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Board approves Bull Mountain rezone and preliminary plat despite residents’ water and traffic concerns
Summary
Mohave County supervisors approved a rezoning and a preliminary plat for a developer’s plan near Fountain Hills/Bull Mountain after a multi‑hour public hearing in which dozens of residents cited groundwater shortages, single-point evacuation concerns and local road impacts.
The Mohave County Board of Supervisors approved two related land-use items on March 17: a rezoning that changes multiple parcels from AR-10 (10-acre minimum) to RE-1 (1-acre minimum) and a preliminary plat for a multi‑phase subdivision in the Bull Mountain/Fountain Hills area north of Kingman.
The hearing drew dozens of neighbors and more than an hour of public comment. Opponents cited water supply reliability, emergency egress, traffic safety and impacts to wildlife and native plants. “If High Desert Land Holdings is given permission to develop the Fountain Hills Bull Mountain property, there will also be a significant increase in the demand on our water,” resident Laurie Baer said in public comment.
Commission recommendation and developer proposals: The county planning commission recommended approval. Developer Engle Homes representatives, including Tyler Engle, said Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) designations show adequate water supply for the area and that the company would record utility easements, relocate or re‑site mailboxes for safety and grade Fountain Hills/Cherrim to county standards in stages so the county could accept the route into the maintenance system.
Residents’ concerns: Speakers who live inside the 300‑foot notice area and nearby neighborhoods repeatedly told the board their wells have dropped, some residents currently haul water, and some homes have low water pressure. Several speakers said one primary paved access—Sun Mountain Boulevard/Fountain Hills Road—creates evacuation and emergency access hazards. “We already suffer from low water pressure in our homes,” resident Warren Petrie said. Multiple residents demanded new access roads and better infrastructure before additional housing is approved.
Board action and conditions: The board approved the rezoning (BOS Resolution No. 2024‑234) and the preliminary plat and petitions of exception for Bull Mountain Acres (BOS Resolution No. 2024‑235). The planning commission’s recommended conditions — including a preservation clause for the rock outcropping on the site and a limit on buildout — were put on the record; developer representatives said they plan fewer lots than prior zoning allowed and proposed moving mail delivery points off the collector where feasible for safety. Following public comment and discussion, supervisors also added a requirement that a traffic impact analysis be completed as part of the plat process and that stormwater, drainage and on‑site retention meet county land‑division requirements.
Why it matters: Neighbors said the Kingman subbasin’s groundwater and current non‑municipal water systems are stressed; developers and ADWR filings countered that the parcels are in an area with an existing ADWR adequate‑water designation. The dispute highlights an ongoing tension in fast‑growing Mohave County between housing demand and infrastructure capacity.
Next steps: With the conditional approvals, the developer will proceed to final platting and engineering reviews; the county will require drainage reports, on‑site retention, road and right‑of‑way improvements and a traffic impact analysis to be reviewed and accepted by public works before final plat approval and before construction access and public road acceptance into the county maintenance system.
