By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
Ardent Arizona, LLC is requesting a Comprehensive Plan and zoning amendment for 369 acres south of Puzzi Ranch Road on either side of Kings Highway near Douglas. The requests would change the site use from rural residential to light industrial.
The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hear the requests May 14.
The location had been part of a master planned development site established in 2008, which reverted to a rural designation in 2022 after the proposed mixed-use development failed to materialize. Ardent now plans to develop the site with warehousing and storage uses in support of the planned $275M Douglas Commercial Land Port of Entry on North James Ranch Road.
The developer’s application materials say the plan is made possible by recent changes to the area, including, “Project approval and issuance of contract to construct Douglas’s New Commercial Port, new 4-5 lane connector road from new commercial port to highway 80, 7-mile city utility extension, expansion of U.S. Border Patrol capabilities and potentially facilities, expansion of electric grid to green-energy bill and the construction of a mirrored commercial port in Mexico.”
The property is surrounded by undeveloped land on three sides and single-family residential to the north. There is a U.S. Border Patrol facility at the NWC of Puzzi Ranch Road and Kings Highway.
Using the site for light industrial purposes would require significant infrastructure investment, but related development is already planned for the area. According to the staff memo, “The parcels do not have water, sanitation, or electrical service; however, the parcels will benefit from infrastructure and utility improvements associated with the new Port. The parcels fall less than one mile from Pirtleville Fire District boundary which would change to the City of Douglas should the Port and surrounding properties be annexed.
The report also says the proposal is in keeping with the current and planned future of the area, since development north of the POE will likely “be non-residential with warehousing and storage uses, potentially including other similar uses such as manufacturing, wholesaling, and distribution.”
It goes on to note the existing residential properties in the area, 14 residences in total, will be impacted both by activities at the POE and by commercial truck traffic. Outside of those rural residences, however, “…the area does not have a defined neighborhood character beyond those residences along Puzzi Ranch Road and staff recommends additional landscaping to supplement existing screening requirements contained in the zoning regulations.”
In terms of traffic, the application states current access is available via Kings Highway, and there will be a future connection from James Ranch Road. “As an additional benefit to the overall traffic control model, this connector will provide a way to off-load traffic as needed to maintain optimal flow up to Highway 80.”
The staff report says the parcels have access to Kings Highway and Puzzi Ranch Road, both of which “…will be improved to support the transition from rural residential land uses to commerce-driven uses associated with the new Port of Entry. Existing north-south and east-west roads will be supplemented with smaller interior roads for connectivity. Roadway improvements will be funded by a variety of public sources, including Cochise County.”
While the application and submitted materials do not provide a planned square footage or building count, a preliminary conceptual plan shows dozens of buildings, interior drives, parking and retention areas on both sides of the road, with built structures covering an estimated 60%-70% of the surface area.
Public input on the proposal was sparse, given the small number of nearby properties, and spanned the entire range of possibilities. A landholder planning to request a similar rezoning for a nearby 92-acre parcel expressed enthusiastic support. A nearby resident expressed support for rezoning of one half but opposed it for the other, since it directly abuts their property.
Others opposed the request because of its potential impacts on the area’s rural character and expressed concerns about traffic, noise and potential environmental impacts.
County planning staff has recommended approval for the requests contingent upon a wildlife survey, incorporation of Arizona Fish and Game recommendations and the inclusion of a 20-foot landscape buffer along all property lines shared with residential uses.
