State Land Department News & Information

State Land Department Issues Revised Conceptual Plan for Desert Hills Area
Most County Land Withdrawn

(Phoenix April 7, 2005) The Arizona State Land Department today released a revised draft conceptual land use plan for the area known as Desert Hills.  A prior draft conceptual plan had included a significant amount of State Trust Land in the New River and Anthem area, including Daisy Mountain.  The revised draft plan withdraws nearly all of those state trust lands. These lands will not be included as the draft plan moves forward through the public process of the Urban Lands Oversight Committee and the Maricopa County Planning and Zoning.  

“After the first draft plan was released, we received significant comments from the community,” State Land Commissioner Mark Winkleman commented. “I committed to the residents and to Supervisor Andy Kunasek to review the first draft in light of their comments.  Withdrawing most of the county lands from the conceptual plan I believe addresses the concerns of the residents.”  

“Commissioner Winkleman and I had a very productive meeting on Tuesday,” said County Supervisor Andy Kunasek who represents the area.  “I was glad to hear that they are withdrawing most of our area from the state’s conceptual plan.  Commissioner Winkleman and his staff deserve our heartfelt thanks for responding so quickly to revise the plan.”  

The revised draft conceptual plan is renamed the Carefree/ Cave Creek Area State Land Study Draft Conceptual Plan and includes State Trust Land within the limits of both communities.  The selected lands that are within Maricopa County are approximately six sections of State Trust Land west of Spur Cross Ranch which Cave Creek has applied to annex, and approximately three sections of land north of Carefree Highway between 16th St. and 48th St.