Big fire started near high-end development

Jul. 9—It took about two hours for a fire that ignited near a construction site in Scottsdale to burn through hundreds of wildland acres June 27.

The Storyrock development of multi-million dollar homes, by contrast, has been slowly creeping ahead for a decade.

Though listed as "human caused," the origin of the Diamond Fire is "still under investigation and will take time" to determine, Arizona Department of Forestry spokeswoman Tiffany Davila said July 5.

As the Diamond Fire's informational website notes, "The Diamond Fire started Tuesday afternoon near 130th and Ranch Gate Road in North Scottsdale."

That would be the gate of the sprawling Storyrock development.

A Scottsdale Police tweet shortly after the fire's ignition was even more specific, stating officers were assisting "with traffic control related to a brush fire near 128th Street and Ranch Gate Road."

Multiple homes were under construction in that vicinity.

According to the police tweet, "Some workers were evacuated from homes under construction in the area."

"We have not been contacted by any state or local fire investigators, and we have no information indicating that the fire started on our property or any of our job sites," said Amanda Caylor-Boychuk, a David Weekley Homes/Storyrock spokeswoman. "To our knowledge, none of our job sites were affected by or implicated in the fire."

There are three other homebuilders at Storyrock: Shea Homes, Rosewood Homes and Taylor Morrison.

The Progress asked the three other Storyrock developers if they were cooperating with fire investigators.

David Kitnick, president of Rosewood Homes, said fire investigators have not reached out to him — which did not surprise him.

"Our understanding is that the fire initially started northeast of the northeast corner of 128th Street and Ranch Gate Road, which is not on any of our property. Nor is it adjacent to any of our property," said Kitnick.

"We are saddened that the brush fire occurred but we are thankful that no one affiliated with our company had any involvement with this unfortunate accident," Kitnick added.

"We are also appreciative that so many fire departments and government agencies acted so quickly to prevent this from spreading into residential areas."

The section of Shea Homes — at the north end of Storyrock — appears to be closest to the area the Diamond Fire's starting point.

Shea Homes and Taylor Morrison did not reply to questions by this newspaper's deadline.

Caylor-Boychuk of David Weekley Homes noted no Storyrock homes were damaged by the fire.

Favorable winds

Fortunately for developers, the wind blew the flames away from scores of houses under construction — as well as established homes in northeast Scottsdale and Rio Verde Foothills.

No primary residences were damaged, according to the Department of Forestry.

Area residents were not thinking about fires when they consistently expressed concerns about traffic, noise and other disruptions in one of Scottsdale's most rapidly-developing areas.

But, as one neighbor disgustedly predicted, "developers always win."

Arguing that development in this area had been planned — and approved by voters as part of the city's general plan — for years, Scottsdale City Council approved upwards of 1,000 homes in this previously uninhabited-area.

Storyrock is the giant of the bunch, on pace to generate millions in construction fees and, ultimately, property taxes.

But this is hardly the lone player in the race to develop the northeast corner of Scottsdale.

Indeed, as the Diamond Fire was in its infancy June 27, Council was approving the continuance of a planning request by McDowell Mountain Manor.

The project's narrative describes it as a future "upscale gated community" with 32 homes on 40 acres "nestled between the existing Sereno Canyon Master Planned community and the developing Storyrock Master Plan."

Sereno Canyon is a 122-home plan across 128th Street from Storyrock.

Then there's 118th and Ranch Gate, a 42-lot residential subdivision on 66 acres on the northeast corner of N. 118th Street and E. Ranch Gate Road.

All these hundreds of homes in various stages of development are a chip shot from the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and McDowell Mountain Park.

At the next City Council meeting, 5 p.m. Monday, July 10, the agenda includes an infrastructure reimbursement agreement with Storyrock developer David Weekley Homes/Preserve Ranch for $2.2 million to design and construct water lines on128th Street.

Unlike their neighbors in Rio Verde Foothills, Storyrock residents will be provided Scottsdale Water right to their homes.

The unincorporated county land, informally known as Rio Verde Foothills, is just across the Scottsdale border.

For years, Scottsdale had been providing water to RVF via a standpipe at nearby Jomax Road, where trucks would load up and haul the water to Rio Verde Foothills.

After years of warnings, Mayor David Ortega led Scottsdale to cease providing water to Rio Verde Foothills Jan. 1 — though a new law forces the city to resume service, with a "standpipe district" as a middle agency.

Since the 128th Street and Ranch Gate Road area is in Scottsdale, the under-construction homes will have fresh water flowing into their pipes and wastewater flowing out.

That, however, will require massive infrastructure.

According to the July 10 agenda, Storyrock needs water "faster than the city can deliver the project. Therefore, the developer was provided the option to design and construct the needed portion of (water lines) under a development reimbursement agreement."

Big money ahead

The original cost of the 128th Street/Rio Verde line was estimated at just under $18 million. The updated estimate is nearly $25 million.

If Council approves the agreement, one of the Storyrock developers will design and construct the portion of the water project leading to their gates, with the city reimbursing up to $2.2 million.

According to the development agreement, "The project will facilitate city's water distribution to developer's property as well as other properties in the area. While city intends to construct the project in the future, developer desires to assist in acceleration of construction of the project."

The development means big money, for the city.

Scottsdale's new tax rate is just under $1 per $100 of assessed valuation.

A Storyrock $1.7 million home would pay city taxes of around $17,000. The community's 445 homes would combine for about $7.5 million in annual city taxes.

As part of the waterline deal, the Storyrock developers will be required to have commercial insurance coverage of $2 million, including $100,000 for fire damage.

Caylor-Boychuk said the developers are now taking extra precautions.

"We have also checked all of our job sites to verify that fire safety practices are being observed," the David Weekley Homes spokeswoman said. "And, we have met with our team to remind them of preventative measures to remain fire safe."

The Storyrock story

According to the project's website, the project is ready to rock:

"David Weekley Homes is now selling in a new phase of Storyrock! Your Sonoran sanctuary and the luxurious lifestyle you've been seeking await in this gated, North Scottsdale, AZ, community surrounded by the McDowell Sonoran Preserve."

Those who purchase these homes will join a few others on the ground floor of a project a decade in the making.

An earlier version of Storyrock was called Cavalliere Ranch, also located east of 128th Street and Ranch Gate Road.

Six years ago, as it prepared for a string of city approvals, developers billed the project as "a new opportunity for desert living in an environment that fosters appreciation and stewardship as one of Scottsdale's most precious assets."

Neighbors weren't buying that.

Dozens showed up at a May 29, 2014, neighborhood meeting at the Four Seasons Resort to hear about Cavalliere Ranch, which planned about 430 homes on 470 acres.

Many were not impressed, according to comment cards.

"Thumbs down," one said — perhaps a nod to nearby Tom's Thumb Trail.

"Not a fan of this part of the Scottsdale General Plan," one said, acknowledging development of the area had been planned for years.

"Don't believe how I feel about it makes any difference," she continued. "Developer always wins."

Another called the plan "a sleight of hand trick," with many echoing concerns about traffic, noise and the preserve's beauty being ruined.

"Absolutely not!" another yelled in writing. "NO NO NO NO NO."

According to a report by Technical Solutions, hired by Scottsdale-based developer Taylor Morrison to do the meeting and follow up, "A vital part of the outreach process is to allow people to express their concerns and understand issues and attempt to address them in a timely and professional manner."

By 2016, the project was rebranded as Storyrock.

Despite the above and other concerns of neighbors, Storyrock's rezoning request was approved by City Council. On Nov. 11, 2017, development plans were unanimously approved by the Design Review Board.

The 460-acre parcel was split into multiple phases by the developer.

But the project remained stalled for years, forcing developers to resubmit plans four years later, when they were prepared to begin building.

Along the way, through various expansions and subdivisions, City Council routinely stamped its approval — often as part of a consent agenda (items that are not individually discussed).

As a Jan. 19, 2021, consent agenda item — which passed unanimously — noted, "Previous phased final plats for Storyrock approved by City Council on May 14, 2019, and Nov. 23, 2020."

In planning documents, Storyrock developers agreed to the following language, regarding water:

"The property owner shall provide all water and wastewater infrastructure improvements, including any new service lines, connection, fire-hydrants, and manholes, necessary to serve the development."

And, City Council reports for various phases of development noted:

"The Water Resources Department has reviewed the applications and finds that there are adequate water and wastewater services for the proposed use."

RVF scare

Storyrock falls into the category of Planned Community District, Environmentally Sensitive Lands.

Developers stated the project is "in substantial harmony" with the city's general plan "and fulfills the vision and rural character of the Dynamite Foothills Character Area Plan (2000)."

The project's narrative notes planned community districts are "designed and intended to enable and encourage the development of large tracts of land ... so as to achieve land development patterns which will maintain and enhance the physical, social and economic values of an area."

Rio Verde Foothills neighbors, who live just north of the development, were among those evacuated by the Diamond Fire, which started around 4:30 p.m. June 27 at the edges of Scottsdale, quickly roaring over the city's borders into county and state land.

Rio Verde Foothills residents like Cody Reim say they feel like they dodged a bullet, as winds "shifted to the east and then to the south at the last minute."

If the fire that started behind Storyrock would have gone north, hundreds of homes would have been endangered.

Rio Verde Foothills resident Jennifer Schuck — and many who agreed with her social media post — had a hard time looking past the irony:

"The building in Scottsdale started a fire that affected us. But Mayor Ortega dug his heels in on the water issue because of OUR GROWTH."