By BEX Staff for AZBEX
By a vote of 5-2, the Yuma City Council has again approved rezoning from Agricultural to Medium-density Residential for an approximately seven-acre site at 24th Street and Avenue 9E.
Under the current request, developer Saguaro Desert Land (Hall’s General Contractors) wants to build an 84-unit multifamily development on the site.
Council had previously approved a rezoning request in 2016. Resident opposition led to a voter referendum that nullified the approval later the same year.
After the initial rezoning was overturned, a new request was submitted in 2018 to build workforce attainable apartments. Because the request was not materially different from the one overturned by voters, Council denied it.
The latest application, submitted late last year, included conceptual elevations and floor plans, which the Yuma Sun reported had the effect of swaying some members’ views that the new proposal was sufficiently different to warrant consideration.
During a January neighborhood meeting, nearby residents again expressed their opposition, citing concerns about traffic and infrastructure impacts, potential harm to property values, and a risk of the property potentially becoming low income “Section 8” housing.
The plan was recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission in February.
Two members of the public addressed Council to voice their concerns at its April meeting, saying the plan was not different from the one rejected by voters and that the impacts on the environment, infrastructure and City services warranted its rejection.
With the newly presented conceptual plan, however, supporting Council members said they were able to see the project would not be a particularly dense or disruptive addition to the area. Others cited the area’s need for housing attainable by professionals like teachers and military personnel.
Supporters also noted recent movements in the Arizona Legislature to eliminate or reduce local zoning decisions because of a perceived lack of willingness by localities to address the ongoing housing shortage.
After approval, residents who were instrumental in the previous referendum’s overturning of the original approval vowed they were prepared to continue their efforts to stop the development.
The developer is Saguaro Desert Land. The application was prepared and submitted by civil engineering firm Dahl, Robins & Associates, Inc.
