Foothills residents speak out against rezoning for new apartments
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Packed house Tuesday night at the Yuma County planning and zoning commission meeting.
Where foothills residents spoke out against rezoning of what could be new apartments.
Granite Yuma LLC and Desert Properties Development LLC requested to rezone several large desert areas near South Frontage road and 40th Street.
Their plan....to add new apartments to the area.
“So, if you’re single going to college or single going to YPG to work, if you can’t afford a house and you want to live in the foothills, there is no opportunities to rent an apartment,” said Kevin Dahl, the property owner’s agent.
He says he’s surprised at the community’s reaction.
“We are trying to be good neighbors. I certainly didn’t expect to raise this much concern,” said Dahl.
After the meeting, I went out and spoke to residents in the area, asking them why exactly this raised so much concern.
One foothills local says he walked up and down Ironwood Drive for 25 years trying to find a home that would become available with the view of the foothills mountains.
“And so sure enough four years ago one did. We not only purchased it, but we purchased it at a premium because we had done our homework and knew that this property behind us had been zoned AR-10 or better for the last 40 years. So, we felt confident that it was a protected area,” said Rob Grouse, Foothills Resident.
The final decision for this rezoning process will be made at the Yuma County board of supervisors meeting in late February.