The new $10 million golf course at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn, Ambiente, opened last month and is drawing criticism from about 90 residents, who have taken a survey to reinforce their complaints. Grievances include the Scottsdale, Ariz., project’s deviation from town guidelines, and the use of desert weeds in landscaping that residents claim has resulted in an influx of vermin and coyotes.
Residents have voiced their dissatisfaction with improvements to the JW Marriott Camelback Inn course, Ambiente, which opened last month, the Phoenix-based Arizona Republic reported.
Surrounding residents say the 167-acre, $10 million remodel, which has been more than two years in the making, isn’t shaping up the way they had hoped. About 90 residents have taken a survey reinforcing their complaints, the Republic reported.
Resident Brad Forst, who lives along the golf course and helped organize the movement, said many homeowners are furious and plan to keep the pressure on town officials.
“Paradise Valley has been cooperative in all this, but Marriott has simply stonewalled,” Forst said. “It was that attitude which caused this to be escalated into a formal complaint asking for an investigation. We think Marriott is in denial. That’s why we built such a large group.”
Grievances include:
- The project approved by the Town Council deviates from town guidelines for golf courses and country clubs.
- The project approved by the council did not include final cart-path locations, which now are within a few feet of residential property and would not have been agreed to by property owners. The proximity has created noise and public-safety concerns, Forst said.
- The desert plants are essentially weeds that have become a habitat for rodents and frogs and a feeding ground for a growing number of coyotes.
The new course is designed with turf, native grasses, wildflowers and other low vegetation, according to resort plans. More than 700 mature trees were removed from the course, with 535 remaining, according to town documents.
“We don’t propose that Marriott tear out the course or redo the golf property,” Forst said. “What we asked the town manager to do is use his authority to require Marriott to re-landscape with desert bushes and trees along all fence lines of homes and in the easements. That is probably the best result we can get for unsightly, unhealthy weeds next to our homes full of coyotes and vermin.”
The group conducted a survey of about 90 respondents from the area, most with homes along the golf course. Four percent said the course remake was an improvement. The remaining 96 percent said they were either disappointed or extremely disappointed, the Republic reported.
Almost 75 percent think the new vegetation are weeds posing a threat to health, safety and aesthetics. Almost 50 percent said they have experienced an invasion of frogs, snakes and insects onto their property. They said they didn’t have the problem before the remodeling. Nearly 90 percent have seen an increase in coyotes, according to the survey, the Republic reported.
Nick Wood, a zoning attorney with Phoenix-based Snell & Wilmer who is representing the golf course, said the project is in compliance with the approved special-use permit, but would not speak to the issues raised by the property owners, the Republic reported.
Resident concerns started to bubble up about three months ago as construction was nearing completion, with a letter from Valley real-estate agent Walt Danley first alerting the town about concerns. Danley, who deals in the luxury-home market, has at least five homes for sale in the area or along the golf course, according to the Multiple Listing Service, the Republic reported.
Town Attorney Andrew Miller said town officials have visited the course a number of times, checking for code compliance. The vegetation are not weeds and is in compliance with the permit, he said, adding that as a precaution, Camelback Inn has sprayed areas for insects such as ticks and gnats, Miller said.
“Should actual weeds crop up in the future, or the new plant palette experience significant dying, the town code has enforcement provisions for prohibited weeds, and the (permit) has a stipulation relating to dying plants,” Miller said.
The golf course has not violated town code or the permit outlining the project, which was approved June 2012, Miller said. “Marriott did this when the golf course was known as Indian Bend and has the same obligation now that it is known as Ambiente.”
Residents have requested a public meeting with the Town Council to discuss the matter, but Mayor Scott LeMarr said a public meeting would lead some attendees to believe that the council has the ability to change the approved permit, which is legally outside its control, the Republic reported.
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