The Town of Carefree is delighted to announce that fresh asphalt pavement is scheduled to be applied to the streets in the Carefree Rolling Hills and Carefree Shadows neighborhoods this fall.

Recognizing that well-maintained streets help ensure the safety, comfort, and convenience of residents and visitors and that its streets age quickly due to both oxidation from intense summer sun and annual precipitation that is about 50% more than in most Valley communities, the Town of Carefree maintains a Pavement Preservation Program to provide high levels of service across its road network. This $1.9 million public works project is funded through the Town’s capital reserve fund, which helps maintain our community's aging infrastructure.

The neighborhoods of Carefree Rolling Hills and Carefree Shadows contain some of the oldest streets in Carefree, built between 1963 and 1975.

Though the Town has performed remedial crack sealing on many of these streets over the past 10-15 years, a complete “mill and overlay” is necessary now that the asphalt has reached the end of its service life and preventative treatments are no longer effective. “Mill and overlay” involves the removal of the top two inches of a street by the grinding action of a large milling machine. After this top layer is removed, it is replaced with a new layer of pavement.

Your cooperation will help this project go smoothly. So, please keep the following in mind:

• Construction is tentatively scheduled between October 13 and November 14, but inclement weather or equipment issues may affect this schedule.

• Drive carefully in work zones and obey all posted traffic signs, speed limits, and barricades.

• Be alert to construction workers and law enforcement officers.

• Before the pavement project begins, you may see crews completing patch and repair work, adjusting manholes, valves, and survey monuments, and getting rid of existing striping.

• Crews typically work Monday through Friday from 6:00 am until 6:00 pm. Unless special circumstances arise, crews will not work on weekends.

• Door hangers or handbills will provide advance notice so that you can arrange to park your vehicle at alternative locations.

• At times, residents may be asked to park on adjacent streets. Do not park your vehicle on the street when you see “NO PARKING” signs. Vehicles parked on the street during these times will be towed.

• It is difficult to know exactly when work will happen on your street. Crews may work on several different streets every day. They will typically get to your street 48 hours from the notification date on your door hanger.

• Access to driveways may be restricted at times during the milling and paving process. Work crews will make every effort to ensure residents can access their driveways and make scheduled appointments.

• Alternating lane restrictions will occur during construction. Plan alternate routes and allow for extra travel time.

• The milled street will have a rough surface before the new layer of asphalt is applied, so please drive with caution.

• Though the project contractor will coordinate with private sanitation companies to help ensure that refuse collection service is maintained, please follow their directions about where and when to place your containers to help preserve the fresh asphalt surface.

• Crews typically work on one half of the roadway at a time.

• Do not drive on fresh asphalt, which can splatter on vehicles and be hard to wash off. Wait until traffic signs and barricades are removed before driving on the new asphalt surface.

• After paving, the roadway may appear to be rough, and loose rock and sand may be left behind. This is normal. New pavements settle over time to provide a smooth ride. Crews will return to clean up any debris left behind and to do a final inspection to ensure that pavement materials have properly settled.

The Town appreciates your patience and cooperation as we work together to improve our community's streets. Your safety is our top priority, and we are committed to minimizing inconvenience to you and your family during this important project.

Carefree Shadows, formerly known as Velvet Shadows, is a quiet neighborhood in the Town of Carefree, just north of Scottsdale. The neighborhood is east of Pima Rd. and mostly south of Cave Creek Rd although a few prominent houses are on the north side of Cave Creek Rd. The neighborhood was established in the late 1970's with development soaring in the 1990's.

There are 152 homes and lots within the neighborhood with the average lot size around one acre. There is a homeowners association with some CC&Rs and HOA fees are only $60 per year. The houses are high-quality, custom-built homes. Home values have been increasing steadily with two homes currently for sale well above $1 million. The no-sidewalk, natural desert landscaping of many of the homes gives the neighborhood an enchanting, rural feel. With the beautiful mountain views, Carefree Shadows is a tranquil, captivating location within a short drive to all the amenities.

The Town of Carefree has a quaint downtown area with the famous Sundial. Excellent restaurants offer all types of culinary treats. Annual events include art walks and the Pumpkin Patch. The town next door, Cave Creek, boasts many additional events and some very famous bars. The area around Carefree Shadows offers many types of outdoor entertainment from golf to gorgeous nature hikes. With lush desert foliage and beautiful mountain views, Carefree Shadows is a premiere neighborhood in an amazing location.

An excellent way to keep informed regarding upcoming events is to visit Carefree Events This calendar shows the Carefree events scheduled. There are art walks through local galleries, hikes, festivals, theater, and concerts. The meetings of the Town Council are also on the schedule. Check out Carefree Events often. You don't want to miss some life-changing event.

Another excellent place to find interesting events and things to do is the Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce Events Calendar. From meditating to rodeos, you can find just about anything you want to do right here in Carefree and Cave Creek.

If you want to take art classes, attend a lecture series, or play Mahjong on a tournament level, the Holland Center is a fantastic community center. Find amazing classes, book fairs, lectures and more right here at the Holland Center Calendar of Events.

More News Info

This section is for all those photographers out there to share outstanding pictures of our neighborhood, our amazing flowers and cacti, our birds and our wildlife.

Visit the Photo page

Download this Photo Release Form. Copy and paste the text of the agreement into an email along with your photos and send it to ken@carefreeshadowshoa.org.