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Prescott Valley commission approves rezoning of 100 acres for business‑park development with conditions
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Summary
The Prescott Valley Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5–2 on April 14 to recommend rezoning roughly 100 acres from rural residential to Industrial General and approved a preliminary development plan for a 19.2‑acre delivery center, subject to engineering approvals and two new conditions: a five‑year build requirement and a 100‑foot setback from State Route 89A.
The Prescott Valley Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5–2 on April 14 to recommend approval of ZMC 25‑004, known as Project Links, a request to rezone approximately 100 acres from RU‑70 (rural single‑family) to Industrial General (IG) and to approve a preliminary development plan (PDP) for an initial 19.2‑acre phase intended for a delivery facility.
The commission’s action follows a staff presentation that described the request as a PAD (Planned Area Development) within PAD 41 of the town’s General Plan 2035 and said the PDP is required as part of the rezoning process. Ernest Ruby, deputy development services director, told the commission the PDP “is a component of that” rezoning and that subsequent phases would return to the commission and town council for independent review and approvals.
The PDP for Phase 1 shows an approximately 86,800‑square‑foot building with 398 parking spaces, 10 loading docks and a 10‑foot landscaped buffer. Ruby said building height (33 feet), landscaping, and required engineering studies including a finalized traffic impact analysis (TIA), drainage and utility plans, and town‑engineer approvals will be required before permits are issued.
Why it matters: the rezoning converts land that is currently rural in character into a business‑park/industrial zoning that allows warehousing, distribution and other industrial‑general uses. Proponents argue it creates scarce, flat industrial land and jobs; opponents warned it could bring traffic, noise and land‑use conflicts if additional intensive uses locate on the remaining acreage.
Developer and potential tenant: Shane Ross, attorney for VTRD Development LLC (VanTrust), said his client sought the IG designation to accommodate a business park and to allow the proposed delivery center and potential future industrial or warehouse users. He said the IG zone better matches the proposed uses than other zoning categories because it allows wholesaling and warehousing types of operations.
Humberto Quintana, senior economic development manager for Amazon (Southwest U.S.), said Amazon has explored the site and that a built‑to‑suit delivery station on the 19.2‑acre parcel could generate about “approximately 350 employment opportunities,” including facility associates and delivery‑service partners. Quintana emphasized Amazon’s interest was preliminary and that the company had not made a final commitment.
Public comment and concerns: dozens of residents and stakeholders spoke during the public hearing. Patricia Betzel, a resident, urged the commission to follow the general plan and raised concerns about wildlife corridors, scenic character, and the potential for the remainder of the 100 acres to be intensively developed. Kathy Heath, director and secretary of LASER (Large Animal Shelters and Emergency Readiness), asked the commission to consider emergency evacuation logistics, noting the shelter’s intake route on County Fair Trail and that trailers can back up onto the road during evacuations. Jason Knox and other residents raised traffic‑safety concerns and questioned whether tractor‑trailer traffic would be appropriate on County Fair Trail and nearby routes.
Staff conditions and commission additions: staff presented a set of required preconstruction and infrastructure conditions including finalized TIA and ADOT review, engineered County Fair Trail improvements to industrial collector standards, water and sewer main extensions and utility connections, and that each subsequent phase return for PDP review and council approval. The commission added two binding conditions before forwarding the recommendation: (1) if construction on Phase 1 does not start within five years of final approval, the rezoning for the property will revert to the prior RU‑70 zoning; and (2) a minimum 100‑foot setback from the State Route 89A right‑of‑way for future development of the rezoned property. The commission’s final vote to recommend approval was 5 in favor, 2 opposed.
Votes at a glance: ZMC 25‑004 (Project Links) — motion to recommend approval with conditions (PDP for Phase 1 approved and conditions described above): Yes — Commissioners Huot, Rutherford, Laney, Bordone, Chair Sandy Griffiths; No — Commissioners Herb and King. Outcome: recommendation to town council to approve the zone map change and PDP with the listed conditions.
Next steps: the commission’s recommendation and the PDP will go to the Prescott Valley Town Council for its required public hearing and final decision. Staff and the applicant must finalize the TIA, engineering plans, drainage/grading and utility documents, and obtain town‑engineer approval and ADOT concurrence where off‑site improvements intersect State Route 89A. The commission and staff repeatedly noted that each subsequent phase within the rezoned 100 acres will require its own PDP and separate review by the commission and council.
What was not decided: the rezoning approved by the commission does not itself authorize a specific tenant for the remaining acreage or guarantee that all parcels will be developed as now proposed; the commission’s action was a recommendation to council and includes required engineering and site‑specific review steps. Amazon representatives said the company had not yet committed to the site. Several public speakers requested additional detail about potential future uses on the remaining acreage and asked for stronger protections for wildlife corridors, scenic views and evacuation routes.
