Scottsdale Voters Approve Proposition 420

Published: Wednesday, November 7, 2018 - 12:03pm

Mariana Dale/KJZZ

McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale residents voted by a wide margin to amend the city charter to protect preserve lands.

The passage of Proposition 420 means that projects in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve must now be approved by voters at a general or special election before moving forward.

Part of the issue was a proposal called Desert Edge, formerly known as the Desert Discovery Center, which supporters describe as a research and education center that aims to teach visitors about the Sonoran Desert.

The multimillion-dollar project covers more than five acres at the Gateway Trailhead in north Scottsdale and has long been controversial.

Late last year, the City Council decided to put the brakes on the project, while critics collected signatures to refer the issue to the ballot.

Proposition 420 was not directly about Desert Edge but passage of the measure now puts the question of that project directly to voters.