Phoenix will keep Camelback access road open

Motorists will continue to experience views from Camelback Mountain after Phoenix denied a request to close one of the city’s signature streets.

Residents on the highest road on the Phoenix side of Camelback had asked to turn Valle Vista Road, which loops between Arcadia Drive and 56th Street, into a private street with gates at each end.

But they were met by stiff opposition from primarily Arcadia area residents, who said closing what one person referred to as an “international treasure” would set a bad precedent leading to further requests to put gates in neighborhoods.

Valle Vista residents said the street has become a haven for public drinking, drug use, sex in the streets and other problems, including tour buses and limos stopping and parking in driveways, vandalism, littering, burglaries, mail theft, trespassing and loitering.

Bob LaBine, an 11-year resident on the street, organized the movement to close the road and gathered about 40 signatures in support. An overwhelming majority of those living on the street supported the plan. The goal was to place gates on the east and west sides of the road, which does not provide public access to the mountain itself. The gates would have blocked cars, but allowed entry to pedestrians and bicyclists.

LaBine said the neighbors have planted oleanders to reduce sightseers, placed “no parking signs” and have a neighborhood watch group, but are seeing the problems worsen. He said opposition to the gates is basing its arguments on emotion.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that gates are the only way to stop everything that we’re talking about,” LaBine said.

Valle Vista resident Doug Benson said the arguments supporting keeping the road open would have people believing Valle Vista Road was the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

“This is not a miraculous parkway to heaven that everyone must have a right to,” Benson said.

Arcadia homeowners said closing the road was not the answer to the problems being experienced by the Valle Vista residents. Some said it would lead to more traffic and the problems were being overblown.

“It sets a dangerous precedent for a city to take a landmark and put up some gates,” Leslie Whitney said. “And to think we’re denying people who can’t walk the right to go up there.”

Richard Rea, who said he has lived in the Arcadia area and used the public road since the 1950s, sympathized with Valle Vista residents’ having to pick up trash but said closing the road would have unintended consequences.

“What it is, is access to Phoenix. What it is, is access to a view,” Rea said. “This is and has always been a city street and should remain the same.”

Roy Nourse, a Phoenix abandonment hearing officer, denied the request after listening to nearly 20 speakers. Nourse said he was denying the abandonment because closing the street would conflict with city goals of connecting neighborhoods and he did not believe that it was the right approach.

Valle Vista residents have seven days to appeal to the City Council. LaBine said that decision has not been made.

LaBine made one comment during the session that indicated he knew what Valle Vista residents were up against.

When one speaker asked for a show of hands of those opposing the proposal, the majority raised their hands. LaBine, from his seat, responded that it was not a fair question:

“What do you expect? There’s only 40 of us and they have the rest of the city,” he said.