Council introduces ordinance to rezone 33‑acre site near Avenue 9E and 20th Street after neighbors and planners debate traffic and open‑space

The Yuma City Council on May 7 introduced an ordinance to rezone a roughly 33.38‑acre property near the southeast corner of Avenue 9E and 20 Fourth Street from agricultural to low‑density residential (R‑16). The introduction follows a public hearing in which neighbors voiced concerns about traffic, lack of common area and compatibility with adjacent lots.

Amelia Dombey, principal planner in the city’s Planning and Neighborhood Services department, told council the parcel was annexed in 2019 and that the applicant is proposing about 85 residential lots with lot sizes ranging from approximately 6,000 to 19,000 square feet. Dombey said staff recommended approval of the rezoning but that the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend denial, citing concerns about proposed density and Avenue 9E traffic.

Neighbors urged the council to secure concessions from the developer to preserve neighborhood character. Kyla Smith, a nearby homeowner who said she and others had met with the developer and city staff, said, “We communicated our support of the rezoning…