PHOENIX — Plans to rezone a golf course into homes on the Phoenix-Scottsdale border hit a stumbling block this week.
The owner of the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa wants to rezone the 72-acre Mesquite Golf Course for nearly 500 homes near the Phoenix-Scottsdale border. The Mesquite Golf Course is one of three courses near 66th Street and Greenway Parkway.
The proposal seeks to rezone the area and amend the city's General Plan to allow homes, townhouses or condos on the golf course. The project is called the Copper Residences Planned Unit Development. The Acacia and Ironwood courses would remain golf courses.
Neighbors packed a community center Tuesday night to weigh in on a proposed project that could dramatically change their neighborhood.
"There's so much concern about overdevelopment here in this particular area of Scottsdale. There's been so much development in the last couple of years and we worry about the traffic," resident Michael Seltzer said.
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Neighbors say they are concerned about losing the open space, increased traffic and potential flooding. The city received more than 1,400 letters opposing the plan.
"This proposal takes the open space our community was built around and adds traffic," said Amy Satterfield, chairwoman of Kierland Community Allliance. The alliance has spearheaded an organized opposition, including signs placed in yards and residents wearing bright green T-shirts that say, "Keep Kierland Green."
There were also some supporters at the meeting as well.
"The bottom line to me is the golf course is going to close. This is exactly the type of project we want in the area. The developer has listened to the communnity: added greenspace, lowered density, lowered building heights. So in my opinion, why wouldn't we want this?" said Grant MacKenzie, who grew up in the area.
Arizona Rep. Matt Gress, whose legislative district includes Kierland, called rezoning plan a "non-starter."
"It doesn't need tweaks, needs to go back to the drawing board," Gress said.
City staff, however, recommended approval.
Officials representing the resort said its updated plan would focus on water conservation and still keep 18 holes of golf. Updated plans also included a five-acre park.
"I will caution you it is a golf course today. On January 12th of 2028, it will no longer operate as a golf course," said attorney Jason Morris, who is representing the property owner Host Hotel and Resorts.
The proposal was heard Tuesday by the Paradise Valley Village Planning Committee, an advisory body for the city of Phoenix.
The committee ultimately voted to recommend denial of the project. The meeting room filled with cheers.
Tuesday's review marks the first of three hurdles for the project. The plan will next go to the Phoenix Planning Commission in December and the Phoenix City Council in January.
The Phoenix City Council will ultimately decide whether to rezone the property or not.
