PINNACLE PEAK PARK - SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

For more information, please visit the Pinnacle Peak Park website. [Images on this page were obtained from the Pinnacle Peak Park website]

BACKGROUND

Pinnacle Peak Park is one of the primary attractions in the Scottsdale, Arizona area, just north of Phoenix. At the northern reaches of the Sonoran desert, the park is rich with native vegetation, breathtaking views, and first-class multi-use trails. The 150-acre park hosts a variety of activities ranging from leisurely hiking to rock climbing, horseback riding, and mountain biking. The park’s administration offers special events for visitors including wildlife demonstrations, Native American celebrations, moonlit tours, and astronomy presentations.

RELEVANCE

In the 1980s, before the city of Scottsdale experienced its high rate of growth, a private developer purchased a plot of land from the state of Arizona that included the Pinnacle Peak natural area. Because the area had been used for decades prior, the city of Scottsdale approached the developer and asked that the land be donated to the city for designation as a city park. The developer readily agreed, and gifted 180 acres to the city; the remainder of the property was to be developed as private housing communities. 30 acres were traded by the city back to the developer, and in return, the developer constructed the new trail system widely used today.

PINNACLE PEAK PARK

The next twenty years brought a series of public meetings and hearings to discuss the concerns of existing park users and residents of the new private communities. Each were concerned that the other would interfere with their hopes for the park and sought to put an end to plans for the park. The city patiently met with all parties involved and various compromises were met to appease the greater whole.  The city agreed to staff the park, regulate the hours open to the public, and place signs along the trails.

The park will celebrate its 5^th anniversary in 2007 and boasts over 800,000 visitors since its opening in 2002. The vast majority of users and homeowners surrounding the park agree that the park is in fact an asset rather than a detriment as they had originally anticipated. As can be expected, some individuals are still upset, but the greater part of the community has come to love and use the parks natural amenities, facilities, and educational programs.

DESIGN IMPLICATIONS

• Most developers gain economic benefit by retaining green open spaces as part of a development plan; the town and its citizens can work closely with a developer to maintain open space for public use
• Private uses within the park can be visually screened from existing areas surrounding the park
• Compromises are a means of achieving trade-offs that benefit the majority of the parties involved
• The town, developers, and citizens must be open-minded and patient in the process in order to accomplish the greatest good for the community.