The town’s Planning & Zoning (P&Z) Commission will be visiting Dark Sky International (DSI), a proposal pushed by Cave Creek Republican Precinct Committeeman Bruce Arlen and some council members, including his friend and fellow Committeeman Dusty Rhodes. While dark skies are a shared goal, the details of DSI raise concerns.  This meeting will be held on April 17, 2025, at 6PM, at town hall.

In my view, DSI adds another layer of unelected governance. Former Republican Mayor Ernie Bunch recognized this issue when Bruce Arlen previously attempted to get DSI certification. Instead, Mayor Bunch led efforts to implement town ordinances that aligned with DSI guidelines—achieving dark skies without involving an external entity.

However, Bruce, who runs the 501(c)(3) organization Cave Creek Dark Sky and solicits donations, is pushing for more than just ordinances. He wants Cave Creek to officially join DSI, a group described as a “club” in a recent Town Council meeting. Some claim the town isn’t enforcing its dark sky ordinances, but even with DSI certification, enforcement would remain the town’s responsibility.

Additionally, true dark sky status is unrealistic for Cave Creek. The glow from Phoenix, along with a 5,000-acre county island to the north, prevents it from achieving the dark sky conditions of places like Flagstaff or Sedona. While I appreciate the foresight of previous town leaders in adopting effective ordinances, I see no reason to invite an unelected third party to exert control over citizens.

It’s also worth noting that one of Bruce’s partners in the Cave Creek Dark Sky business, Shea Stanfield is a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for Corporation Commission and advocated for turning Arizona blue, and is not even a Cave Creek resident.  And some of the ordinances would cause businesses to turn lights off early, dictate the type of lighting, no strings of patio lighting, Christmas and Holiday lights would have restrictions and the light fixtures to put on one’s homes would be restricted to DSI fixtures only with times on when they can be displayed.