North Central Phoenix Info

🐴 49 years ago, the Arizona Republic reported that Jerry Colangelo — yes, that Jerry Colangelo — helped rededicate the Murphy Bridle Path as president of the North Central Phoenix Homeowners Association.

The brass plaque installed back then?
Still hanging there today. 🪧

Some things are worth preserving. 🌵

— Arizona Republic, June 19, 1977

The 250th birthday of the United States deserves a celebration for the ages. Phoenix is ready for it. Are you?

The City of Phoenix has updated its fireworks code ahead of what is anticipated to be an unforgettable Fourth of July.

But before you light up the sky, take a few minutes to understand what has changed, what is now prohibited, and what is still permitted in our neighborhoods. The rules are specific. Some things that were allowed before are not allowed now.

Celebrations matter. So does the air we all breathe the morning after.

Know before you light.

See the new fireworks code changes here: phoenix.gov/celebrate-safely

Most of the olive trees along Central Avenue sit on private land. So what stops a developer from taking them down?

A historic designation secured by NCPHA in 2004. But they weren't always protected.

In the early 2000s, development pressure along Central was real. NCPHA responded. The result was a historic designation for the North Central Avenue streetscape covering the corridor from Bethany Home Road to the Arizona Canal. The trees, the bridle path, the character of the street. All formally recognized as historically significant. Any changes to this corridor now require review.

That is not a small thing. It is a formal acknowledgment that what we have here is worth preserving, not just for the people who live here now, but for everyone who will call North Central Phoenix home in the future. It is the difference between a neighborhood that endures and one that quietly disappears.

Protected since 2004.

-North Central Phoenix Homeowners Association

Next week: the ash trees have their own story, and it is a good one.

🚨 Powering Forward for Public Safety

E-bikes are speeding through our neighborhoods and the Murphy Bridle Path — and our community deserves better. That's why the Phoenix Police Foundation is launching a fundraiser to put electric patrol bikes on the streets where it matters most.

⚡ Faster response times
👮 Better community visibility & engagement
🌱 Zero-emission, cost-effective patrol
🔒 Safer parks, canals & neighborhoods

Each fully-equipped police e-bike — lights, duty gear, and all — runs about $6,800. The goal is 9 bikes total. Every dollar helps.

💸 All donations are tax-deductible.
👉 Donate at PhoenixPoliceFoundation.org/bike
📬 Or mail a check to:
Phoenix Police Foundation c/o Desert Horizon E-Bikes
P.O. Box 564, Phoenix, AZ 85001-0564

Let's roll. 🚴‍♂️💙

Some olive trees alive today were alive during the Roman Empire.

That is not a guess.
And no, I'm not making it up.

Scientists know this because olive trees cannot be dated by ring counting alone. Their inner rings are too obscure and unreliable.

For the truly ancient ones, it takes radiocarbon isotope analysis to pin down the age with any precision. The results have been stunning. Some olive trees around the world are thousands of years old.

Now consider this.

The ash trees and olive trees along our streets could not be more different when it comes to lifespan.

Ash trees are relatively short-lived.
Olive trees are among the longest-living trees on earth.

The olive trees along Central Avenue were planted around 1906 to 1915.

By olive tree standards, they are youngsters. Already over 100 years old, and with proper care, they have centuries ahead of them.

Next week: the historic designation that helps protect them.

Many neighborhoods across Phoenix continue to advocate for legislation (SB 1118) that would provide historic homes with a modest level of protection from the impacts of the Middle Housing Bill. This effort has received strong support from our State Representative and State Senator.

Unfortunately, one State Representative whose district includes many of Phoenix's historic neighborhoods continues to oppose these protections.

On Monday, the bill will come before the Arizona House for another vote. Thank you to everyone who has made phone calls, sent emails, filed RTS positions, mailed postcards, and engaged in conversations with elected officials. Your advocacy has brought us this far — but we cannot afford to let up now.

Please consider respectfully contacting the following representatives and asking them to support SB 1118 with a "YES" vote when it returns to the House. It only takes a few minutes.

• Pamela Carter – (602) 926-3153
• Lupe Diaz – (602) 926-4852
• Gail Griffin – (602) 926-5895
• Alexander Kolodin – (602) 926-3560
• Michelle Peña – (602) 926-3696
• Cody Reim – (602) 926-3436
• Justin Wilmeth – (602) 926-5044

Thank you for lending your voice to this effort and for continuing to support Arizona's historic neighborhoods—irreplaceable treasures that are worth preserving, protecting, and fighting for.

The proposed rezoning case, Sofia on 6th, has done it again — continued for yet another round. As a result, the case will not appear on the June 23 agenda of the Alhambra Village Planning Committee. It is now tentatively scheduled to be heard on July 28, 2026 (barring any further disappearing acts). We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as additional information becomes available.

Those olive trees lining Central Avenue are not just beautiful. They are extraordinary.

The olive trees you see between Bethany Home Road and the Arizona Canal were planted by William J. Murphy between 1906 and 1915. They sit on private property just outside the public right-of-way, and today are mostly the original trees.

The same ones Murphy planted.
Still standing.
Still growing.

Olive trees are built for the long haul. A healthy olive tree can live up to 500 years. The original ones on Central Avenue are already more than 100 years old, and if they are well cared for, they could be shading this street long after any of us are gone.

The trees Murphy planted were fruit-bearing. Replacement trees are non-fruit-bearing. That matters in Arizona. State law prohibits nurseries from selling olive trees that produce pollen and bear fruit, making the newer trees the only kind you can plant here now. Good way to tell their age. But don't ask. It's rude.

They are also irreplaceable in another way. For every dollar invested in urban trees, research shows the community receives $2.50 back in environmental benefits, including cleaner air, lower temperatures, and a healthier neighborhood overall. Not to mention the shade.

These trees are an asset. A living, growing, irreplaceable asset that belongs to the story of North Central Phoenix. One day, we hope our children's children will still be walking beneath the canopy.

Next week: the fascinating science behind just how old these trees really are.