Paradise Valley Town Council accepts historic preservation to ‘Save the Spire’
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
Paradise Valley Town Council is moving forward with a minor General Plan amendment allowing for a new collection of homes to sprout where Ascension Lutheran Church once stood.
But along with a few zoning approvals to allow for the demolition of the former Place of Worship at 7100 N. Mockingbird Lane, local community members came together to save a piece of architectural history — the 77-foot spire that once stood atop the Ascension Lutheran Church.
Paradise Valley Town Council made three formal approvals this past Thursday: a minor General Plan amendment, a rezoning request and a final plat approval for four homes atop 5.328 acres of land.
The new owners of the property — CHM Holdings, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company represented by Zoning Attorney Doug Jorden — have agreed to gift the 77-foot spire to the Town of Paradise Valley, at no charge.
The formal zoning designation shift equates to a move from a religious facility designation to the R-43 single-family residential district whereas each property at the 5-acre site will enjoy a bit better than 1-acre zoning per property.
Ryan Patten of Arcadia Custom Builders will be developing the land with a staggered building schedule eyeing completion of all four homes in just over 20 months from November 2024.
Mr. Jorden, a Town of Paradise Valley resident, told the Digital Free Press he found the overall zoning and entitlement process to be a remarkably smooth operation.
“The Town Council unanimously approved three separate applications as those were the final approvals needed to allow things to move forward,” Mr. Jorden said of the development case he presented on behalf of CHM Holdings and Arcadia Custom Builders.
“Mr. Patten of Arcadia Custom Builders is planning to build the homes, not all at one time, but to start with lot 1 and so on. He anticipates it will take about 22 months to two years for those houses to be built. I am happy that we have been able to work together with the neighbors as we have reached out to them during this process and will continue to so as we proceed.”
As for the spire, Mr. Jorden points out, it has been disassembled into three pieces and now stored at the Paradise Valley Town Hall Complex.
“The Town Council, staff and the citizen group have been working together to see if they can find a new home for the spire,” he said of the Save the Spire community group. “It is a piece of iconic architectural design that has strong ties to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. It was not designed by Mr. Wright himself but his son in law — I am very hopeful the town will find a location for the spire.”
Save the Spire in the Town of Paradise Valley
In the early 1960s, the Ascension Lutheran building and spire were designed by Willam Wesley Peters, a long-time apprentice and son-in-law of Mr. Wright’s, part of the then-established Taliesin Associated Architects.
Paradise Valley resident and volunteer Scott Jarson presented to Town Council earlier this year the work of Historical Advisory Committee Chair Catherine Kauffman and Councilwoman Christine LaBelle organizing a historical preservation effort.
Councilwoman LaBelle says she was able to offer her passion for historic and cultural preservation to aid in the formation of the Save the Spire citizen group.
“I am blessed to have a wide circle of friends and colleagues in the architectural, design, historic and construction fields who were very generous with their time and collaborative efforts that I was able to help bring together to make it happen,” she said.
“In this case, I was very encouraged to see the efforts, over time, of the owner and development team to mitigate the impact of the cultural and architectural loss to the community by stepping up to assist in many aspects of the spire ‘save,’ as well as other neighborhood concerns.”
Councilwoman LaBelle says the final resting place of the spire is still up in the air but the overall goal would be to keep the spire on town property.
“The spire is being stored on town property while the group redirects its efforts to relocation and fiscal needs for repurposing,” she said. “Representatives of the group have had a site visit with Public Works and our town manager to ascertain the viability of some distinct identified possible placements within the town. Ultimately, the town decision makers will have the responsibility to look at the options and decide where the spire will be best honored and preserved for all.”
Some of the Town of Paradise Valley residents who volunteered their time toward the effort include:
- Erik Peterson
- Jochen Walther
- Eric O’Malley
- James Trahan
- Michael Perino
- C.P. Drewett
Mr. Jarson — a Town of Paradise Valley resident and co-owner of azarchitecture, a real estate brokerage that specialize in the sale of unique homes — offers the spire is of significant architectural significance worthy of public preservation.
“The Ascension Lutheran building and spire was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s long time Apprentice Associate and son in-law, William Wesley Peters, with Taliesin Associated Architects,” he said. “It was one of the most significant designs produced by Taliesin Associated Architects following Frank Lloyd Wright’s death in 1959. At the time of the design, many of the Taliesin Architects and Wright’s former apprentices were town residents, cementing the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesin architects within the community of our town.”
Mr. Jarson suggests the spire should not be thought of as simply a relic of the 20th century but rather a reminder of a cherished past.
“Saving the spire retains an art element of the design that supports this legacy and community connection. Repurposing the spire so that a part of the town’s visual history can be saved and repurposed for all creates a valuable historic monument that values our town’s unique and special history,” he said. “These sort of exceptional details are more than relics, they are a visible reminder of what’s come before, and they serve in some way as both a piece of a cherished past, but as an inspirational reminder of the future potential of the community.”
Mr. Jarson says the preservation of the spire speaks to the residents of the Town of Paradise Valley honoring those who came before them.
“As a preservationist, I personally feel that of course one should look at saving or repurposing the entire structure or design,” he said. “When that’s not viable, an exceptional detail like this one can become a cherished reminder of the artistic and human efforts that helped create a community; they serve as a reminder to reach for an exceptional future, while not discarding what came before. It’s a way to honor our past, and those that served it.”
