Adventure is over for go

San Tan Adventure Park was to include gas go-karts, an 18-hole miniature golf course and a splash pad on 4.5 acres at the southwest corner of Crossroads District Park at SanTan Village Parkway and Knox Road.

Randy Nelson said he was sitting outside on his patio one day just listening to the birds’ chirping.

"That's the biggest activity of the day," he said last week, recalling that he thought, "And the time is coming soon, it's not going to work."

Since 2021, Nelson and a group of his neighbors have unsuccessfully fought against San Tan Adventure Park, a planned outdoor venue featuring 22 gas-powered go-karts that they said would pollute the air, emit deafening noise and bring in more traffic.

Construction was scheduled to begin early this year but instead council this Tuesday, Feb. 7, is expected to cancel a lease with the project's developer SAP Holdings. According to the town, the decision to do so was mutual, citing economic reasons.

"I’m glad they came to that conclusion," Nelson said. "That is just wonderful. It could not be better."

Nelson surmised that the numbers didn't pencil out for SAP Holdings – given that two new nearby entertainment venues are expected to open this year, both offering indoor go-karts.

"They have a tremendous amount of competition suddenly," Nelson said. "Our little bunch has been talking about that being the reason why we haven't seen any activity.

"They have to have a sense that these things are going up…able to provide year-round activities."

According to Tod Thorton, manager of SAP Holdings, the other two projects "had zero weight regarding our decision."

"The much higher than expected construction costs are the only determinant that affected our project and unfortunately a part of the inflationary environment that all of us are facing in our daily lives," Thornton said in an email.

"Construction projects in just about every industry sector have been impacted, with plans put on hold or canceled altogether. We are truly saddened that we won't be able to bring this family friendly venue to Gilbert."

San Tan Adventure Park also was to include an 18-hole miniature golf course and a splash pad on 4.5 acres at the southwest corner of Crossroads District Park at SanTan Village Parkway and Knox Road.

Although the entertainment park will be no more, families won't have to go far to have fun.

The Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is expected to open later this year in Chandler. The project features 96,000 square feet of amenities, including a high-speed electric Superkarts on a multi-level track, state-of-the-art arcade, racing simulators and a two-story Laser tag arena.

And Urban Air Adventure Park announced an April debut of its fourth location at SanTan Village shopping center in Gilbert. Its offerings included an indoor go-kart track, rock climbing and trampolines.

It's been six years since the town and SAP Holdings signed a 30-year lease, which was extended a few times.

When SAP Holdings originally pitched the family fun project, it did not include go-karts, although the vehicles are an approved use in the lease agreement.

The project didn't hit the public's eye again until 2021 when the design went before the Planning Commission for consideration.

Residents from the Greenfield Lakes and the Cottonwoods Crossing neighborhoods showed up en masse speaking against the project. They even brought in a paid acoustical engineer who found fault with the developer's two commissioned noise studies and shortfalls in Gilbert's noise ordinance.

The residents wanted the go-karts placed indoors or have the project moved over to Gilbert Regional Park.

Nonetheless, the commission approved the project's design plans, prompting Nelson to file an appeal with the council.

The council, however, upheld the commission's vote but added stipulations to help provide some protections for the residents such as requiring a block wall along the track and banning the use of loud speakers for park announcements.

Nicki Reber was ecstatic upon hearing the news that the lease was going to be terminated.

"Well, finally," she said; "after we fought them like we did to keep it from being built.

"Oh, that's wonderful news, absolutely wonderful news."

She said she had thought the developer was holding off on the project after the council in August 2021 decided to take a look at the Town's noise ordinance, which hasn't happened.

And, if the project had proceeded, she promised another legal fight.

Reber also said that the town lost out on revenue for the land as SAP sat on the lease.

"It’ll be interesting to see if Gilbert sits on this land a long time or does something with it or someone comes in and develops it in a much more amenable way," she said.

According to staff, the property will be returned to the town's vacant park land inventory with the intention to look for the right use that would fit with the surrounding community.

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