Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Acquisition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks board accepts donated 10‑acre parcel near South Mountain and designates it as mountain preserve
Summary
The board voted to accept an approximately 10‑acre donation adjacent to South Mountain and to designate it part of the mountain preserve; staff said the parcel is difficult to develop, could provide wildlife corridor connectivity, and the committee had recommended approval.
The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board voted Monday to accept a donated roughly 10‑acre parcel adjacent to South Mountain and to designate the property as part of the mountain preserve.
Teresa Fall, management services deputy director, told the board the parcel was offered after developers questioned whether it could be included in the city's next bond project; given topographic and infrastructure challenges staff said donation was the preferable path. Fall described the site as immediately north of developed homes, adjacent to the 202 freeway, and noted constraints such as hillside engineering and an uphill sewer alignment that make development difficult. The Sonoran Preserve and Mountain Parks Preserve Committee reviewed the parcel on May 18 and recommended acquisition.
Board members asked whether the donation is unconditional and whether the city would be locked into preserve status. Staff said they were not aware of restrictive conditions attached to the donation and noted that city charter rules limit sale of preserved land; staff suggested the board could postpone a formal preserve designation if members preferred further analysis, but several members supported immediate preservation to prevent future development pressure.
A board member moved to accept the donation and designate it within the mountain preserve; another member seconded the motion and the chair called for a voice vote. The motion carried by voice; the transcript does not record a roll‑call tally.
Why it matters: The acquisition increases preserved lands adjacent to South Mountain, could protect a wildlife corridor that connects under the freeway, and may provide leverage for future connectivity to neighboring parcels.
Next steps: Staff said the item will be forwarded to City Council for final action, tentatively prior to the council's summer recess. The board also asked staff to continue exploring opportunities to acquire adjacent parcels to improve connectivity.
