Proposed Amendments to the General Plan for Litchfield Park are a hot topic of discussion for residents, City Staff and Council and developers. Per Mayor Tom Schoaf in the recent edition of the City Line, “In the 26 year history of the City of Litchfield Park, there has never been a request for an amendment to the General Plan”. As you can imagine, with six separate requests coming in at once to amend the City’s General Plan, there is quite a buzz going around in Litchfield Park.
For a quick look at the proposed changes for the individual parcels, take a look at the links below.
GPA 14-01 and 14-02 Map of proposed changes for two Parcels on NW Corner of Litchfield Rd and Wigwam Blvd
GPA 14-03 and 14-04 Map of proposed changes for Parcels at Gold and Patriot Golf Courses
GPA 14-05 Map of proposed changes to La Loma Parcel on NW Corner of Camelback and Litchfield Rd
GPA 14-06 Map of proposed changes to La Loma Parcel East on NE Corner of Camelback and Litchfield Rd
Details for each Parcel can be viewed at the City’s website – Major General Plan Amendment Applications 2014.
JDM Partners, current owners of the Wigwam Resort, are in the process of submitting applications to amend the City of Litchfield Park’s General Plan and obtain an approval to change the current zoning per GPA 14-01, 14-02, 14-03 and 14-04. These four parcels lie within the heart of Litchfield Park, with parcels 14-03 and 14-04 could re-shape parts of the Wigwam Resort Gold and Patriot Golf Courses and 14-01 and 14-02 could allow development on longstanding vacant lots on the NW corner of Wigwam Blvd and Litchfield Rd. While JDM works to improve the Wigwam Resort, having empty dirt parcels as you enter the Wigwam Resort has been a challenge for them as the Wigwam competes for high end businesses for conferences and tourists to frequent the resort.
Many longtime Litchfield Park residents love the City the way it currently is and are resistant to any type of change that could detour from “the highly desirable physical and social living environment in Litchfield Park”. But as a City that does not have a property tax and generates most of its income from sales tax within the City limits, future success of the Wigwam Resort is vital to the livelihood of Litchfield Park. Can the City, it’s residents and developers all work together to take Litchfield Park into a new era of growth and prosperity will holding onto the charm that makes Litchfield Park unique?
If you have not yet heard about the proposed 2014 General Plan Amendments, be sure to review the latest edition of the City Line, specifically pages 3 – 7. Page 7 has a complete schedule of Public Meeting Dates where the general public can get more details direct from the proposed developers. Last Thursday, April 10th and Tuesday, April 14th were the first in the series of Public Meetings.
April Public Meeting Schedule
April 10 Thursday
Applicant’s Citizen Review for JDM General Plan Amendment applications
GPA 14-01 & GPA 14-02
6:00 PM @ Wigwam Resort, Pueblo Room
April 14 Monday
Applicant’s Citizen Review for Sun Health General Plan Amendment applications,
GPA 14-05 & GPA 14-06
6:00 PM @ Litchfield Library
April 15 Tuesday
Applicant’s Citizen Review for JDM General Plan Amendment applications,
GPA 14-03 & GPA 14-04
6:00 PM @ Wigwam Resort, Sachem Hall
April 23 Wednesday
Market Analysis Presentation to City Council and P&Z Commission by Rick Hill
7:00 PM @ Litchfield Elementary cafeteria
April 28 Monday
Public Meeting for JDM Proposals for north & south sides of Village Parkway
GPA 14-01 & GPA 14-02
7:00 PM @ Litchfield
Elementary cafeteria
April 29 Tuesday
Public Meeting for JDM Proposals for Gold & Blue Golf Courses
GPA 14-03 & GPA 14-04
7:00 PM @ Litchfield Elementary cafeteria
April 30 Wednesday
Public Meeting for Sun Health Proposals for NE and NW corners of Litchfield & Camelback Rd.
GPA 14-05 & GPA 14-06
7:00 PM @ Litchfield Elementary