Frank Lloyd Wright house plans concern Phoenix neighbors

• The owner of the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Arcadia has delayed the home%27s historic-landmark hearing
• His attorney said they plan to seek that designation and zoning permits in October 2015
• They hope to build a 25%2C000-square-foot underground museum with a stage for performances%2C a cafe and gallery space
• They are likely to meet resistance from some neighbors

The empty house on Exeter Boulevard in Arcadia sleeps in the shadow of Camelback Mountain, surrounded by about 5 acres of sprawling land dotted with olive trees and an immaculate lawn.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his son, the circular David and Gladys Wright House stands like a sculpture, the mountain a still backdrop.

But the old home has made quite the stir, and its grounds might someday include a large underground museum and performance space.

Neighbors have feared the fate of the property for years, since word spread that the crumbling structure might meet the wrecking ball.

But Las Vegas lawyer Zach Rawling swooped in with $2.38 million to save the house. However, questions and concerns among neighbors multiplied further as he bought three additional properties adjacent to the house and his attorney delayed the date for the house to earn a historic preservation landmark on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.

Some members of the Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association object to Rawling's plans, saying they fear the owner will commercialize the property. One resident, Sue Bloom, circulated a petition among neighbors that rejects turning the "quiet neighborhood into an attraction."

Others want to wait for more solid details before taking a position.

The plans

"It seems like the owner and the attorney are making every effort to do what will be the least intrusive and it will be something that everybody in Phoenix will be proud of," said association President Richard Rea, who was at odds with the majority of the board who in opposition.

But they'll have more waiting to do before they know what exactly will be proposed. Rawling's attorney, Paul Gilbert, again delayed the home's historic-landmark hearing, which was scheduled for this month, and has said October 2015 is the new target. He said he and Rawling want to seek the designation and zoning entitlements at the same time, and thezoning proposal will take months to prepare.

The pair have big plans spanning beyond opening the little house for regular tours. They hope to build a 25,000-square-foot underground museum equipped with a stage for lectures, choirs, string quartettes or similar groups, a cafe offering wine and beer, and gallery space to exhibit local and global artists. The museum would also showcase history about the house and Frank Lloyd Wright's legacy.

Above that museum would be a circular pond and landscaped paths. Swan Hill olive trees would span the property. The house itself, with an ascending walkway that spirals along its exterior, would make an elegant wedding backdrop, Gilbert said.

As for two other properties Rawling bought just north of the house, Rawling will tear down the homes and use the lots for open space, Gilbert said.

They are leaning toward pursuing a planned unit development, which allows developers to replace existing zoning with more flexible rules for parking requirements and setbacks. However, they have not made a final decision.

That's precisely what many neighbors fear, as eight members of the neighborhood association voted to formally oppose such zoning options in Arcadia. Six voted not to oppose.

Residents debated the potential plans at a neighborhood-association meeting this month. Some bemoaned serving alcohol on the premises, saying the house is too close to Hopi Elementary School. Some even said they didn't trust Rawling's intentions.

"Once they have a (planned unit development), that opens the door for development," said Luis Argueso, who lives around the corner from the Wright house. "We have zoning laws for a reason. It's zoned as a neighborhood."

The restoration

Gilbert said residents would not assume the worst if they saw the care that Rawling has taken to preserve the property. When he bought it, the foundation had begun to sink into the earth. Rain had trickled through the roof and stained the carefully-crafted wood panels lining the ceiling.

The lawn looked like the "wild and wooly West," Gilbert said.

The previous owner had planned to demolish the home and build a bigger house. But Gilbert said Rawling couldn't let that happen — Rawling had grown up touring Wright homes with his mother while she studied architecture. He is a Wright enthusiast, Gilbert said.

A few years — and millions of dollars — later, Rawling has expanded the grounds. Contractors have reinforced crumbling walls, removed a pond that threatened to further warp the house's foundation and started landscaping the yard. They've planted 102 Swan Hill fruitless olive trees and they've got about 100 more to go.

Indoors, Rawling replicated living quarters exactly as they looked when the Wright couple lived there. He brought in pottery that is similar to items in old photos of the house. The shelves, tables and chairs are identical to the ones the Wrights used. And antique experts found a fridge from a shop in Tucson identical to the one originally used in the house.

Stepping inside feels like a time warp.

But much more needs to be done before the house is ready for show. The wall following that spiral walkway must be redone. The roof, too, also has to be redone. Some wood inside the home also might have to be replaced because of water damage, Gilbert said.

And, to quell resident concerns about noise from customers and possible events, Gilbert said they'll get a decibel measure to assure sound at the gates do not exceed 50 decibels. That equates to sound generated by conversation.

As for parking concerns, Gilbert said patrons of the grounds would park at the church next door, which drivers would access off of Camelback Road.

Still, neighbors are promising Gilbert and Rawling will meet resistance.

"We'll do whatever it takes to put a stop to it," Argueso said.