Mission Statement

The mission of the Association is to enable its members to effectively pursue the preservation of the Arcadia/Camelback Mountain area as a residential neighborhood, free from commercial intrusion and impact.

This desert oasis of beautifully landscaped Phoenix homes was named for Virgil’s Arcadia: a peaceful, pastoral region of ancient Greece.

Association Boundaries

Click above map to see Arcadia in Google Maps

Click above map to see Arcadia in Google Maps

We are proud of what we have accomplished for our neighborhood. Take a look at the list of significant achievements and projects we have completed during the past 31 years:

SPECIFIC PLANS

  • Drafted and gained City Council approval of the Arcadia Camelback Special Planning District Plan. This Plan was approved by the Phoenix City Council and serves as a major neighborhood preservation policy for the four square miles within the ACMNA boundaries.
  • Helped in drafting and gaining City Council approval of the 44th Street Corridor Specific Plan. This Plan guides development along 44th Street from Stanford Drive to the Airport.
  • Helped in drafting and gaining City Council approval of the Camelback East Primary Core Specific Plan. This Plan guides development in the 24th Street and Camelback Road area.

 

MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS IN WRITING THE FOLLOWING CITY OF PHOENIX CODES AND REGULATIONS

  • Guest House Regulations
  • Group Home Regulations
  • Tightening of Nonconforming Use Regulations
  • Original Neighborhood Element of General Plan
  • Description of Urban Form
  • General Plan Update
  • Street Classification Procedures
  • Street Closure Policy
  • Regulations on Parking of Commercial Vehicles and Trucks on Residential Lots
  • Updated Party Ordinance
  • Day Care Regulations
  • New Notification Procedures for Use Permit and Variance Hearings to provide for written notification, add to posting time and increase size of sign
  • Rewrite of Sign Code Ordinance – Regulations
  • Planned Shopping Center (PSC) Regulations
  • Update of Design Standards
  • Updated Historic Preservation Ordinance
  • Revision of Regulations for the Commercial Districts
  • Updates to Various Sections of the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance and Code Enforcement Policy
  • Preparation of Transit-Oriented Zoning Overlay District (TOD-1) and TOD-2)
  • Mobile Vendor Ordinance and Mobile Vendor Regulations in Zoning Ordinance
  • Revised regulations and notification procedures in Hillside and Grading Ordinances

 

PARTICIPATED ON TRANSIT COMMITTEES

  • Committee that prepared early version of City of Phoenix Transit Plan
  • Phoenix Task Force – Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail Transit Study

 

ACTIVELY SUPPORTED FOLLOWING CITY MEASURES

  • Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative – Increase the sales tax rate by 1/10 of one cent per dollar for a 10-year period. Funds to be used for purchase of State Trust Lands for the Sonoran Desert Preserve Open Space and the development and improvement of regional and neighborhood parks to enhance community safety and recreation. Passed on 9/7/99.
  • Transit 2000 - .4% Sales tax increase for rail, buses, etc. Passed 3/14/2000.
  • New $753.9 Mil Bond Program – consisted of 12 propositions. All passed on 3/13/2001
  • Prop 5 – Increased Mayor’s salary from $56,000 to $62,000 and City Councilmember’s Salary from $38,000 to $51,500. Passed 9/9/03.
  • Keeping further Commercial development out of Papago Park and developing an updated master plan for the parl.
  • Ordinances on Sexual Oriented Business (SOB’s) Topless Bars and Cabaret Entertainers

 

ACTIVELY WORKED IN SUPPORTING AND/OR OPPOSING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE

  • Opposed - Attempts to reduce State Shared Revenues that go to Cities
  • Supported - Bill to protect the public’s right to participate in or petition government by giving people additional legal protections if they are sued by a company for speaking out against a project o proposal.
  • Supported - Legislation to strengthen citizen’s ability to speak out against the granting of liquor licenses by the Liquor Board as well as to strengthen liquor law enforcement.
  • Opposed - Legislation to seriously restrict the ability of Cities to annex properties and to exercise Eminent Domain.
  • Opposed - Legislation relating to vested property rights that would seriously weaken existing protections cities have to ensure that new developments comply with City ordinances.
  • Opposed - Legislation to raid the Heritage Fund – This fund used for playground equipment, for new parks for the restoration of historic buildings, used for preservation of wild and open spaces and critical habitat for animals.
  • Opposed - Legislation to ban leaf blowers
  • Opposed - Legislation to limit citizen’s ability to pass initiatives.
  • Growing Smarter Legislation – Opposed.
  • Opposed - Legislation to make it almost impossible for citizens to force a ¾ vote when protesting proposed rezoning – note; this was extremely significant
  • Opposed - Legislation to allow guns to be carried into bars and restaurants serving liquor.
  • Opposed - Legislation to allow free samples and drinking thereof at Series 9 liquor stores.
  • Supported - Shannon’s Law (random gun fire)
  • Supported - Slum Land Lord Legislation

 

SERVED ON STEERING COMMITTEES FOR FOLLOWING PROJECTS:

  • 56th Street Falls Project
  • Indian School Canal Bank Beautification Project

 

LAND USE ISSUES

  • Successfully defended against General Plan changes that would have added commercial and higher density residential along Camelback Road from 44th Street to 64th Street
  • Prevented the Royal Palms Resort from being turned into high density housing
  • We lost the Royal Palms Golf Course, but kept the underlying zoning from being changed from single-family, one lot per acre to higher density zoning
  • Carefully monitor zoning variance cases to be certain setbacks are not inappropriately reduced and lot coverages not inappropriately increased while limiting remodeling heights and preventing two-story additions wherever possible. There have been more than 80 such cases over the last four years.
  • Have promoted development of empty parcels that maintain single-family, large lot character:
    • Royal Palms Estates
    • The Orchards at 55th Street and Camelback
    • The homes currently under constructions at 5111 East Camelback
    • The Terrazona project at 63rd and Camelback
    • The Hacienda Allenda Project at 5725 E. Camelback Road
    • Development of NE corner of 56th Street and Camelback with three single-family, large lot homes rather than a fire station
    • Helped draft and secure City Council adoption of a Camelback Road Noise Wall Overlay District
    • Preserved 21 homes on East Monterosa by engineering the defeat of rezoning on the northeast corner of 44th Street and Indian School first by Smith’s and then by Albertsons
    • Have been active participants for 16 years on The Camelback East Village Planning Committee

 

TRAFFIC MITIGATION ITEMS

  • Prevented the widening of Camelback Road to six lanes
  • Facilitated traffic control devices on 48th Street and Arcadia Drive
  • Lowered the speed on Camelback Road where posted at 45 MPH to 40 MPH
  • Obtained reclassification of 56th Street from an arterial street to a collector street which will lead to the future adoption of traffic mitigation measures. In 2017 MAG granted $120,000 for re-designing 56th Street as a "complete" street with traffic mitigation, sidewalks, bike pathways and additional landscaping.
  • Blocked the bridging of 64th St. over the Arizona Canal, thus preventing substantial traffic cut-through in Arcadia.

 

HAVE ACTIVELY SUPPORTED OUR SCOTTSDALE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS

  • Supported the 1997 SUSD bond initiative which was passed
  • Supported the 2004 SUSD bond initiative that was passed
  • Have actively supported Arcadia Pride through participation in home tours and its annual events

 

HAVE WORKED TO MAINTAIN THE APPEARANCE OF ARCADIA

  • For past 25 years have participated in the Phoenix Adopt-A-Street program through its Camelback Road Cleanups
  • Have participated in the Phoenix Adopt-A-Park Program
  • Have had members on the Arcadia Water Company Board and supported its irrigation efforts
  • Have encouraged proper maintenance of properties in cooperation with the Neighborhood Services Department under the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance
  • Have facilitated Citrus Gleaning

 

PRESERVATION PROJECTS IN PROCESS

  • Attempting to save the historic Bank One Building and adjacent open space SE corner of 44th Street and Camelback from development
  • Proceeding to obtain historic designation protection for the streetscape, including laterals and 98-year old Eucalyptus trees along Arcadia Drive south of East Lafayette

Printable PDF version of ACMNA Biography of Significant Achievements and Projects.