Pulte Homes, which has a sales contract in escrow on the shuttered Phoenix property, plans to relocate the barbed wire fence from the perimeter of the facility and use it to enclose the property’s lakes. The fence was erected in October of last year by owner Wilson Gee for liability protection, and has been met with criticism from homeowners.
A chain-link, barbed wire fence around the perimeter of the closed Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club that homeowners of adjacent properties say is unsightly and offensive will be removed by Pulte Homes, the Phoenix-based Arizona Republic reported.
The fence will be moved to enclose only the lakes in the interior of the shuttered Phoenix property and Pulte will pay to keep the lakes filled, said Mike Brilz, vice president of land development for the homebuilder’s Arizona Division.
The move is a good-faith gesture as Pulte, which has a sales contract in escrow on the property, continues to work with homeowners, Brilz said. The fence, topped by strands of barbed wire, was put up in October by Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club owner Wilson Gee, the Republic reported.
C&RB reported on the controversy surrounding the fence in November 2013 (“Ahwatukee Lakes GC Barbed Wire Fence Causes Controversy”).
“The primary short-term concern is the fence and barbed wire erected by the owner,” Brilz said. “Pulte, at its own expense, has negotiated to have the owner move the fence from the exterior of the property to the interior of the property. In addition, Pulte will pay the owner to keep the lakes full for the next six months as we continue to meet with neighbors and hopefully the Save the Lakes group to assess the feasibility of a new neighborhood.”
Brilz credited neighbors and Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who represents Ahwatukee, for working with Pulte to get the fence moved, the Republic reported.
If the sale is consummated, Pulte plans to build single-family homes, three to an acre, on the Lakes property. Most surrounding neighborhoods have greater density, five homes to the acre. To move forward, Pulte hopes to work with Lakes-area residents, the Republic reported.
Some neighbors are adamant that a golf course is the only possible use for the land, but Brilz said that most recognize “this is extremely unlikely in the near future,” adding that Pulte is sensitive to concerns about infrastructure and environmental issues, the Republic reported.
“As this process evolves and our plans become more definitive, Pulte is confident that there are protections in place to satisfy these concerns,” Brilz said.
Pulte plans to continue meetings with residents, including those represented by Save The Lakes. DiCiccio called the actions a positive step by Pulte to address citizens’ concerns, the Republic reported.
“To be clear, nothing will happen on that site without approval from the neighborhood,” DiCiccio said.
Pulte anticipates that the process for redevelopment will take years, contingent on obtaining the support of a majority of homeowners, the Republic reported.
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