Kierland golf course housing plan sparks debate
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Kierland neighbors could lose their golf-course views under a plan to replace one of Westin Kierland's courses with nearly 500 homes.
Why it matters: The fight over 72 acres near the Scottsdale-Phoenix border taps into a bigger question about whether water-strapped Arizona has too many golf courses.
Catch up quick: Host Hotels & Resorts is seeking a rezoning approval to build condos, houses, townhomes and duplexes on the nine-hole Mesquite course.
- The golf club's other two nine-hole courses would remain untouched.
Driving the news: The Paradise Valley Village Planning Committee will consider the housing development, Copper Residences, on Monday.
- If it gets the green light, the project moves to the Phoenix Planning Commission and, ultimately, the City Council for a final decision.
- Republican state Rep. Matt Gress asked the committee Tuesday to reject it, saying the plan packs in too many homes, would add traffic, raises drainage concerns and gets rid of the fairway.
Yes, but: The revised plan — which lowered the proposal from as many as nearly 800 homes to about 500 — hasn't won over the entire neighborhood, says the Kierland Community Alliance, which wants the committee to reject the proposal.
- Host says the revision also includes more parks and public trails.
The big picture: The vote comes as Attorney General Kris Mayes, who is up for reelection, faces pushback for saying Arizona "probably" has too many golf courses.
- Mayes later clarified that she has no plans to close them and instead wants incentives to "swap thirsty grass and catch rainwater."
- Arizona Chamber executive vice president Courtney Coolidge wrote that closing courses would do little to address the state's broader water challenges while sacrificing economic benefits.
The intrigue: Although the developer isn't pitching the project as a response to the state's water crisis, the water savings compared with the golf course are one of its major selling points.
The bottom line: Monday will offer the first clue about what wins out: building homes or saving the fairway.