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McDowell Mountain Ranch Homes, 20645 N Pima Road, Suite N130, Scottsdale, AZ (2026)

10/11/2026

The Scottsdale City Council approved 7-0 a multi-point plan that could make it illegal for government officials to misuse Flock-like technology, which are also known as Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR). The plan also indicates that the Flock system will be dropped and replaced with another system as soon as the city can safely exit its contractual obligations.

The plan, proposed by Councilwoman Solange Whitehead that includes additional amendments from other council members, also instructs the city auditor to conduct an annual review of the city’s use of ALPR technology. The first audit must be released at the Dec. 1st City Council meeting.

City staff was also instructed to study other ALPR vendors that preserve city “control over data ownership, privacy, security, and data sharing.” The goal would be to keep the benefits of the technology with a company other than Flock, which has been under increasing scrutiny following reported misuse of that company’s technology. Other factors the city staff has been asked to investigate:

• Costs and penalties of terminating the Flock contract
• Return, transfer or destruction of city data held by Flock
• A transition plan designed to minimize surveillance disruptions
• A timeline for the process of changing vendors
• City staff should exclude Flock funding in the 2027-28 budget.

While we don’t have space for all of ALPR plan here, other key elements include:

• Creation of a technology transparency page.
• Creation of a limited list of staff who can access ALPR technology.
• Creation of rules regarding federal access to any Scottsdale ALPR system. An amendment to the original proposal by Councilman Adam Kwasman makes an exception to searches required by law, such as terrorist and emergency investigations.
• Requirement of annual training on the use of Scottsdale’s ALPR system.
• Implementation of a shorter data retention period – currently 185 days – of ALPR data. Mayor Lisa Borowsky proposed an amendment that broadened the plan.

Sources
• City Council agenda:https://ww2.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/ScottsdaleAZ/Council/current-agendas-minutes/2026-agendas/10-06-26-regular-and-work-study-agenda.pdf
• Slideshow prepared by Scottsdale staff on what Flock does and doesn’t do, plus emails for and against Flock to the city: https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/cityclerk/DocumentViewer/Show/3d1a828d-395d-4874-aee6-cd1e68cd4f83

10/07/2026

The Scottsdale Unified School District voted 3-2 Tuesday night to shut down Copper Ridge and Laguna Elementary schools, meaning that Redfield, Desert Canyon Elementary and Middle schools were spared the chopping block.

The closings under Option C, as the plan was called, are expected to save the district about $2.5 million and take effect in the following school year. Option C is expected to save the most money while disrupting the fewest number of students.

SUSD Superintendent Scott Menzel also asked that the governing board table a vote to combine DCES and DCMS into a K-8 school, which passed 4-1. The board generally indicated that it did not want to revisit the issue, but future boards would be free to do so.

Not only will the Desert Canyon schools continue to operate, but Copper Ridge students will be moved to the campus, which could result in additional buses coming into McDowell Mountain Ranch. Students in the Laguna and Redfield district areas are expected to attend DCMS for middle school.

Students from Copper Ridge currently attending Chaparral High School will continue to be able to take buses to that school for the next three and a half years, but students completing eighth grade at Copper Ridge at the end of the 2026-27 school year are expected to attend Desert Mountain High School the following year.

YouTube recording of SUSD meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2WxjME3wOY

10/06/2026

Along with choosing which plan it will use to relocate students to other schools in the northern part of the city, the Scottsdale Unified School District is also expected to vote on Tuesday, Oct. 6th, on whether Desert Canyon Elementary and Middle schools should be merged as a K-8. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an indication of which option the governing board is leaning toward.

A discussion about the three options plus a fourth one, Option 6, may also be discussed. Option 6 calls for moving Copper Ridge Students to DCES/DCMS, and moving Redfield students to Laguna Prep. The former Redfield students would eventually move on to Desert Canyon or Mountainside middle schools. Because SUSD didn’t originally move forward with Option 6, it wasn’t able to share as much detail about how this would impact students and budgets.

It should be noted that the governing board is expected to vote on new boundary maps associated with the options. The sheer size and complexity of the maps has made it difficult for us to report on because of our limited space here for posts.

The governing board will also be looking at an Open Meeting Law complaint filed by Maricopa County Attorney Rachel H. Mitchell in regards to Phase II Design Team that studied the school closures. The district also shared a letter to show how it responded to the complaint and is expected to close the matter during the governing board meeting.

NOTE: The images are from slides that SUSD’s Governing Board is expected to be looking at on Tuesday.

Follow the links below for more information:
• Agenda: https://susd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/14401/?lastModified=639268414835400000
• Action item for closing the schools and revising attendance boundaries: https://susd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/3d2b4d5f-713e-460d-a1ec-2efe7981ff40/
• Phase II additional details: https://susd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/f64fd773-3ba8-4e28-b33c-ddbee4c3d1a6/
• Rachel H. Mitchell letter to SUSD: https://susd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/34e9de78-5ee9-4546-9315-c704eeb15fcb/
• SUSD response: https://susd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/291e29ea-0aa0-4f05-bd9f-2ca5cfe1df8e/

How to attend or watch:
• The meeting is expected to be begin at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at Coronado High School, 7501 E. Virginia Ave. in Scottsdale.
• To watch via YouTube, go to the web address and then click “Live:” https://www.youtube.com//streams

10/05/2026

The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board is expected to consider one of three plans to repurpose or close several schools in the north part of the city at its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6th. While we were hoping that SUSD would have posted its agenda by now, it had not yet shown up on the district’s website. Arizona law only requires that it be posted 24 hours before the meeting.

The Governing Board listened to parents, administrators and even students make their case for keeping their school open at a special Sept. 22nd meeting at Desert Mountain High School. About 100 people spoke at the event.

Parents and teachers supporting Desert Canyon Elementary and Middle schools made up the first few speakers in support of keeping the schools open, preferably under Option C, which calls for Copper Ridge students to relocate at a combined DCES/DCMS campus. Laguna students would move to Redfield.

Parents from Redfield and to a much lesser extent, Copper Ridge, also made their cases to keep their schools open. But the biggest turnout came from Laguna parents, who would see their learning community closed under Options A, B and C.

Under Option A, Copper Ridge students would also move to DCES & DCMS, while Redfield and Laguna students would move to the Cheyenne Campus. Cheyenne students would move to Copper Ridge.

Under Option B, DCES & DCMS students would move to Copper Ridge while Laguna students would move to Redfield. Cheyenne would remain unchanged, though students might eventually be moved to a repurposed Desert Canyon campus.

SUSD also answered questions asked by members of the governing board on a pdf posted on Oct. 2nd. One important question for McDowell Mountain Ranch residents asked “What is the cost implication of merging DCES and DCMS?” which was opposed by many of the speakers. The answer: Merging the schools would save a projected $369,000, based on models A and C.

The Q&A also includes topics such as bus routes, student churn after a decision is made, and what might happen to employees following school closures, which would happen in the 2027-28 school year. Readers can find the Q&A here:https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1790969054/susdorg/nifs9cgxfsr1zf2o0lho/susd_info_B-MemoPhase-Follow-Up_20261002.pdf

• The meeting is expected to be begin at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at Coronado High School, 7501 E. Virginia Ave. in Scottsdale.
• To watch via YouTube, go to the web address and then click “Live:” https://www.youtube.com//streams

Scottsdale Progress: https://www.scottsdale.org/city_news/scottsdale-families-defend-their-schools/article_d18e2f2f-02f7-4dc3-86bd-32a0a7749294.html

10/03/2026

The first farmer’s market of the season at the McDowell Mountain Ranch Community Center will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4th at the Community Center parking lot, 10607 E. Paradise Lane. The market, which is generally held on the first Sunday of every month through May, includes a wide range of vendors that range from Alaskan fish to local farmers to arts and crafts.

10/02/2026

A Southern California Native American tribe has purchased the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort, the host of the WM Phoenix Open, on Oct. 1st through an investment arm called the San Manuel Investment Authority, according to a press release posted by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. The 750-room property, which sits on 65 acres, was purchased for an undisclosed amount.

The Princess, only five miles from McDowell Mountain Ranch, generated about $32 million in “bed taxes” for Scottsdale in 2025 and $3.2 million for the 99-year lease the resort pays to the city. The resort employs more than 760 workers.

The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation owns the Palms Casino Resort and Yaamava' Resort & Casino. In recent years, the tribe has been purchasing nongaming properties, such as the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach and Bear Springs Hotel in California, and The Draftsman in Charlottesville, Va.

• Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation press release: https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2026/10/01/san-manuel-buys-scottsdale-fairmont-princess.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=BN&utm_content=PH&ana=e_PH_BN&j=47756051&senddate=2026-10-01
• Phoenix Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2026/10/01/san-manuel-buys-scottsdale-fairmont-princess.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=BN&utm_content=PH&ana=e_PH_BN&j=47756051&senddate=2026-10-01

10/01/2026

McDowell Mountain Ranch will be holding its fall garage sale from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 3rd. Registration for the event – you can post items that you plan to sell on the form – closes at 11:30 p.m. today. As in other years, the garage sale is open to most communities in MMR, though these five are abstaining:

• Cimarron Hills
• 100 Hills
• The Ridge
• Cachet 16400
• KOTA Apartments

Residents can go here to register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/5h6cbuw?source_id=5aca5715-c320-4747-a188-4ef11ed64515&source_type=em&c=HTDdHHj0NantsFqUR155ahPG3b3DHDvggFdcUIwo6y4-9Z41ntAZ7A==

10/01/2026

Leslie’s Inc, the pool supply company, will be closing 76 of its 900 stores as it reorganizes under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to a Leslie’s press release. The Phoenix-based company has $722 million in assets and $1.2 billion in debt, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.

The restructuring agreement calls for the closing of stores and reducing long-term debt by $685 million, according to a Leslie’s press release. Leslie’s, which has several stores in Scottsdale and one in the Safeway Shopping Center at Thompson Peak Parkway and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, has not yet announced the locations of stores that will be closing. Leslie’s hopes to emerge from Chapter 11 in early 2027.

“For more than 60 years, Leslie's has been the name that swimming pool and spa owners turn to for the knowledge, products, and solutions necessary to confidently maintain and safely enjoy their pools and spas,” according to a letter posted by Leslie’s. “That is not changing. Leslie's is here to stay, and we will be stronger for you on the other side of our restructuring.”

• Leslie’s press release: https://ir.lesliespool.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/224/leslies-announces-strategic-transaction-to-strengthen
• Leslie’s letter: https://lesliespool.com/our-future/
• Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2026/09/30/leslies-bankruptcy-debt-pool-supplies-chapter11.html

10/01/2026

Bulk brush and garbage pickup will be in Area 2 for 2026. As in previous years, homeowners are expected to separate green waste from other trash by at least 3 feet. Piles should not exceed 10 feet long and 6 feet wide and should not be taller than 4 feet. Homeowners should not put trash out earlier than Friday before bulk pickup dates. Pickup times in the McDowell Mountain Ranch area begin at 5 a.m. on the dates listed below, but the process may take several days:
• Oct. 5
• Nov. 2
• Dec. 7
tinyurl.com/mue56j6d

09/30/2026

The Scottsdale City Council unanimously approved Orangedale Lounge’s request for indoor live entertainment with the stipulation that events would end by 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The decibel level must stay below 65 outside the building, which is located in the Bashas’ Center at the southwest corner of Thompson Peak Parkway and Bell Road.

The Planning Commission originally approved the permit with a stipulation allowing music to continue to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

While David Borland, who was representing The Ridge in McDowell Mountain Ranch, expressed concern about the possible noise levels, Scottsdale resident Todd Heroldt made a different argument: Noise from Orangedale could negatively impact the natural environment and wildlife, according to the city’s agenda. Heroldt lives in MMR across the street from the Bashas’ Center.

MMR and areas bordering the McDowell Sonoran Preserve falls under Planned Community Center Environmentally Sensitive Lands zoning.

• Agenda:https://ww2.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/ScottsdaleAZ/Council/current-agendas-minutes/2026-agendas/09-22-26-regular-and-work-study-agenda.pdf
• Report: https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/cityclerk/DocumentViewer/Show/4bca3688-cc30-441e-9901-22455278448f

McDowell Mountain Ranch Homes

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