Panel to pick freeway's West Valley route only
Nedra Lindsey
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 30, 2005 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 30, 2005 12:00 AM
The South Mountain (202) Freeway and the preservation of
more than 100 acres north of Chandler Boulevard dominated the Ahwatukee
Foothills Village Planning Committee meeting.
An Arizona Department of Transportation representative told the committee Monday night that the freeway's citizen advisory committee will not decide whether to recommend the entire project.
Committee members will only determine which West Valley routes - Tolleson, Avondale or the three in Phoenix - are appropriate for the freeway project.
The South Mountain Citizen Advisory Team's recommendation to ADOT will not include the Pecos Road alignment, said Shannon Wilhelmsen of ADOT.
The Pecos Road alignment has been the only one discussed in Ahwatukee Foothills.
The freeway's construction along Pecos Road is opposed by many residents, and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and City Council members have voiced concerns about it.
Wilhelmsen's comments about the vote excluding Pecos Road was a surprise to some.
"That's the first time I heard about that," said Rudy Martinez, a member of the village planning committee and the citizen advisory committee. "They wanted to be able to present that plan in its entirety."
Martinez expressed displeasure in February about voting for the project at a citizen advisory committee meeting without including a study of the Gila River Indian Community.
The citizen advisory committee will vote on the project before ADOT's draft environmental impact statement is completed.
In other news, Councilman Greg Stanton gave an update on the preservation of a portion of the 620 acres north of Chandler Boulevard.
An Arizona Department of Transportation representative told the committee Monday night that the freeway's citizen advisory committee will not decide whether to recommend the entire project.
Committee members will only determine which West Valley routes - Tolleson, Avondale or the three in Phoenix - are appropriate for the freeway project.
The South Mountain Citizen Advisory Team's recommendation to ADOT will not include the Pecos Road alignment, said Shannon Wilhelmsen of ADOT.
The Pecos Road alignment has been the only one discussed in Ahwatukee Foothills.
The freeway's construction along Pecos Road is opposed by many residents, and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and City Council members have voiced concerns about it.
Wilhelmsen's comments about the vote excluding Pecos Road was a surprise to some.
"That's the first time I heard about that," said Rudy Martinez, a member of the village planning committee and the citizen advisory committee. "They wanted to be able to present that plan in its entirety."
Martinez expressed displeasure in February about voting for the project at a citizen advisory committee meeting without including a study of the Gila River Indian Community.
The citizen advisory committee will vote on the project before ADOT's draft environmental impact statement is completed.
In other news, Councilman Greg Stanton gave an update on the preservation of a portion of the 620 acres north of Chandler Boulevard.