Good morning, Queen Creek. Highs climb from 109 today to 112 by Wednesday, and the National Weather Service has an extreme heat watch up Wednesday and Thursday with afternoon temperatures of 110 to 114. Run errands, and the barn, early.
- 🏘️ Town council pulls 1,500 planned homes from the general plan. That is roughly 5,000 future residents' worth of housing, off the long-range map.
- 🏠 159 homes hit the Queen Creek market last month. Median sale price near $600,000, down about 6% from a year ago.
- 🌮 Burros and Fries opened in Queen Creek. The San Diego and Tijuana style spot held its grand opening June 4.
- 🎟️ Feastival food trucks Friday and a free July 1 concert. Plus the Pecan Lake Farmers Market and library craft nights.
- 🎸 Bob Dylan plays Phoenix on Tuesday. One of four Valley picks worth the drive this week.
Town pulls 1,500 homes off the general plan
Queen Creek's town council voted to remove roughly 1,500 planned homes, about 5,000 future residents, from the town's general plan.
- What changed: around 1,500 homes came out of the general plan, the long-range map that sets how land across town can be used.
- The scale: that is about 5,000 residents' worth of housing the town no longer plans for on that land.
- Who decided: the Town of Queen Creek council.
Queen Creek incorporated in 1989 with a charter to "preserve the benefits of rural life while providing an avenue for managed change." Growth versus character is the tension behind nearly every land-use vote in the fastest-growing town in Arizona, and a vote that takes planned housing off the map sits right on that line.
Which parcel is affected and the full reasoning are in ABC15's report. Details.
The week
Monday and Tuesday
- 📚 Library day at Queen Creek Library. Infant storytime at 9:30 AM Monday, a fossil craft for kids at 3 PM, and a trading-card game night at 6 PM.
- 🗳️ Town council candidate forum. Tuesday, 5 to 7 PM, in the Queen Creek Library's Zane Grey Room. Details.
- ✂️ Adult and teen crafts at the library. Q-Tip blossoms at 10 AM Tuesday, wood-burning bookmarks at 2 PM.
Midweek
- 💵 Money Matters teen workshop. The Chamber's new student entrepreneurship program opens Wednesday at the Queen Creek Chamber. Details.
Weekend
- 🌮 Queen Creek Feastival. Food trucks start at 5:30 PM Friday. Details.
- 🥬 Pecan Lake Farmers Market. Saturday from 7 AM at the Queen Creek Botanical Gardens, beside Pecan Lake. Details.
- 🐎 Beat the Heat riding series. The covered arenas open to riders Saturday, 6 AM to noon, at the Chapman Automotive Group Arena. Details.
Looking ahead
- 🎻 America's 250th concert. The Chandler Symphony plays a free patriotic program July 1 at 6:30 PM at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center. Details.
Around Queen Creek
- 🌮 Burros and Fries opened in Queen Creek. The spot, around since 2009 and built on family roots in San Diego and Tijuana, held its grand opening June 4 with its signature stacked burros. Details.
- 🏠 A look at the housing market. 159 homes came on the market in May and 154 sold. The median sale price was about $600,000, down roughly 6% from a year ago, with homes taking a median of 65 days to sell.
Around the Valley
A few picks worth leaving Queen Creek for this week.
- 🤘 Killswitch Engage and Machine Head. A heavy double bill at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, the closest of the bunch, Wednesday at 6:30 PM. Tickets.
- 🎸 Bob Dylan. At Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, Tuesday at 7 PM. A living legend downtown for one night. Tickets.
- 🎤 Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks. The voice of Yes plays Celebrity Theatre's round stage Tuesday at 7:30 PM. A good room for this. Tickets.
- 🎧 ASAP Rocky. At the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Tuesday at 7:30 PM. Tickets.