Title
Designate City-Owned Property on Camelback Mountain as Mountain Preserve (Ordinance S-45250)
Description
Request that the City Council change the existing designation of City-owned property on Camelback Mountain from mountain park to mountain preserve, and order that the ordinance be recorded.
Report
Summary
The Parks and Recreation Department uses the following park categories to assist in management, planning, and budget allocation for all City parks: flatland parks, mountain preserves, and mountain/desert parks.
Currently, Camelback Mountain property is designated under the category of a mountain park. A review by the Parks and Recreation Department considered the opportunity to designate associated City-owned property on Camelback Mountain to a mountain preserve status.
Camelback Mountain is a unique destination and one of the City’s most popular hiking areas. The area is enjoyed by a variety of out of state visitors and in-state recreational users ranging from hikers, rock climbers and earth (B.A.S.E.) jumpers. Over 450,000 users visited Camelback Mountain from July 2017 through July 2018. The mountain also provides a natural habitat to sensitive plant life and a variety of native animal species unique to the Sonoran Desert, such as rattlesnakes and chuckwalla lizards; nesting sites for Peregrine and Prairie falcons; and dens for foxes.
To thoughtfully consider a potential update to the property designation of Camelback Mountain, the Parks and Recreation Department formulated a multisector task force comprised of a citizen group to gain public input and direction. These individuals continue to be involved in ongoing conversation about public safety, land stewardship, and policy issues related to the property designation.
Chapter XXVI, section 1(d) of the Phoenix City Charter provides that the City Council may designate real property as mountain preserve by ordinance upon recommendation of such designations by the Parks and Recreation Board. On Oct. 25, 2018, the Parks and Recreation Board recommended that several properties the City owns be designated as mountain preserve so that the protections afforded to preserve property under chapter XXVI will apply. Attachment A shows the property parcels and Attachment B shows the map to help identify the property to be designated mountain preserve.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was heard and recommended unanimously by the Parks and Recreation Board on Oct. 25, 2018.
This item was recommended for approval by the Parks, Arts, Libraries and Education Subcommittee on Nov. 28, 2018, by a vote of 3-0.
Public Outreach
Public outreach was conducted at task force meetings, through survey distribution and presentations to the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve Mountain Parks/Preserve Committee and Parks and Recreation Board.
Location
4925 E. McDonald Drive
Council District: 6
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Deanna Jonovich and the Parks and Recreation Department.