Introduction

Purpose of Scenic Corridors

The purpose of scenic corridors is to retain the natural desert as meaningful desert open space along major streets. Scenic corridors are envisioned as a linear preserve and as an important component of an integrated desert open space system. The most distinct design characteristic of scenic corridors is the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert. An effort to retain this desert character is evident throughout the recommendations for streets designated as scenic corridors. These linear preserves provide residents, commuters, visitors and tourists with opportunities to see and appreciate desert scenery. The Desert Open Space System Plan, approved by the Commission, described the vision for an open space system with scenic corridors as one of the critical components of a system that includes mountain and desert preserves, trails, parks and other public open space.

Origins of Recommendations

Residents in what are now incorporated parts of Cave Creek, Carefree and Scottsdale created the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive concept which included identification signs along Scottsdale and Cave Creek Roads. Their scenic drive idea became part of the Scottsdale General Plan after the northern end of Scottsdale Road was incorporated into the city boundary.  The 1992 Environmental Design Element of the Scottsdale General Plan contains an Open Space Plan map which identifies several Scenic Corridors. The Open Space Plan also designated Buffered Setbacks/Parkways which are intended to include somewhat narrower landscape setbacks than scenic corridors.

In addition to what is shown on existing policy plans in Scottsdale, there were two major public dialogues on the future vision for the city in the 1990s.  Citizens in both the Scottsdale Visioning and CityShape 2020 planning processes identified the Sonoran Desert as critical to the character and lifestyle of Scottsdale. CityShape 2020 specifically called upon the city to pursue meaningful open space.

In 1994 the Western Task Force of the Scottsdale Tourism Development Commission studied the specific components in this area of the West that actually bring visitors to Scottsdale.  The Western Task Force found that the number one draw was Desert/Sun/Open Space/Mountain Views. The Sonoran Desert is valuable for tourism, the number one industry in Scottsdale.

City Council appointed a Desert Preservation Task Force in 1996 to define meaningful open space and identify potential public actions that should be pursued. The task force report identified 19,370 acres of desert that it recommended be preserved and it encouraged the development of a plan for an integrated open space system. The task force and a group called Great Sonoran also began working on design guidelines and standards aimed at making development more compatible with the desert. The tasks that City Council had charged the task force with completing were added to the charge for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission when City Council appointed additional members to the Commission and a Desert Subcommittee was established. In 1997 the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission approved the Desert Open Space System Plan prepared largely by the Desert Subcommittee and submitted the plan to the City Council.

The scenic corridor recommendations of the Desert Subcommittee to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission and the Great Sonoran are consistent with the strong preservation ethic in Scottsdale and broad community support for preserving scenic natural desert as reflected in the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, Scottsdale Visioning, CityShape 2020, the Desert Preservation Task Force, the Scottsdale General Plan and the Desert Open Space System Plan. Members of the Great Sonoran met jointly with the Desert Subcommittee and received copies of earlier drafts to develop a joint recommendation.

Scenic Corridor Recommendations

A scenic corridor has traditionally been described as a strip of land located between the outside of the street right-of-way and the area where development occurs. The recommendations are based upon the view that the scenic corridor is more than just a landscape setback.  Scenic corridors have three components: the street right-of-way, the landscape setback, and adjacent development.  The scenic corridor recommendations address issues for all three components.

The Desert Subcommittee and Great Sonoran recommendations are a cohesive vision of the ideal scenic corridor as a linear desert preserve.  City planning and legal staff are evaluating these recommendations to identify potential methods to implementation and to consider opportunities for designating additional streets as scenic corridors.