Regional economic planner briefs Greenlee County on large housing proposal on state trust land

Kevin (last name not provided), economic development manager with the Southeast Arizona Governments Organization (SEAGO), briefed the Greenlee County Board of Supervisors on an initial plan to pursue housing and mixed-use development on state trust land near Loma Linda and the Y. The presentation outlined water-supply, state-land disposal, funding and legal steps county leaders would need to consider.

The SEAGO presentation said water is the primary feasibility constraint. Kevin said the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) may require certificates of adequate supply and that the likely path for development would be a freestanding well plus conservation measures (graywater, reuse, recharge). He urged the county to engage hydrologist consultants with experience on large developments and noted ADWR’s interpretations can vary by case.

Kevin described a multiuse planned area development concept: phased commercial uses (hotel, gas, RV park, mini-storage), higher-density apartments near commercial services, medium-density townhomes and single-family farther out. He suggested modular or factory-built housing as a lower-cost option and said a 900-square-foot modular home could be delivered for under $100,000 in some…