History of the Shalimar Association and Golf Course
The story of the Shalimar neighborhood and golf course began in 1961 when the first home lots were sold and the Shalimar Golf Course opened. The golf course was the center of the neighborhood, surrounded by 150 homes consisting of single-family homes and townhomes. Home sites located directly adjacent to the golf course were sold at a premium. Many of the original homeowners still living in Shalimar neighborhood have the original developer documents detailing this information.
Since 1961, two efforts have been made to purchase the golf course and turn it into residential housing. The first of these came in July 1979 when a Canadian corporation purchased the Golf Course for $685,000. The new owners made clear their intentions to close the golf course and develop a high density residential area. The homeowners responded by forming and incorporating the Shalimar Association in September 1979.
The Association collected funds from its membership and successfully launched and won a legal battle. In February 1980, the Superior Court rendered a judgment that the Shalimar Golf Course had to be operated as a golf course until 2025. After two appeals, the Arizona Court of Appeals agreed with the Shalimar Association and imposed an implied restrictive covenant on the Shalimar Golf Course until the year 2025.
The original Shalimar Association purchased a small tract of land (Tract B) that is the only viable second exit from the golf course if it is ever converted to home sites. In 2013, the Board of Directors signed a quit claim deed assigning the ownership of that property to the current Shalimar Association. This is a key concern of any future owner wanting to convert the golf course into home sites.
A second attempt to purchase the Shalimar Golf Course came in June 2005 when the current owners of the golf course made a contingent sale to another group of investors who wanted to convert it into high-density housing. The Shalimar Association re-formed after a period of inactivity. After a comprehensive survey of residents regarding the future of Shalimar Golf Course showed strong support for keeping the Shalimar Golf Course a green, open space golf course, the Association took legal action and notified the City of Tempe of their opposition to such a sale, and posted “Save Shalimar” signs. The escrow and sale was subsequently canceled.
The Shalimar Association has operated continuously since 2006 and has elected officers, held annual community meetings, developed a website (ShalimarAssociation.org), has a small operating budget, and a very strong commitment to keep our lifestyle and neighborhood for our children and grandchildren. Dues are used to pay taxes, maintenance, legal expenses and carried forward for use in future litigation as necessary for Tract B. Community involvement will keep our future alive.
In 2024, we find ourselves in a situation where this beloved green space is once again in danger. With the restrictive covenant on the Shalimar Golf Course set to expire at the beginning of 2025, the current owners have entered into a purchase sale agreement with a developer. The developer has submitted preliminary plans to the City of Tempe that would bring high-density housing with the destruction of the property as we all know it. The current property is zoned AG, with a 1 home per acre density. The developer needs the city to approve a rezoning to proceed with their financial plans, which would far exceed and greatly expand the current zoning limitations.
The property is privately owned, and the owners are entitled to sell. What no one is entitled to is to destroy a unique, historic and vital community asset at the expense and impact of thousands of community stakeholders.
There are options to resolve this to benefit the current owners and the larger community. This begins with Opposition to Rezoning by the community. Which is the current focus of the Shalimar Association.
Stop the Rezoning.
Updated August 2024