipated.

Home design

The project team has retained local architect Don Ziebell of Oz Architects.  Ziebell designed Silverleaf’s Clubhouse and other residential homes in Paradise Valley and Scottsdale.

The developer publishes a monthly newsletter to inform the public about the project.