The Developers Always Show Up,
When Are You Going To Take A Stand?
Our success in maintaining our lifestyle and keeping Equine on our property or at the local Stables depends on YOU. Developers attend ALL meetings. Equestrians attend only meetings that affect them personally in their own backyards. Later we complain to our friends and wonder what happened and why.
WHEN WILL WE LEARN THAT WE HAVE TO SHOW UP AT ALL MEETINGS INCLUDING THOSE HELD IN OTHER COUNTIES, CITIES AND TOWNS? IF IT HAPPENS OVER THERE, IT WILL HAPPEN IN YOUR BACKYARD NEXT. OUR POWER TO IMPACT CHANGE COMES FROM STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. MAKE MEETINGS YOUR PRIORITY!!
The State of Arizona is my backyard and it’s yours too.
Maricopa County News
“On May 16, a Regional Visioning exercise will be held to look at the growth of Maricopa County and Northern Pinal County. "AZ One - A Reality Check for Central Arizona," will look at this region that is expected to more than double in population in the next several decades. The challenge will be figuring out where to put everyone - and providing adequate infrastructure to accommodate these new Arizonans.
Currently, 300 people are being sought to participate in this one-day program. Anyone can nominate themselves or others through the website - www.azonefuture.com. While at the website, you can view a couple of videos on similar efforts held in Tampa Bay, FL and Washington DC.
The Arizona Department of Commerce recently launched the agency's new Office of Smart Growth. This Office engages in planning and zoning technical assistance, boards and commissions training, public participation, military land use compatibility, and an expanded smart growth focus. Please visit www.azcommerce.com and click on Smart Growth to learn more.
Jan Lesher, Director
Arizona Department of Commerce”
City of Phoenix-Horselovers Park
The rumors that funding was to be cut to the park and that developers were taking over were untrue. Those rumors, unfortunately, generated emails that not only were wasted but may have caused negative reactions to the horse community. The lesson learned again is to check out the rumors before taking any action. The truth is that Horselovers Park lost one part time employee due to severe budget cuts made by the city. According to Brenda Smith who manages the park, the impact will be nil. Horselovers Park is in an area called Reach 11. Developers will never be able to take control of the land or buy it. It’s owned by the federal government and preserved to prevent flooding.
City of Sierra Vista
Arizona State Horsemen’s Assn Cochise County Rep Anne May was the only horse owner to show up for a controversial meeting regarding Equestrian use of a local trail. The city wants to charge equestrians impact fees and increase city sales taxes 1/4% to fund trailheads and usage. The issue was not yet resolved.
Coconino County Fairgrounds
Progress is being made with the collection of general and budget information with Coconino Parks and Recreation Department. The Coconino County Horse Alliance has prepared a priorities list to present to the Supervisors March 18. The list is as follows: (1) The importance of providing a funding mechanism and means to make the much-needed repairs and upgrades to Ft Tuthill. (2) The necessity of immediate attention to the electric situation in the stable area and other hazardous situations at the park. (3) The CCHA is prepared to create a Task Force to work with Parks and Rec to simplify the current lessee contract and revamp the rate structure. The Task Force will also further investigate financial subsidies and the budget to create funding for future improvements.
Contact info can be found at: www.Coconino.az.gov/bos.aspx?idid=83
Pinal County Comprehensive Planning Meetings
Several meetings were held throughout Pinal County to solicit public input for placement of transportation, population growth, land usage and industrial and job centers. The Arizona State Horsemen’s Assn sent board members to five of the six meetings conducted between Feb 20 thru Feb 28. The score for attendance was Developers and Non-Equestrians 100, Equestrians 10. Pinal County Equestrians did not show up again.
This was an important series of workshops that determined how Pinal would look for many years. Hopefully ASHA input was enough to help preserve the Rural Lifestyle.
Pinal County Planning and Zoning Ordinance Meeting
March 3rd Chip Wilson ASHA President, Ed O’Brien ASHA VP, Dick Powell Casa Grande City Council member, Will Dennis Maricopa County City Council member and Rosie Regan 4 H representative met with Jerry Stabley Director of P & Z for Pinal Co to discuss setbacks, a Code of The West and more.
This meeting was a success. Jerry is listening to us and helping us to protect Equine & Rural interests in Pinal for the future. When this Equine Advisory Council’s work is completed, it will undoubtedly serve as a model for us to use in other areas throughout the state.
Arizona State Regulations for DUST
This is a serious issue that will affect many horse owners to the tune of thousands of dollars and possibly even more in the future. To understand this issue and how to combat it, you need to understand the background and some of the details.
The state of Arizona, its counties and cities stand to lose Billions of dollars in Federal subsidies if areas of non-compliance do not meet federal standards for Air Quality. Therefore, the state has passed regulations that municipalities must comply with, to control dust. Sounds simple?
It’s not.
The Town of Cave Creek feels this is such a mess that they are contacting the state legislature “to see how to de-annex Cave Creek from the whole stinking mess.” Scottsdale has had a series of public open meetings and on March 18 will conduct a hearing in front of the City Council on this issue.
The state is requiring that cities enact regulations to control dust that include: limiting leaf blower use, limiting ATV use, and require paving or treatment for parking or driveways 3000sq feet or more. Parking lots and vacant lots are also regulated. This means that your dirt driveway will have to be paved. And that dear horse owner- rural lifestyle lover may be just the beginning.
The environmentalists and those who care about their health will champion the Dust Cause because it’s about our health. The federal government is simply trying to help reduce pollution and that only makes sense. Let’s pave everything, create more heat islands that in turn also generate more pollution. And then we will control more dust, pave arenas, trails in parks will be paved and on and on.
What’s important in all this is what is not being reported, nor said. The gov’t is trying to reduce PM 10 concentrations to less harmful levels since they can cause serious heart and lung problems. PM10 measures particulate pollution. Its sources include: Vehicle Exhaust, Dust and more. In Maricopa County, the highest daily concentrations dominated by wind blown dust come from disturbed soils, not desert dust, Construction, vacant lots, unpaved parking areas, and agricultural lands, unpaved roads (600 miles in the county), and paved roads. The Phoenix urban core tends to have much higher concentrations than surrounding areas due to vehicle exhaust which accounts for as much as 50%, dust from paved roads and dust from construction, unpaved roads and paved roads.” The so-called Brown Cloud, which seems synonymous with pollution, is only 9% dust. The major component is Fuel Combustion particulate matter that represents 57%.
All that said, let me put it all together. (1) Dust may become a very large issue not just for Cave Creek and for rural Scottsdale but all rural areas near larger metropolitan cities (2) It will cost you thousands if you do not participate and have a 3000’sq driveway now or in the future. And God only knows what will they go for next. Your Arena? Stalls? Trails? Pave the cotton fields? (3) The major component of PM10 is vehicle emissions. Are they doing anything about it? No. And, it’s the most physically harmful component. (4) In the Dust component, the worst contributor is Construction. But they will tell you that there are heavy fines already in place for violators. Well then, why was there a dust cloud so thick you could not see the cars in it on Monday morning March 3rd at Thunderbird and Scottsdale Roads?
The Bottom Line
Our state and/or local governments do not need to be asking us to pave 3000sq’ feet driveways to reduce PM10 levels and improve Air Quality until they control and reduce the most serious offenders: Vehicle Emissions, Construction, and Road Dust. After that we need to see pinpoint measurements that determine additional sources of non-wind driven pollutants.
Ed O’ Brien
All About Horses.com
VP Arizona State Horsemen’s Association
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