[Source: Diana Balazs, Arizona Republic] -- Is it time for a historic zoning overlay ordinance in Paradise Valley to protect older neighborhoods from teardowns and redevelopment? Town officials aren't convinced, although there are a number of residents who believe something needs to be done. Scottsdale and Phoenix have historic residential districts as well as historic registers listing buildings of significance, including homes. Many Paradise Valley residents want to preserve their older homes and neighborhoods, and the town is encouraging remodeling rather than scraping by easing restrictions.
The issue of historic overlays has come to light as vacant land quickly disappears and more developers turn to mature neighborhoods, demolishing existing homes and replacing them with new ones. In 2005, 79 single-family homes were demolished, compared to 68 in 2004. "It (a historic overlay) is something that we've discussed in the past, but it's not something the town is actively pursuing right now. That doesn't mean we won't look at it again in the future, but right now we're not looking at that," said Eva Cutro, the town's planning director.
Longtime resident Helen Harold wishes the town would. She said she has been trying for years to come up with some way to preserve older structures from the bulldozer. She lives in a concrete block house built in 1949 and designed by architect Blaine Drake, one of architect Frank Lloyd Wright's original apprentices. "We used to build houses so that the desert dominated. Now the houses seem to dominate the desert," Harold said. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
