PARADISE VALLEY – Now that voters have given the green light for a Ritz-Carlton resort hotel in Paradise Valley, groundbreaking is expected in January. And the hotel could open as early as fall 2010.
Voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved Proposition 411, paving the way for the Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley, the second Ritz-Carlton in the Valley.
With all precincts reporting, unofficial results showed passage by a 2-to-1 ratio – 4,371 votes in favor to 2,166 opposed.
Supporters, including Mayor Vernon Parker,celebrated Tuesday night at a sprawling private residence built by Scottsdale-based Five Star Development which will build the Ritz-Carlton.
“It is by far the best thing to have in the town of Paradise Valley,” Parker said of the project.
The development will include a 225-room resort hotel and 161 residences on 105 acres northwest of Lincoln Drive and Scottsdale Road.
Jerry Ayoub, Five Star’s president and chief executive officer, was not surprised by the vote.
“We’ve been getting some overwhelming response over the last couple of weeks, phone calls. We’re happy with the results,” Ayoub said.
A citizens group called Preserve Our Paradise collected enough referendum signatures to force a public vote on the project, which was unanimously approved by both the Paradise Valley Planning Commission and Town Council. POP supported a Ritz-Carlton resort hotel, but opposed the density of the project’s residential units.
FormerTown Councilman Dan Schweiker chaired the Yes on 411 political action committee. He said everybody put in a lot of hard work on both sides of the question. Schweiker said the goal was to make sure that the public understood what the election was really about.
“Because it wasn’t about housing or high density or anything. It was about whether or not Paradise Valley is going to have a Ritz-Carlton community. As I felt on the council and I feel now, this is the right project at the right place for that piece of property,” Schweiker said.
Preserve Our Paradise representatives Mel and Eileen Kowal issued a statement Tuesday thanking those who supported the group’s efforts, including the more than 800 residents who signed petitions to place the project on the ballot and the more than 2,000 who voted against Proposition 411.
The votes showed that a substantial part of the town continues to favor its low-density tradition, the couple said.
“We, of course, are disappointed that the fine people of Paradise Valley have voted against preserving the unique low-density residential character of our town. However, we look forward to working with town officials, and the teams of the Ritz-Carlton and future developments to ensure that the values of the town’s General Plan are preserved,” they said.
Five Star still has some hurdles to overcome before construction can begin, including approval of the project’s final plat and securing a 100-year assured water supply.
