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Surprise Council OKs Bell Pointe II development
Posted
By Richard Smith
Richard Smith Independent Newsmedia
During its June 20 meeting, the Surprise City Council unanimously approved the second phase of the Bell Pointe development on the city’s western boundary.
The Bell Pointe II preliminary plat adds 141 lots to finish this development.
Bell Pointe II is composed of a small triangle of land north of current Bell Pointe homes and a larger square-shaped patch to the south of phase I and north of RiverBoat Acres.
The lone concerns were traffic-related on Bell Pointe Boulevard, primarily difficulties for drivers turning left on Bell Pointe to head east on Bell Road into Surprise.
Bell Pointe Boulevard also serves as the only point of access for the westernmost portion of Arizona Traditions. Eastbound traffic coming from the Sun Valley Parkway is usually higher than to county speed limit of 50 mph and the speed limits dips to 45 mph just west of Bell Pointe at the city’s boundary.
“Anyone who exits out of Bell Pointe (Boulevard) to go east onto Bell Road has to really watch the traffic coming from the Sun Valley Parkway. There’s a significant dip and coming over the hill you don’t even see Bell Pointe,” Councilman Roland Winters said during the June 15 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
Traffic studies do not validated the (as-yet-unnamed) developer putting in a traffic light.
Surprise Transportation Planning Manager Martin Lucero said the city spoke with the Maricopa County Department of Transportation on June 20 before the council meeting. MCDOT will maintain vegetation in the area to improve sight lines for drivers turning off Bell Pointe onto Bell.
Also MCDOT plans to post a sign on the Sun Valley Parkway 300 feet or so west of the Surprise boundary warning drivers of the speed limit change. Surprise Police and the county will coordinate a speed enforcement campaign on this corridor.
