Growth, with the benefits and problems associated with it, continued to be the top news story in Fountain Hills in 1986.

That is the subject of this week’s Fountain Hills History Lesson.

A survey conducted by the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce showed more than 8,000 people were residing in the community. This was up from the official U.S. Census figure of approximately 5,700 people in 1985.

The Fountain hills building totals set another new record in 1986.

GM Development Co. built an 88-unit apartment building on Gunsight Drive and was nearing completion on the 118-unit Lakeside Resort Casitas near Fountain Park at year’s end.

There was major commercial building activity.

The biggest project during the year was the Fountain Hills Plaza, (Bashas’ center). In addition to the shopping center grand opening, the former Appelwick’s Restaurant burned to the ground on the same day. I saw the smoke rising in the distance when I was heading to the office that Tuesday morning. The Fountain Hills Plaza was completed and opened in April by W.M. Grace Development Co. The large shopping center housed three major tenants, Bashas’, Revco Discount Drug Center and Sprouse Reitz, and a number of other businesses.

Other major commercial projects begun or completed in 1986 were the Oficinas de la Margarita on Palisades Boulevard, Parkview Plaza on Saguaro Boulevard, the Puryear Plaza and an addition to the Travel Masters building on the Avenue of the Fountains, the N.J. Anderson/Gibson & Gibson complex on Saguaro Boulevard at Amhurst.

Others included the Fountain Hills Design Center on Parkview Avenue, The Men’s Club building and an addition to the Telephonics offices on Enterprise Drive, The Finishing Touch body shop building on Colony Drive and two office buildings on La Montana Drive across from Fountain Hills Plaza.

Site work was underway at year’s end on the new Fountain Hills Retail Center on the Avenue of the Fountains. When completed in 1987, it was anchored by Jerry’s United Drug Pharmacy, one of the town’s oldest businesses.

Another evidence of the town’s growth was the redistricting of Fountain Hills into four voting precincts.

Continued growth was assured by the county’s approval in October of an 1,868-acre master plan revision of southwestern Fountain Hills by MCO Properties Inc., the community’s master developer.

The plan included several golf courses, two resorts, some commercial and many new residential building sites. Work began in 1987 on the initial phases of the development plan.

As the town’s development outlook seemed rosy, its future government options seemed as out of focus as ever in 1986. Continued delays and setbacks in the court process and denial by Scottsdale to hold an incorporation election had frustrated incorporation, annexation and “stay as we are" advocates in the community.

An average increase of 21 percent in the town’s district assessed valuation figures was a major factor in the overall decrease of the local tax rate from $15.06 per $100 assessed valuation to $13.14.

Several resident protests made the news in 1986. I’ll be writing about those in my next Fountain Hills History Lesson.