Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve encompasses 30,000 acres of desert and 195 miles of trails, land that was bought by residents through an increase in their sales tax.

But a fight over a planned desert education center in the preserve, initially called the Desert Discovery Center and later named Desert Edge, has rocked the city.

On the ballot Nov. 6 is Proposition 420, which will decide the future of development in the preserve.

A “yes” vote would require any development in the preserve other than trails and planned trailheads to go to voters. It would also limit preserve funds to buying land and preserving trails unless authorized by voters.  

A “no” vote would leave the city charter unchanged, and allow a majority vote by the Scottsdale City Council to proceed with the proposed center.

Supporters and opponents sat down with The Arizona Republic to explain their views.

Yes on 420

Supporters of Prop. 420 say the measure simply closes a loophole and puts decisions about development in the preserve in the hands of residents, not politicians.

Without Prop. 420, Jason Alexander, a spokesman for the citizen’s initiative, says a council majority could approve Desert Edge and set a precedent allowing commercial development in the preserve.

“The citizens taxed themselves five times to set this land aside for preservation,” Alexander said. “If development is going to come in, it’s our land, it’s our taxes, it should be our vote, that simple.”

Alexander says the ballot language is simple and that supporters have “fact by fact, bullet point by bullet point” addressed questions. 

Howard Myers, a longtime preserve volunteer and founder and president of Protect Our Preserve, said one of the arguments against Prop. 420 is that it would give too much power to an unelected body. “The unelected body we’re talking about is the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission, which is appointed by the council,” he said.

If Prop. 420 is approved, the commission would continue in its role to plan trails and manage the preserve, Myers said. In cases of emergency such as a fire, the commission has long had response plans that would not change under Prop. 420, he said.

MORE: Arizona election 2018: What’s on your ballot?

No on 420

Opponents say Prop. 420 would have unintended consequences and that it’s an unnecessary change to the charter, which is like the city’s constitution. 

“The idea that we need to pass an amendment to our charter in order to protect the preserve is false,” said Melinda Gulick, a longtime volunteer with the preserve.

“What Prop. 420 does is it requires decisions outside of what we’ve already decided today about the preserve to go to a public vote and that’s concerning,” she said, questioning whether responses to emergencies from wildfires to drought could be hampered.

Gulick said Prop. 420 has nothing to do with Desert Edge, which she said the City Council first approved in 2007 with a master plan for the Gateway Trailhead.  “That’s the plan we’re trying to bring to life today,” she said. 

Councilmember Virginia Korte questioned what she sees as vague wording in Prop. 420. “It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen,” she said.

Korte also says it would lead to bad governance.

“We are a representative democracy and our form of governance is a council and mayoral form of government,” Korte said. “Prop. 420 is the … erosion … of that form of government.”

“Charter changes should not happen with political signs and political innuendo,” she added.

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @lolonghi.

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