Over the last months you have heard a lot about the Daybreak development economic impact to Fountain Hills. The project is talking about attracting young professionals and their families to this 400-unit complex and related economic impact on the town.
What you have not heard much about is the makeup of the proposed 400-apartment complex. 130 of these apartments will be “age restricted 55 and older.” These “age restricted apartments” will have such amenities as two meals per day, hair salon, bocce ball court, transportation to appointments and shopping, etc. When asked by a Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning commissioner about the age demographics of these apartments, Neil Ginsberg, one of the Daybreak developers, stated in similar projects he has developed, the residents in these developments were normally 75 to 80 years old!
It is hard to imagine how this configuration of apartments will attract young professionals and their families to the other 270 Daybreak apartments. And it is also difficult to imagine the tenants in the “55 and older” apartments spending much time or money with the local merchants. Additionally, nowhere has it been discussed what added town expenses this project will cause, such as a new traffic light or roundabout to eliminate the dangerous traffic conditions on Palisades Blvd., created by the additional traffic from 400 apartments, to be offset by local sales tax and a maximum rental tax of $390,000 per year, at full occupancy.
Folks, at the September 12, 2019, Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the commission voted 7-0 to reject Daybreak. Please follow their lead and vote no on Propositions 427 and 428, vote no to Daybreak and all of its flaws.
