BUCKEYE, AZ — Dozens of residents from the Sun City Festival retirement community in north Buckeye are up in arms over a proposed development in their backyard.
"It's going to increase our taxes, it's going to lower our property values, it's going to increase crime. And we really, honestly don't know if there's an assured water supply," said Barbara Allison, a resident at Sun City Festival.
The Buckeye City Council is considering whether to approve a development agreement for North Star Ranch, a 2,800-acre master plan for nearly 10,000 single-family homes.
Along with elementary schools and a high school, it would have room for open space and community parks. It would also include commercial mixed-use and employment areas.
Residents say they are primarily concerned with the traffic it could create through their neighborhoods.
"They're putting Desert Oasis from a four-lane to a seven-lane highway right in the middle of our senior citizen community. We're 55 and over. There's multiple people that run, ride bikes, golf carts," said Jeff Younkins, a Sun City Festival resident.
Developers, however, say this plan has already been approved since 2005. They are only making updates to the plan now and including some changes based on community feedback.
"We've limited the number of multi-family units that are going to be developed in the community, we've restricted heights in the community to a maximum of four stories and 50 feet,” said Susan Demmitt, the attorney for Festival Ranch North LLC.
But many seniors are still worried about the impact.
"Why here, why now, why at this density? It just makes no sense whatsoever,” said Tom Berry, a Sun City Festival resident.
Council members passed a 6-1 vote in agreement for the development.
