I feel like it’s “Ground Hog Day,” the movie. I keep waking up and it’s the same day, over and over again. The same pattern, repeating itself.

Commercial landowner makes bad investment in Fountain Hills land. Landowner cannot sell or develop under the zoning land was purchased under. Landowner hires realtor and lawyer from over the hill to find a project that doesn’t belong in the neighborhood and comes to town to convince us that our zoning needs to be changed so their wonderful project can get done. The landowner gets out from under the bad investment, the lawyer makes fees, the realtor gets commission on sale, developer makes money on project.

How wonderful; except the neighbors who made their investment with the knowledge of the current zoning have their investment devalued by the new zoning.

First, there was the nursing home at Saguaro and Trevino and the attempt to change that from C1 to C2 so a building larger than the Cardinals’ football field could be built next to $800K homes. Then along comes Daybreak at Palisades and Shea, with the attempt to change that zoning from lodging to multifamily so apartments could be built next to expensive homes. Now we have the hotel across from Saguaro and Trevino and the attempt to change that from C1 to C2. That building will be 40 feet tall and block out the sun, let alone the views of Red Rock for the Montero Ranch neighbors. It will also add traffic to an already over-congested intersection where there is no possibility of any form of traffic control because it’s too close to Shea.

Let the council know that bad development is just that, bad. And poor investments should not be bailed out by the town and citizens of Fountain Hills.