Lil’ old Prescott Valley has a big vote ahead on the November ballot – Bill Williams

Residents will approve or disapprove of the 210-page long-range plan through 2035

Prescott Valley, Arizona, has come a long way since cattle ranches and gold prospecting in the 1860s, and the 1960s when it was known as Lonesome Valley – a cattle ranching community. And now it is busting at its britches. One census bureau estimate says “P.V.” will be the largest town in northern Arizona, soon. The current population of 46,515 makes it the 23rd largest town in Arizona.

By state law, every 10 years towns and cities throughout Arizona revisit their general plans to be sure an up-to-date connection exists between the community’s values and visions. The long-range plan offered to residents says “In Prescott Valley, residents have a strong sense of civic pride, value the quality of life the Town offers, and desire to preserve the community’s positive characteristics into the future.”  To this end, the Prescott Valley General Plan 2035 will serve as the Town’s official statement defining the nature of growth, development, and reinvestment in the Town, if voters pass it.

The plan on which P.V. residents will vote can be found here https://www.prescottvalley-az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12527/DRAFT-GENERAL-PLAN-2035

“I understand this large plan is just a suggestion and that the town does not have to follow it,” said long-time resident and retired grocer Mike McEvoy.

The McEvoys moved into their home in Prescott valley in 1977 and witnessed explosive growth. Mike was always most concerned with the management of schools and parks. “I felt the town was doing well with roads and sewers but has never done well with sidewalks,” he said.

“I’m concerned with the growth of apartments and housing units, and town leadership does not seem concerned with density, or what I call the cramming or squeezing in, with no space in between.”

“The long-range plan seems to have a lot of fluff in it,” said McEvoy.

P.V. residents were mailed an election publicity pamphlet informing them of the upcoming vote on the 210-page document. When this reporter asked the new town manager – Gilbert Davidson, with government experience in Wilcox and Marana, AZ – for a hard copy, he said it would be too expensive to hand out.

Town Mayor Kel Palguta said, “If the plan passes it will be the document laying out a blueprint for the future of Prescott Valley, and the direction it will go in.” He said it offers modifications to previous plans in important areas such as growth, education, law enforcement and better traffic flow. If not passed, we revert to the old general plan.”

Schools are directed by the County of Yavapai but Palguta meant that new developers would have to plan for space where new families and school kids would live.

He said town staff, a consultant, the Planning and Zoning Committee and town council had input on the content of the plan and they have been working on it for almost one year.

When asked about explosive growth, Palguta pushed back, claiming the town is only experiencing a two-percent growth rate per year and that is a healthy level.

A major amendment to the General Plan describes how any proposal that would result in a change to the Land Use Plan that would substantially alter the Town’s planned mixture or balance of land uses which must be considered by town leadership.

The town claims its guiding principles on long range planning include… “Prescott Valley is recognized as a modern and vibrant regional urban destination in northern Arizona. We are the center for medical services, transportation options, educational, and employment opportunities, with a cultural and ethnic base. Our small-town character and a sense of community has been valued and retained as a part of our emergence as a regional leader.”

And to that end, the long-range plan will: Update the Town’s zoning and establish development design standards to incorporate a greater emphasis on project landscaping, building design, parking adequacy, signage, and site planning for new and renovated office, commercial and industrial projects; update the Town’s residential development standards to promote the use of durable materials, interesting building design, efficient landscaping, convenient parking areas, and varied building.

Some residents would say this is an odd element when one looks at the odd shaped city hall building with no square corners, which many residents do not like, including the metal rust wall that faces the main thoroughfare, and the fact that the library roof was not installed correctly, leaked profusely on computers and the children’s book section, and required thousands of dollars in attorney fees with which to sue the construction company. The leak has been fixed, but was that poor long-range management? Perhaps.

The new town manager, Davidson, told me the “new vision” calls for more “open space” in this explosive growth community.

This is a town where locals do not want to see new “Granvilles” stacked on top of each other.

The town’s vision statement claims: Community commerce has evolved to a mix of densities, intensities, and uses. Established business areas have flourished, while new business and employment gateways have been developed. “We, as a community,” it says, “have capitalized upon and continue to protect our clean and beautiful natural environment as well as our financial and human resources to ensure a sustainable future.”

PRESCOTT VALLEY COUNCIL TAKES A STAND

Beyond residents voting for the plan comes a brand-new town council statement on a strategic plan commitment. That vision says: the town will use high performing teams to deliver services to residents. Council will be looking for high engagement staff scores and within 5 years, rank within the upper quartile of the most desirable places to live in Arizona. It also says the town should annually maintain or exceed current bond ratings including reviewing all fiscal reserve policies ensuring best practices and opportunities for advanced benchmarking, and achieve a 75% citizen satisfaction ranking.” Water Stewardship was big in their vision statement… to the council it means:

• Responsible planning for and management of sustainable water resources
• Increase recharge capacity by 800 acre-feet over the next 5 years
• Increase natural recharge through watershed restoration and stormwater management by 25% over the next decade

Interesting you might say given the challenges with “P.V.” water pollution as Prescott Enews has reported, https://prescottenews.com/index.php/2022/09/09/small-towns-have-big-problems-addressing-water-pollution-bill-williams/ and in light of Prescott Valley sitting on top of its own aquifer, which it does not share, and which begins the flow of the Agua Fria River.

The council statement’s Quality of Life issue says: Obtain and enhance at least 20% of additional acres of active and passive open space within 5 years; improve 20% of the Town’s connectivity infrastructure to include sidewalks, walking biking paths, and trails within 5 years; ironic when considering most of the candidates for town council recent elections in this hottest real estate market in Arizona have been in the real state career field.

The council statement is non-binding and residents don’t get to vote on council’s vision, only the general plan, which includes community values, guiding principles, environmental planning, parks and rec and public safety.

Left out of the vote is whether the town should buy, or should have bought and rehabbed, the Boys and Girl’s Club that included a layout of about $3 million at a time when national chapters of B&G Club were flush with money, yet had low attendance numbers. When this reporter asked for proof that the town sought public input on the B&G Club purchase, he received one sign-in sheet from one public meeting on the matter. Everyone who signed in was a town staffer.

The long-range plan which will be on the November 8 ballot describes necessary community values such as community well-being, economic development, managed growth, positive image and identity; coordinated transportation and infrastructure systems; and arts and culture. It should be pointed out that some residents are unaware of, or don’t appreciate, $85,000 installations of sculptures on town property which few can figure out the meaning of. The previous town manger excused away the sculpture costs by claiming they were mostly paid for by grant money (which is tax payer money). The town is constantly in need of committee members (such as planning and zoning)  but this reporter has been turned down for the arts committee on more than one occasion, in spite of the fact that his photographs have hung in the Prescott Valley library and in numerous galleries.

The long-range plan describes “growth and development considerations” and, in that section, shows photos of numerous businesses owned or authorized by Fain Signature Group, which is involved in permitting or building hundreds of additional apartments and provides space to Fry’s Grocery, Walmart and others while owning the dirt those stores sit on.

To their credit, the Fains developed the area out of original cow pastures and the Granville subdivisions are named after Grandpa Granville Fain. His signature brand “Rafter 11” is the name used by a wine bar near Buffalo Wild Wings – which also leases from the Fains.

So, in this odd relationship where one family owns everything and the town has to be stewards, the electorate gets to vote on their long-range plan on November 8, 2022. And in this town which is pothole and asphalt-challenged, (my street has gone without safety stripes since the last two street paving projects were completed) the electorate has its work cut out for it – reading the 210-page report before election day.

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Photo by Bill Williams