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Planning commission approves removing 35.5 acres from Shops at Lake Havasu planned development
Summary
The Lake Havasu City Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-0 to approve amending the Shops at Lake Havasu planned development to remove about 35.5 acres and instead apply standard C2 General Commercial zoning, a change applicants say will allow more flexible, omnichannel and entertainment-oriented uses.
The Lake Havasu City Planning and Zoning Commission on March 20 approved a request to amend the Shops at Lake Havasu planned development by removing roughly 35.5 acres from the PD and rezoning those parcels to C2 General Commercial.
City planning staff outlined the history of the development, telling the commission the original planned development (the Center Development) was about 205 acres when approved in 1997 and was later amended in 2005 to establish the Shops at Lake Havasu as a roughly 105-acre core. The parcels before the commission include three highway-front lots, two undeveloped pads and most of the mall proper but exclude Walmart, JCPenney, Dillard’s and the movie theater. The staff report cites local code section 14005.04 L in finding the rezoning meets requirements and recommended forwarding the action with a recommendation of approval.
Michael Gordon, with Desert Land Group, said the applicants want the change because the existing PD is “fairly restrictive on uses” and limits the flexibility needed to attract today’s retail and activity drivers. “Traditional malls … have continued to struggle as online growth has continued,” Gordon said, arguing that removing the core from the PD and allowing C2 uses would permit a mix of omnichannel retail, entertainment and family amenities.
Jarrett Ports, the local owner who said he and his family recently took ownership of the mall, described empty tenant spaces with missing infrastructure and said local ownership has motivated redevelopment plans. “We have a beautiful facility that needs an awful lot of love and attention to get it to where it’s a usable facility for any business,” Ports said, and he described negotiations with an omnichannel retailer and interest from restaurant and family-entertainment operators.
James Gray, with the Partnership for Economic Development, emphasized employment benefits and described local omnichannel retailers as enabling smaller storefronts to reach national customer bases. Gray said prospective tenants could bring full-time employees that would help attract restaurants and other supporting businesses.
The commission’s discussion touched on local market limits — including seasonality and labor availability raised during public comment — but commissioners who spoke expressed support for the applicants’ approach. Commissioner Susanna Ballard moved to approve the request as presented; the motion was seconded by Commissioner McGowan and passed 4-0. The meeting record notes the chair was not present and the vice chair recused; Commissioner Donald Bergen conducted the meeting.
Staff and applicants also noted that removing the parcels from the PD would not void private covenants (CC&Rs) that govern portions of the mall; any uses inconsistent with those covenants or outside allowable C2 uses would still require further approvals.
The commission action will be incorporated in the public record for subsequent administrative steps. Planning staff said the next commission meeting is scheduled for April 3; no additional public hearings on this item were referenced during the March 20 meeting.
