By Matthew Holloway |
In a unanimous vote on July 2nd, the Scottsdale City Council approved what Mayor Lisa Borowsky described as a “crucial update,” to the city’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance (ESL) to adapt it for current environmental conditions and increase wildfire prevention.
“This crucial update reinforces Scottsdale’s long-standing commitment to preserving its unique desert character while ensuring the safety of its residents and natural resources,” Borowsky said in a statement.
“Wildfire mitigation is a crucial priority for me and learning our ESL ordinance hadn’t been updated recently to better protect homeowners — and their property — from wildfire dangers I asked Fire Chief Tom Shannon to take a look at how we could improve local protections.”
The ordinance was adopted in 1977 as the “Hillside Ordinance,” was last updated and renamed in 1991, and subsequently in 2001, 2003, and 2004. Although effective according to the city, and successful at protecting Scottsdale’s natural features, wildlife habitat, unstable slopes, and areas prone to erosion and flooding, the 21-year-old ordinance was in need of “a comprehensive review and modification,” of fire defensible space parameters.
“This forward-thinking amendment underscores Scottsdale’s proactive approach to environmental stewardship and public safety, ensuring the city’s unique natural landscape remains protected for generations to come,” Borowsky said.
According to the city, the new ESL addresses the following shortfalls of the previous law: responding to increased wildfire threat, updating defensible space requirements, setting compatible maintenance techniques, avoiding non-conforming conditions, ensuring consistency with fire code, maintaining environmental protection, and optimizing the existing regulatory framework.
The new regulations created by the ESL will refine defensible space requirements in relation to Natural Area Open Space (NAOS) and identify maintenance techniques and buffer strategies for NAOS areas as well.
Arizona’s 2025 fire season has already been a stressful one for Valley municipalities with the Monarch Fire burning just outside of Wickenburg on July 2nd, and the Gate Fire of 2024, which burned 100 acres in North Scottsdale and forced evacuations is a very fresh memory for many.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
