Sands North Townhouses are now a part of history.

The Scottsdale City Council approved a zoning district map amendment that changes a portion of the seven-acre site from resort/townhouse residential to resort/townhouse residential historic property.

This change applies to 31 of the 51 lots as well as homeowner association tracts at the neighborhood at 7233 E. Joshua Tree Lane.

As part of the rezoning, the historic preservation plan for the neighborhood will be admitted into public record. The City Council rendered its opinion at its Oct. 1 meeting.

Phoenix developer and builder Emron Thomas Wright built the homes in 1972 and they have been unaltered since construction, according to a city staff report. Mr. Wright also developed other similar subdivisions in Scottsdale from 1969-74 and lived in Sands North until is death in 2001.

Bob Graham of Motley Design Group gave a presentation before the City Council. He said the homes are categorized under the modern style for townhouse development and contemporary sub-style within the time period.

Under the protection guidelines, several “unique features” of the homes will be maintained including carports, multi-level roofing and two-story entry doors. Mr. Graham also said there are essentially five floorplans but each home is still unique.

“We feel, and we did find, that this is really a significant piece of architecture,” Mr. Graham said. “I think it’s very iconic Scottsdale. You don’t find this quality in a lot of the other municipalities around town. It’s part and parcel of the history of Scottsdale.”

Many residents, including some who don’t live in the neighborhood, spoke in favor of the change, relating stories of why they loved the community and what it means to them to have the designation.

Sands North resident Margaret Wheeler said she grew up in Chandler when it was still a small community and Sands North reminds her of that sense of community she took for granted.

“As our cities in Arizona continue to grow, they can sadly become more anonymous, impersonal places,” she said.

“I think it’s all the more important for us to preserve a feeling of community, closeness and pride, which can sometimes be lacking in today’s world where people have been known to text instead of talking face to face to a person across the room.”

Councilmember Suzanne Klapp agreed with those residents, calling the neighborhood a “point of pride” for the community.

“This is a great piece of architecture that sits in the middle of the city that really reflects the fact that the city started in 1951,” she said. “Mid-century modern architecture is what this city is basically about. This is not an old city.”

Those homes that didn’t opt to be part of the designation would still have to follow all HOA guidelines if they were to make changes to their homes.

Then-Acting City Attorney Joe Padilla said since the entire neighborhood wasn’t changed to historic, the HOA would need to figure out how to work with its residents that aren’t zoned historic.

The Historic Preservation Commission will next approve the neighborhood’s preservation plan after the addition of several stipulations. Those stipulations include the addition of a map and the numeration each subsection.

Any changes to the document will require the approval of the commission.