Town Council asks for more noise mitigation of Andaz Resort’s new units

All it says is the amplified noise within the event lawn space will be diminished because of the new units here, but it doesn’t take into account any of the activity that’s going to be happening in these backyards.”

Vice Mayor Scott Moore

By MacKenzie Brower
Mail |
Twitter: @mbrowerjourno

Noise from Andaz Resort remains a concern of Paradise Valley Town Council after the property’s recent redevelopment application was continued in February to address council’s direction.

Town Council looked at the updated submittal at a meeting April 27, providing additional direction on noise mitigation of the proposed new guest units in preparation for the public hearing, which is scheduled for May 11.

Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows is requesting an intermediate special use permit amendment to incorporate and develop the adjacent five-acre parcel at 6041 N. Quail Run Road into the resort, adding 10 new guest units and one service building.

The guest units and service building will match the architecture of the existing buildings on campus. Each guest unit will have a private yard with a pool/hot tub.

The noise from these private yards is the main concern that Town Council expressed at the latest meeting.

In the updated submittal, Andaz Resort agreed to prohibit the use of guest unit pools between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Staff recommends that a small sign be placed near the pools to identify no use.

Town Council requested in February that Andaz Resort explore changing the layout of the five western guest units along Quail Run Road by moving the pools to the east side away from the adjoining residents.

However, Andaz Resort identified that the five western guest units cannot be “reverse loaded” due to the limited amount of space and instead reoriented the five eastern guest unit pools. This was done so the pools would get more sun and would not be shaded by the guest units.

The site plan now also includes four- to five-foot screen walls by the western pools to mitigate noise.

Additionally, as stated in the staff report, Andaz Resort partnered with the town and MD Acoustics in 2021-22 to assess noise and offer mitigation strategies. They are now finalizing the reimbursement agreement.

It was recommended to the resort for outdoor events the implementation of a hardware noise limit on the audio system and an increase of the number and distribution of loudspeakers.

The new sound system will be installed in May or June.

That study relates to the event lawn and not the new guest units; however, Andaz Resort provided another noise study dated March 17, which shows how the audio system on the event lawn will reduce noise impact to the community and the new guest units will buffer the event lawn noise.

Vice Mayor Scott Moore pointed out that these studies don’t address any noise created from the guest units themselves, which on the west side are close to the perimeter wall and in some areas are less than the permit guidelines of a 30-foot perimeter landscaping.

He said he doesn’t see how the resort has mitigated through design that the noise created from these units will not be an issue to neighboring residents on Quail Run Road, considering the resort’s guests come for weddings and celebrations and will be gathering in the backyards.

“All it says is the amplified noise within the event lawn space will be diminished because of the new units here, but it doesn’t take into account any of the activity that’s going to be happening in these backyards,” Moore said. “It’s reasonable to assume the people in the backyards are all going to have their heads above the wall, so I’m perplexed how that four-foot screen wall is supposed to reduce sound.”

Council Member Mark Stanton echoed these same concerns about the western guest units, while Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner added that there doesn’t need to be amplified music allowed at all at the guest units because people talk over music and create even more noise.

The mayor also brought up consequences for going over noise limits.

Council Member Julie Pace agreed with the idea of no amplified noise and shared her personal experience of staying at a short-term rental that provided a list of noise restrictions for guests, such as no amplification and a limit of people on the patio.

“To me there are solutions that allow Andaz to market this beautiful space, but to understand it’s a privilege for those who use it because it’s near residents,” Pace said.

She said the town’s goal is to not burden residents with policing noise and that their interests must come first.

Town Council may not approve Andaz Resort’s application in this format, according to the mayor.

“If you’re interested in approving the project but want certain stipulations like no pools back there, that could be stipulated,” Community Development Director Lisa Collins said. “The applicant might not like it or accept it, but I would say that’s the way to go to just impose the conditions you think are necessary on this to protect the neighborhood. We’re happy to work with you and develop some of those conditions.”

During the February meeting, the council identified five other items of direction, which the applicant addressed and agreed.

Andaz Resort’s application process began in September 2022 with two Town Council study sessions. The Planning Commission reviewed it at three sessions in November and December. On Jan. 3, the Planning Commission forwarded a recommendation for approval of the permit to the council, which held three more study sessions on Jan. 26, Feb. 9 and April 27.

MacKenzie Brower can be reached at mbrower@iniusa.org. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

MacKenzie Brower
Lead News Reporter | Town of Paradise Valley
@mbrowerjournombrower@iniusa.org MacKenzie Brower has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northern Arizona University and specializes in visual storytelling. She was previously the director of photography and Editor-in-Chief of The Lumberjack at NAU, breaking news intern for The Arizona Republic and column writer for FlagLive! MacKenzie studied abroad in Prague at the beginning of 2021, where she practiced landscape and portrait photography. She is passionate about protecting the world’s environment and human rights and hopes to inform social change through reporting. You can find her portfolio at mackenziebrower.photoshelter.com.