Scottsdale Arizona Real Estate Blog

by Diana Balazs – Nov. 6, 2008 11:29 AM
The Arizona Republic

The developer of the Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley Resort project has asked the town to allow it to reduce the number of its multimillion-dollar resort patio homes from 100 to 88.

Five Star Development Resort Communities LLC filed Oct. 28 for permission to change its special-use permit, said Molly Hood, Paradise Valley’s senior planner.A special-use permit regulates how a project is developed.

Five Star is asking for the decrease to provide additional space for emergency vehicles to maneuver through the patio home neighborhoods, Hood said.

“This proposed reduction is the result of refinements to the site plan as well as response to fire department requirements for emergency vehicle access,” according to Five Star’s application.

The change would reduce the project’s overall density and increase safety, the application states.

“Yes, we submitted for a minor amendment with the town of Paradise Valley,” said Jerry Ayoub, Scottsdale-based Five Star’s president and chief executive officer.

“We are looking to reduce the number of individual villas from 100 to 88, due to market demand. The total amount of residential square footage on the site is the same, there are just less villas,” he added.

The patio homes feature two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging from 2,200 to 3,000 square feet. They will be priced starting in the low $2 millions.The number of patio homes and their density were the focus of Tuesday’s Proposition 411 election.

Paradise Valley voters overwhelmingly approved the ballot measure, paving the way for construction of the resort-residential project.

The citizens group Preserve Our Paradise collected more than 800 signatures to get the measure on the ballot, arguing that the residences, particularly the patio homes, constituted high density.

In addition to a 225-room resort hotel, the current special-use permit calls for a total of 161 homes, including the 100 patio homes or villas housed two to a building.

The current plan calls for 60 villas north and east of the resort hotel and 40 southeast of it.

Five Star’s request would reduce that number to 52 northeast of the resort and 36 southeast of it. It would mean six fewer buildings overall.

The request is for a minor amendment, which means only the Paradise Valley Planning Commission must approve what essentially amounts to an administrative change.

A major amendment would require approval from both the commission and the Paradise Valley Town Council and would be subject to possible referendum.

The Planning Commission will study the request at 6 p.m. Nov. 18 at Paradise Valley Town Hall, 6401 E. Lincoln Drive.

A public hearing and potential vote could be held as early as Dec. 2.

If you are looking for a home in the Paradise Valley area click here:

http://theholmgroupaz.com/ParadiseValley.htm

by Diana Balazs – Nov. 6, 2008 03:25 PM
The Arizona Republic

PARADISE VALLEY – Thursday’s debut of the InterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa had all the grand-opening basics – a red carpet, a parade of speakers and a ribbon cutting complete with large scissors.

But there also were twists and turns, literally, as a bevy of belly dancers, some eating fire, shook and shimmied as they welcomed guests and visitors to an exotic world tucked into Paradise Valley.

The 293-room resort at 4949 E. Lincoln Drive was built on the 34-acre site of the former La Posada Resort. Montelucia received its first guests Tuesday.

Montelucia is InterContinental’s first resort in the United States and was built by California-based Crown Realty and Development Corp. Valeriano Antonioli is the resort’s managing director. InterContinental has more than 150 resorts worldwide.

Robert Flaxman, Crown Realty president, incorporated the architecture and lifestyle of the Andalusia region of Spain and its historic influences from Roman, Greek and Moorish occupation into the resort’s design.

He told those gathered Thursday that when he came to Paradise Valley in November 2003 and saw the property, he embarked on a five-year path that resulted in Montelucia.

“I truly believe that this property is one of a kind and the partnership created by the largest luxury hotel operators in the world and Montelucia is something, I believe, will elevate the entire tourism industry here in the state of Arizona,” Flaxman said.

“We created it for love and for joy and for happiness, for people to come together and enjoy the moments of their lives and to spend lavishly in the process,” he said.

State and local officials lauded the resort.

“This property just is absolutely what we want for the state of Arizona,” said Margie Emmermann, executive director of the Arizona Office of Tourism.

Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker wished the resort success and encouraged it to generate income. The town collects bed and sales taxes from its hospitality properties.

“This is a beautiful property and you are a part of this community. Welcome to the town of Paradise Valley. You are our neighbors,” Parker said.

He and Jaime Sohacheski, Crown Realty chairman of the board, cut the gold ribbon.

Afterward, fitness and dance instructor and professional belly dancer Myryka Nunya performed to the live music of Incendio as a red curtain dropped and red-and-yellow balloons were released into the air, inviting those assembled into the courtyard.

Montelucia includes 253 guest rooms and 40 suites, including two presidential suites, 34 detached single-family villas, six restaurants and venues, a private wedding chapel, a 31,000-square-foot destination spa and salon, five pools, and more than 27,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

If you are looking for a home in the Paradise Valley area click here:

http://theholmgroupaz.com/ParadiseValley.htm