MOHAVE COUNTY — The Mohave County Planning and Zoning Committee voted unanimously on September 17 to pass the General Plan and will now return it to the Board of Supervisors who meet next on October 6. The vote follows several months of controversy surrounding a proposed development in the Golden Valley area.
The General Plan will replace the older method of using Special Area Plans for certain communities in the county. The goals of the General Plan were reiterated by Planning Supervisor Matthew Gunderson at a September 10 special meeting of the Planning and Zoning Committee.
The priorities of the General Plan, Gunderson explained, were water conservation, renewable energy, and establishing urban standards within three miles. He also said that residents across the county responded positively to the map of their area, with the exception of Golden Valley.
Several Golden Valley residents were present at the September 10 special meeting, once again voicing concerns that have been raised for months. Golden Valley resident Danielle Ohle-Keck gave a presentation on behalf of Golden Valley Community Alliance, which has a petition with over 500 signatures from Golden Valley residents.
Ohle-Keck talked about the importance of public input and that the General Plan process has not made that a priority for Golden Valley. After the Board of Supervisors voted to send the plan back to committee at a meeting in June, a special meeting was held for the residents of Golden Valley to discuss concerns. Ohle-Keck says this meeting was inadequate, saying that the room was too hot and that there were sound issues.
On the matter of the need for housing, Ohle-Keck cited the 2020 Census, saying that given Mohave County’s growth rate of 1–1.5%, Golden Valley would only need 535 new homes. However, the first phase of the Pravada development, as well as Midway Estates by Angle Homes, are already committed to build over 600 homes so far.
Golden Valley Community Alliance also projected that the Dorado development would include unfunded capitol expenses. The group argues that the project would require $14M per year in operational costs but would only produce $6.7M in annual property tax revenue.
Tyler Angle of Angle Homes defended the Dorado development proposal at the September 10 meeting. Angle submitted a new revision, which eliminates medium-density housing and has a suburban-residential boundary. The project now also includes an area for a future fire station, which was requested, as well as a possible sheriff’s station.
Angle has argued that building developments like the Dorado project is the right approach because it is safer, smarter, and easier on the county.
“It should not be wildcat subdivisions, that’s sprawling here and there…which has kinda been happening with the land splits in the Golden Valley area,” Angle said at the June 26 meeting, where the Board of Supervisors voted to send the plan back to committee. “But it should be places that have infrastructure—places that have paved roads, places that already have electricity. It actually says that if you don’t do that, it’s more expensive for everybody. It’s more expensive for the developer to service, to build, and it’s more expensive for the county to service for emergency purposes, for schools and for all of our safety.”
The rest of the General Plan was well received, however, according to Planning Supervisor Gunderson.
Colorado City residents, for example, wanted to keep parcels to one acre or bigger, with no light industrial, and stressed the need for county resources such as parks and recreation, libraries, and road maintenance.
Beaver Dam and Littlefield residents also preferred light industrial along I-15, and for all commercial, industrial and public areas to be part of a suburban development area. This area also has vacant parcels with “public facilities land use” that would change to suburban residential, and all areas north of I-15 to would be a Rural Development Area.
Lake Havasu City and Topock would see no proposed changes under the General Plan, although there was some discussion about industrial zoning. Kingman also remained mostly the same, although there was discussion of banning decorative water usage.
For Dolan Springs, White Hills, and Meadview, residents wanted to make sure that sustainable energy stays local as much as possible. This concern was also shared by Fort Mohave and Mohave Valley residents, who also expressed water concerns, and the need to designate tribal lands.
Yucca residents were concerned with commercial recreation, which they did not want northeast of Alamo Road, and they don’t want campgrounds to exist near homes. Fire and Sheriff services were also discussed, as well as road maintenance and infrastructure.
In the end, the Planning and Zoning Committee was pleased with the plan, and with the additional concessions made by Angle Homes to the development in Golden Valley. Commissioners commented that the General Plan is merely a guide, and that the Dorado development would still be required to go through its own zoning process.
“I do appreciate the passion with which Golden Valley residents have come forward and the input they have had on the plan,” said Planning and Zoning Commissioner Rex Ruge. “However, I believe the past approved general plan showing higher densities within the Dorado subdivision area obligate us to approve the general plan as it is currently proposed. Property owners’ rights should be protected. The property owner has made numerous concessions to address the public’s opposition. All of the other issues they have brought up will be addressed as this property will be required to meet many requirements in the future. If any of these requirements cannot be met, the project will not move forward.”
