Dear Editor,
Here we go again; just last year, Angle Homes, in cahoots with High Desert Land Holdings, aka Travin Pennington, applied for radical zoning changes in the Hualapai Foothill community of Kingman. The application was to downsize and rezone the size of existing originally zoned land parcels ranging from one-acre lots, one-half acre, and 10 thousand sq foot lots. The kicker was Angle and Pennington wanted to reduce most of the parcels to tiny 6000 sq foot parcels. After much outrage from the community and a robust protest, the application was denied both by Kingman City Planning and Zoning and the City Council.
Once again, the same type of downsizing is being sought by these developers, this time in two different Kingman upscale community areas, Kingman Crossing and Black Rock Subdivision. Together, the two targeted areas represent 92 acres of land that, if the applications are approved, could result in 1154 new homes all crammed together at only an arm’s length apart. No one has uttered a word about adding any additional infrastructure to support this type of uncontrolled urbanization.
A rough estimate indicates one issue would be an additional 2000 cars navigating Kingman’s already grid-locked roads. Other issues are even more critical:
1) The property values of nearby existing homes will be greatly reduced with this adjacent urban density.
2) Since Unisource Electric does not have the grid capacity to support our existing density, EVERYONE’s electrical rates will rise yet again since Unisource must buy higher-priced energy from out-of-state.
3) Water has become a huge issue with never-ending speculation as to the sustainability of the Hualapai Aquifer. Water rates will rise proportionately with uncontrolled growth.
4) Wear and tear on our already deteriorated and poorly maintained roads.
5) With thousands of new residents, our already sparsely staffed medical professionals will be further unable to service our community and large senior population.
The infrastructure to support Kingman’s growing population is already an abysmal disaster.
I find it sneaky, if not totally disingenuous, that these developers did not take NO for an answer the first time, and it appears they will continue to consider only their interests and their profits and disregard the best interest of Kingman’s people who are the benefactors of their wealth.
Kingman City Council is hell-bent on overpopulating the city of Kingman with its emphasis on Economic Development overriding community-oriented services. Although they listened to the cries of the people last time, the people need to make sure they listen again. This is no joking matter.
I have introduced for the first time ever in Kingman the idea of legislating stiff tariffs on the developers, maybe 25% of the sales price of a new home, which by law COULD NOT be passed on to the home buyer. That would put millions in the city coffers to pay for new infrastructure. Tariff money could only be spent by a special ballot vote of the people, not at the whim of a few council people who, by the way, just raided the Roads Maintenance fund of 5 million to pay for Rancho Santa Fe’s continued over expenditures.
An additional alternative measure would be a controlled Moratorium on home building in the city, including the unincorporated areas. I think the word “moratorium” may just pierce the heart of city leaders with fear and trepidation because it puts a halt to the uncontrolled growth that truly only benefits the health, wealth, and well-being of a well-defined Establishment In-crowd, which includes builders and developers and does not include the wellbeing of the Kingman people.
I urge every Kingman resident to turn out to voice your opinion and protest these outrageous applications for urban density. The Planning and Zoning meeting is on Wednesday, Nov.13. Their ruling will be adjudicated by the City Council on Nov.19th. Both meetings will be at 5 P.M., located at 310 N. 4th Street, Kingman, AZ. Already, there is a fierce protest in the air. Kingman people are fed up with the city’s obsession to over-invest in uncontrolled growth. Inform your neighbors and friends because a big turnout is something the City cannot ignore.
There is also a similar development, the same issues, and the same copycat-type application by Palo Christi Land LLC, represented by KTH Consulting, and the P&Z meeting on that is also on Nov.13th at 10 A.M. The developers are comparing notes and ganging up on the people of Kingman. The more confusion, the better for the developers, hoping no one shows up to stop the rip-off.
Let’s find out, “What is the Angle”? and a Penny(ton) for your thoughts?
Elliot Chalew
