It’s been nearly four months since the Town Council approved an updated development plan and zoning changes for the Adero Canyon subdivision, but to date there has been not a shovel of dirt turned over on the rocky site west of the CopperWynd Resort.

That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been plenty of behind-the-scenes work going on, according to MCO Properties President Jeremy Hall.

Most of that effort has been on paper. The company has submitted project grading plans to the town for review and permit approval, according to Hall.

Town Development Services Director Paul Mood said Town Engineer Randy Harrel has the documents in hand and they are a priority for review.

“We are still hoping to break ground on the site by the end of the year,” Hall said.

The Adero Canyon subdivision was originally approved more than 10 years ago for 171 custom home lots on 431 acres. However, the recession dramatically changed the real estate market leaving little chance the property could be developed with custom lots anytime in the foreseeable future.

At the urging of town officials, including Mayor Linda Kavanagh, MCO set about to create a new plan that would be feasible in the changed real estate market.

MCO brought forward a plan that proposed drastic changes to the custom lot plan. It calls for an 80-acre Planned Unit Development (PAD) within the original subdivision.

The PAD proposal called for the council to amend the General Plan for the site, create the PAD and assign new zoning that doubles the number of housing units, primarily using an attached townhouse concept with 44 units within the PAD area.

There is also a multi-family component to the plan that calls for 120 units adjacent to the existing CopperWynd Resort. The plan here is to either incorporate the units as part of the resort, or provide upscale private condominium units.

Hall said there is no word yet on how CopperWynd might like to proceed in relation to the multi-family component.

MCO is partnering with Toll Brothers Homes to develop 31 single-family, semi-custom home sites within the PAD area.

A key objective in moving the new plan forward is creating access to the site for a trailhead to be developed for the Fountain Hills McDowell Mountain Preserve.

For a number of years MCO has allowed only escorted public access across its Adero Canyon property to the Preserve boundary and the trails for hiking.

The new development plan provides unrestricted public access through the subdivision to the Preserve. The access will also allow the town to move forward with developing a trailhead.