Cave Creek council authorizes application to state land department to pursue auction of about 405 acres of open space

The Cave Creek Town Council voted to authorize staff to file an application with the Arizona State Land Department to initiate an auction of roughly 405 acres of land zoned for open‑space recreation and open‑space conservation and to permit the town manager to administratively approve studies, plans and surveys needed to complete the State Land Department application process.

Councilmembers described the action as the culmination of a long effort. “This has been a long time coming,” one councilmember said, praising staff and volunteers and calling the decision “a win‑win for the entire community.” Another councilmember compared the planned acquisition to the town’s Spur Cross area and singled out staff members R.J., Luke, Sherry and Bill Sim for their roles in preparing the application.

Speakers emphasized the environmental and recreational value of adding the acreage adjacent to existing preserved lands. “With Spur Cross, the acquisition of the 405 acres and Cave Creek Regional Park, we are the last bastion of native Sonoran Desert in Maricopa County,” a councilmember said, arguing the move would help protect local desert habitat and make the town more attractive for nature‑based recreation.

One councilmember framed the move as a long‑term legacy, saying the actions planned this year could increase the town’s preserved open space from about 4,500 acres to about 9,000 acres and calling it “our gift to the future.” The council discussed procedure for follow up: a member asked whether testimony from Bruce Arland about a signature petition could be addressed immediately after the vote, and staff and the chair clarified that items not on the agenda cannot be added but could be discussed informally after the meeting.

A councilmember asked staff to compile a historical list of the volunteers and elected officials who advanced earlier versions of the project, naming former mayor Vince Francia and others mentioned in an earlier article (Steve Lamar, Ernie Bunch and Tom Magguire) so those contributors could be acknowledged.

The council conducted a voice vote and the chair announced the motion carried; no members were recorded as voting against the motion in the transcript (the exact yea count was not specified). The meeting record shows no further business on the agenda.

The council’s authorization directs staff to move forward with the State Land Department application and to carry out administrative steps needed to satisfy the application requirements; it does not itself buy or transfer the property. Next procedural steps noted in the discussion include staff preparation of studies, plans and surveys to meet the State Land Department’s application requirements and a post‑meeting follow up on public testimony and historical participants.