What is Pinnacle Peak Ranchos? It’s a 280-acre subdivision on the Scottsdale side of Carefree, just north of Pinnacle Peak. Pinnacle Peak Ranchos is comprised of primarily 5-acre parcels of estate-sized lots ideal for luxury homes with plenty of privacy and room to roam. There are currently 59 home sites with 30 existing homes built.
Pinnacle Peak Ranchos was originally subdivided in 1959 as a paper subdivision, without improvements, and today remains primarily rustic with mostly unpaved roads except for one short section. It’s located in some of the most pristine Sonoran Desert in the Southwest.
Where is Pinnacle Peak Ranchos located? Located in North Scottsdale between Scottsdale and Pima Roads, south of Ashler Hills Road and bordering both sides of Lone Mountain Road. The property is directly south of the 900-acre Whisper Rock Gated and Golf Community with 1-3 acre property homes available and north of the 600-acre c. Both are luxury property subdivisions placing us in an area of some of the most expensive real estate in the Valley of the Sun.
What is the general terrain? The terrain is rolling with some lots having over a 10-foot variation in elevation, creating unique building sites and wonderful sunset and desert views. Some lots are covered with Saguaro Cactus, many other Cacti and plant vegetation. Many properties have large granite outcroppings with large boulders forming unique shapes (hence where the Granite Reef name comes from!).
What type of wildlife co-inhabits the community? This is the Natural Sonora Desert with an abundance of many animal habitats. White tail deer, coyotes, jackrabbits, snakes, owls, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, javalena, and bobcats, and just some of the wildlife neighbors.
What is going on in the neighborhood? Check out My Neighborhood. This City of Scottsdale site provides real-time information about construction activity, development requests, building permits, code enforcement notices and crime activity.
What are the annual HOA dues/assessments? They are presently $300 per year, due on January 1 each calendar year. You will receive a paper statement and dues can be sent by check or by Zelle.
Are there CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions) governing what is and what is not allowed? Bylaws? Yes, these exist to help the community stay within the City of Scottsdale codes as well as help to maintain the value and attractiveness of the community. Primarily, these state that houses must be a minimum of 2400 square feet, single story and southwest/adobe in design. Each lot may have up to 4 (four) horses, but these cannot be available for any commercial uses. Click on the following links or use the navigation bar above to view the CC&Rs and the Bylaws:
Is there an Architectural Review Committee (ARC)? Yes. Plans must be submitted to the ARC for any building project (i.e., new homes, guest houses, barns, renovations, additions, pools, fences, etc.) and be approved by the PPR ARC prior to submitting the plans to the City of Scottsdale. It should NOT be overlooked that the plans MUST be approved by both the community ARC AND the City of Scottsdale prior to undertaking any project. The contact information for the committee and the Chairman are shown on the ARC page.
For any alterations or additions to your property, it is required to get permission from the ARC committee. Two full sets of plans including civil, architectural and engineering should be submitted to the ARC Chairman, along with a completed ARC Submittal Form and the applicable review fee.
Download ARC Submittal Form Here
Are horses allowed? Yes, up to 4 horses are allowed per property, for personal use only. We have approximately 3 miles of unpaved roads and our neighbor, Whisper Rock, has a public trail system throughout their 900-acre community. These trails are great for riding or jogging!
Everyone in the community is respectful of horses and riders. We also ask that horse owners be respectful to their neighbors. See the Horse Owners FAQs page for information on what you need to do to keep your property clean, odor and rodent-free, and free from disease by being a good neighbor and properly disposing of manure. Across Pima, you also have access to a multi-thousand acre state land area, with plenty of room to trail ride.
Is the community part of Scottsdale Native Plant Ordinance? Yes. Read more about Scottsdale Native Plant Ordinance here.
What is the current zoning for the subdivision? RTA-130 ESLO. This allows 1 house per 3 acre net acres or for 130,000 square feet and is in the Environmentally Sensitive Lands. When the City of Scottsdale annexed the area in 1986, the property was rezoned from the county designation R-43 (1 house per acre) to the existing designation. See also Scottsdale Zoning Ordinances for further info.
Is this area part of the NAOS? Yes. NAOS – Natural Area Open Space – is what the City requires to remain as undeveloped natural open space. Typically 25% of the net property area of any lot is required to be preserved as natural desert and remain undeveloped. This helps to maintain more of a natural desert environment rather than allowing anyone to overdevelop the natural desert area. This area can be determined by the property owner as the building envelope determined by the your architect and engineer. Any wash area is a good area to designate as NAOS.
Are all utilities existing and in place to all of the properties within the subdivision? No. The subdivision was created in 1959 without any utilities or paved roads. Today the majority of the subdivision has electricity, water and telephone. There have been some improvement agreements with neighboring developers and individual property owners that have extended the utilities over the years and have pioneered the way for others.
Several of the roads are still unpaved, creating a rural environment in the heart of North Scottsdale. Please find downloadable maps that identify the location of the following utility companies:
Electric: Arizona Public Service – 602-371- 5775
Satellite TV: DirectTV – 877-442- 375-4757, or your preferred vendor
Water, Garbage, & Sewer: City of Scottsdale – 480-312-5650 (also offers large refuse and special moving box pickup throughout the year – see Brush and Bulk Collection)
Internet: several vendors available
Septic: Maricopa County
Is water available to all of the properties? No. There is one section of Granite Reef Road north of Lone Mountain where the water line has not been extended. When working within the City of Scottsdale, you can refer to Quarter Section Maps 55-47 for the east half of the subdivision north of Lone Mountain, 55-48 for the west half north of Lone Mountain Road and south of Lone Mountain is 54-47.
Is any of the area affected by washes or in a Flood Plain? Yes. There are two fairly substantial washes that are parallel to Black Cross Road that flow in a southwesterly direction and a few minor washes throughout the subdivision. See the aerial maps and the FEMA maps at Flood Insurance Rate Maps interactive maps at the City of Scottsdale to determine the flood zones located throughout the community.
Can you build on a property if you have a wash in/on it? Generally, yes, but prospective owners should check with Scottsdale Building and Planning regarding construction on lots with flood plain or washes. This question is best answered by the City of Scottsdale since there are several limitations on any lot with a wash on it and these limitations are changing constantly and getting tougher all the time. Anyone looking at a particular lot should also consider consulting with an engineering firm well-versed in buildable vs. non-buildable properties.
What is the elevation of the subdivision? The lowest point of the subdivision is 2,300 feet above sea level at the corner of Hayden and Lone Mountain and slopes up to the north and east 1 mile away to approximately 2,427 feet at the corner of Ashler Hills and Pima Roads. A half mile to the south is Lone Mountain with a high point of 2,696 feet and a half mile to the north and east are the Boulder Mountains at 2,687. For comparison’s sake, downtown Scottsdale at Camelback and Scottsdale Roads is about 1,280 feet elevation and the Carefree Airport approximately 3 miles to the north is about 2,500 feet elevation.
Pinnacle Peak Ranchos | Scottsdale, AZ 85266 