When you hear the term 'Founding Fathers' the names of Washington, Jefferson, and Adams comes to mind. Queen Creek has its own origin story and even a few names of those who made it possible like Schnepf, Sossaman, and Gardner. By the 1980's many of the descendants of farmers and homesteaders had been living in Queen Creek for a few generations. Now the need for town status became increasingly important as surrounding towns and cities grew. Sections of Queen Creek were slowly being annexed and the identity of the area was under threat of being lost. Finally when a large swathe of land in Queen Creek was proposed as a 'dumping ground', residents realized they needed to have more local control.
Mark Schnepf said that they also took their time and watched how nearby Chandler and Gilbert evolved, carefully noting their successes as well as their mistakes. However the path to township would be long and complex. Paul Gardner is a Water Resources Director, and the future of Queen Creek's water was paramount to its success and growth. Therefore, in an anticipation of creating a town, they needed to plan accordingly. Steve Sossamon, business owner and farmer, acted as a guide through the wilderness of bureaucracy and politics. In order to get approval they first had to get permission from their neighbors. This required attending council meetings, speaking to local authorities, and state ones too.
Mark Schnepf, owner of Schnepf Farms, became the spokesman of the movement and says he looked upon it as an 'adventure'. Each of them spent hundreds of hours and thousands of their own money to pursue town status. They also needed to change state law to get back parts of Queen Creek. Steve's father, James, was serving in the state senate, and helped them regain their land. All these efforts took a total of three years, and that was merely to set the stage for the community to ultimately vote on. Fortunately, the voters gave a resounding yes and in 1989 Queen Creek officially became a town.
Like all founding fathers, the title of town wasn't enough, there was planning too. In addition to water infrastructure, they discussed parks, trails, roads, the downtown area, and density. The open spaces are 20% of the land which is double of other towns and cities. Staying true to the natural beauty helps to make Queen Creek a desirable place to live. As Mark, Paul, and Steve reflected on that time, they recognized the synergy between them, aiding them in their cause. They are also good friends, and though life is busy, they still get together when they can.
Both Mark and Steve served as mayors, and are still invested in their community as it grows around them. Paul continues to work towards Queen Creek's water needs, which is no small thing in a desert. Each of the men will have their place in Queen Creek's history, but they don't dwell too much on that. Instead, they marvel at what Queen Creek has become, and where it is headed. Every year in September, Queen Creek holds Founder's Day in recognition and gratitude for the efforts of these town fathers. The town seems to changing all the time and rapidly too. However, it remains rooted in a history and a culture embodied by its foundations and the men who built it.
'... the path to township would be long and complex.'