Cave Creek council accepts Morningstar task force recommendations, agrees to accept easement but not build trail now

Cave Creek's Town Council voted unanimously Monday to accept the Morningstar Trail ad hoc task force's report and to accept a donated nonmotorized trail easement for a parcel on Morningstar Road while making no pledge to construct a trail at that location now.

The task force's executive summary, presented by chair Stacy Daniel and vice chair Bill Dessor, recommended that the town "accept the gift of easement, but not build the trail in this location" and instead pursue two alternate routes that staff and the committee consider better aligned with the town's general plan and neighborhood concerns. The motion directing staff to bring forward the proposed nonmotorized trail easement and make efforts to acquire additional nonmotorized trail easements carried 6-0.

Why it matters: The parcel at issue was offered to the town as a donated easement tied to a proposed subdivision. Neighbors and the committee raised concerns the originally proposed extension would terminate at private property and invite trespass and conflict, and would not provide meaningful east-west connectivity to the larger trail network or the nearly 4,000 acres zoned open space referenced in committee materials.

What the task force found: The Morningstar committee reviewed prior history dating to about 2010 when developer Mark Stapp proposed a subdivision and an easement for a trail on a roughly 30-acre parcel. Committee members said litigation and deed restrictions left the original alignment constrained, and that the proposed easement: (1) would provide a 10-foot trail easement adjacent to a 12-foot wildlife corridor but would not guarantee connectivity westward because deed restrictions and private alignments block further extension; (2) could be preserved without obligation to build now so future councils and residents could decide later; and (3) could reduce the possibility a dedicated public road could be sited there because a public road would require roughly 60-foot right-of-way, which would be difficult given parcel geometry.

Alternatives recommended: The task force unanimously recommended two alternates. Preferred Alternate 1 (northern route) would link a 15-acre Parcel 1 at the north end of 50 Second Old Stage Road, across Arizona State Trust land and Spurcross-adjacent parcels, to existing trail networks and the 4,000 acres zoned for open space. Subordinate Alternate 2 (southern route) would use a 20-acre Parcel 8 with wildcat trails south of Cahaba Springs to improve local access and potentially link to Cave Creek Regional Park.

Public input and council discussion: Dozens of residents spoke at the hearing. Some urged the council to accept the easement so the town would have the option later; others opposed accepting an easement they said could be used for eminent-domain connections in the future. Task force members and staff responded that the donated easement is specifically prescriptive for a nonmotorized trail and that acceptance does not obligate the town to construct a trail without a future council vote incorporating direct citizen input. Staff said the town has begun outreach to property owners on the preferred alternate routes.

Outcome and next steps: The motion passed by voice vote 6-0. Council also acknowledged the task force's unanimous recommendation that, if construction of a trail in the original Morningstar location were ever proposed, council would require a separate vote that includes direct neighborhood input. Staff will bring the proposed nonmotorized trail easement forward and pursue negotiation for the two alternate routes as resources and landowner willingness allow.