By Kirk McKnight | Wickenburg Sun
Wickenburg resident and team-roping enthusiast Julie Black and husband Mark bought their land in 2007. Though their property is within town limits, the couple’s residence is close to a mile in all directions from what would be considered a neighborhood. Like many in this area, the Blacks are situated on enough property to enjoy an arena, corrals and animals associated with their roping passion. Due to the Town’s impending General Plan and Zoning Code Update, property owners like the Blacks have become concerned with how changes in the code might affect their lifestyle.
The Town of Wickenburg’s completion of the entire General Plan and Zoning Code Update is projected to take close to a year, however regulations on property such as the Blacks’ could move faster. The Town has hired Phoenix-based Matrix Design Group to conduct a study and provide findings and recommendations. According to Mayor Rui Pereira, during one of a series of meetings this summer Town Council “gave direction to expedite certain zoning items to include topics of animals, grading and RVs as part of the General Plan/Zoning Code Update project …staff, along with Matrix, are reviewing these categories first.”
“I was told by Town Council they would be expediting (the decisions on)large animal numbers, RV’s and grading,” said Black. “We don’t even know what that looks like. We’re supposed to have steering committees, focus committees and work through this together, but we still don’t know what this process is going to entail. When Council starts talking about limiting large animals – for example, two per acre, at five acres – you only have a count of 10. For us, we would have four solid horses and two young ones in the making, not to mention, most team ropers have a pen of 10 roping steers and for those that rope calves and breakaway would have an additional four to six calves. I wish we could put Matrix on the agenda at Town Council so that we can ask them these questions and have them answered and have everybody on the same page.”
“As a horse owner and watcher of local politics, I am both deeply concerned and sadly not surprised by what Wickenburg is considering. For elected officials to outsource community outreach and have a third party contractor without roots in town gather input to guide sweeping zoning changes shows the disconnect between the citizenry and their policy makers. If the contemplated changes are made, what is currently an organically grown unique hub of western Americana and activity that draws thousands of people and untold millions of dollars in economic activity will be mortally wounded. Worse yet, the diminution of property values in Wickenburg, which have been driven up despite its relatively distant locale in large part because of the cowboy culture exploding on the scene there, will be financially crippling for area home owners. The only solution to will be for property owners to seek zoning exemptions, special use permits, or the like.”
-Adam Trenk, Rose Law Group partner and director of the firm’s equine law practice
