Right-of-way issues hold up Saguaro View paving in Surprise

Surprise's street-paving project in a northern rural neighborhood is on hold until more residents willingly deed over rights of way to the city.

Of the 99 property owners in Saguaro View asked to donate rights of way, 37 have yet to do so, the city reports.

City officials plan to sit down with residents at 9 a.m. today to discuss the future of the project. Rick Molera, Saguaro View's homeowners association president, is encouraging holdouts to donate rights of way to the city.

Any further paving in Saguaro View would require the Surprise City Council's review and approval before it could begin, Public Works Director Bob Beckley said.

The small community north of Jomax Road and east of Grand Avenue has mostly dirt roads, with a scattering of homes.

For years, the city and residents have discussed paving key routes in the neighborhood. Some residents are still angry with city officials because promises of road improvements by previous administrations went unfulfilled.

State Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, is among those residents who have not deeded their rights of way to the city. Molera has criticized Harper publicly for his failure to do so.

"Because minority folk, like Jack Harper, will not cooperate, our city officials are being forced to potentially scrap plans to pave remaining publicly traveled dirt roads," Molera said. "That would be a travesty for our entire city, county and state."

Harper, responding by e-mail, said the HOA president is simply angry with him for protecting Luke Air Force Base and affecting Molera's property in the process.

Harper's wife, Holly Harper, said Molera is wrong in saying they are holding up the project.

"We have never stated that we will NEVER deed it over, just that we are awaiting for a few of the other projects to be completed," she said in an e-mail.

The city has a priority list of streets to pave in Saguaro View, and the Harpers say their home is at the bottom of the list.

Holly Harper also said Molera singled out her husband because Harper is up for re-election Nov. 4.

Molera denied the charge. He said paving the streets would benefit everyone in Saguaro View. Residents currently pay for the upkeep of the dirt roads. As Surprise paves each street, city employees absorb maintenance responsibilities.

In September the city finished paving two stretches of road in Saguaro View - parts of Dynamite Boulevard and 157th Avenue. It cost the city $750,000.

The city has preliminary plans to pave a total of 4.75 miles in the neighborhood and build 22 low-water crossings at a cost of about $3.2 million. The timeline is undetermined. The plan is subject to available funding and rights of way, Beckley said.

This year, the city has $1.4 million budgeted. While future funding is unknown, there is enough this year to proceed with some of the paving projects. Construction could start in the summer, provided more residents agree to deed over rights of way, civil engineer Suneel Garg said.

The city would consider skipping over one street to another of lower priority, depending on who has deeded over property and whether the street connects with another public through-street, Beckley said. The city will not pay for any rights of way.

Greg Nelson, a Saguaro View resident for more than six years, has not deeded over his right of way. He said Surprise has done little to ease his fears of speeding drivers.

"My little girls play out in the driveway and it's going to be a major thoroughfare," said the father of 6-year-old twins.

Nelson said he would consider deeding over his property if speed humps were a part of the project.

Rick Molera, Saguaro View Home Owners Association president, stands at the intersection of Morning Vista Drive and 161st Ave in Surprise.