Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission listened to staff and developer presentations on the proposed land plan changes for the Ellman property and then heard neighbors in the area talk about what they don’t like about the plan.

The commission held the first of back-to-back public hearings on General Plan and zoning changes for the land Monday evening with the second on Tuesday. The commission voted on its recommendation to the Town Council following the Tuesday hearing, after press time.

The council is scheduled to hold a hearing and consider the changes at its meeting on May 15.

The potential for increasing traffic on Boulder Drive was the focus for most of the citizen concerns.   The land proposal shows connections to the new property from Richwood Drive and the north end of Boulder Drive, which neighbors believe would draw additional traffic into the neighborhood.

They told the commission that current conditions related to street width, parking, speed and congestion that adding any amount of traffic would make the situation unacceptable.

Wendy Riddell, an attorney with a firm representing Ellman, made the presentation to the commission. She said the changes made by Ellman improve the traffic circulation and are designed to move traffic away from the western neighborhood and toward Fountain Hills Boulevard.

The existing McDowell Mountain Road would be realigned to cross north/south extending straight north from the existing Fountain Hills Boulevard.

Boulder Drive resident Bob Deppe told the commission he believes the traffic studies done for Ellman are flawed. He said that he found that no one visited the site to conduct the study, it was a desk job based on numbers only with no consideration for driver behavior or topography.

Deppe also said Boulder should not be classified as a major collector street in the same category as Glenbrook and El Pueblo boulevards in the study. He said Boulder is narrow and with cars parked on both sides two cars cannot pass.

Deppe also said he has received conflicting statements from Ellman representatives and the town, each saying the other needs the connections to Boulder.

“We need to resolve these conflicting statements,” Deppe said. “The traffic study is not accurate and incomplete.

“Boulder and Richwood residents are very concerned about the proposed extension of Boulder and Richwood into the new subdivision. It will have significant negative impact on our neighborhood.

“We are willing to absorb a minor increase in traffic by using small cul-de-sacs at the end of Boulder and Richwood.

“This proposal is unacceptable and needs to be rejected.”

John McNeill, who is a former councilman, had some concerns that were not directed at the traffic situation.

“I would question why it is deemed necessary to have the entire matter heard and decided in a little over 24 hours,” McNeill said. “That schedule does not give the public or the council any reasonable time to consider any comments made at the public hearing before taking action on what are some major changes…

“I would urge you to defer action on the proposed… changes for several weeks to allow the public to fully digest and comment on the proposed actions.”

McNeill also questioned the proposal for high density residential zoning on a ridgeline on the property. He said the ridgeline is highly visible and not appropriate for the type of mass grading usually required for high density development.

He also said he believes the proposed access streets are inadequate for such zoning.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Richard Turner told the commission earlier that Ellman is making plans for that property that require the lot coverage and setbacks of the R1-6 zoning, but would not use high density development.

Those plans are currently incomplete and additional details are not yet available.

There were about 75 people who turned out for the meeting, and more than a dozen people spoke to the commission, and all raised some concerns about the proposal.

Commission Chairman Dennis Brown was positive about the meeting following adjournment.

“I was quite pleased with the turnout,” Brown said. “I appreciate the organization of the neighbors along Boulder Drive.”