Greenlee supervisors begin application to pursue state trust land near ‘the Y’ for housing

The Greenlee County Board of Supervisors voted to begin the formal process of applying to the Arizona State Land Department to acquire state trust land near the area locally called “the Y” — between Loma Linda and Verde Lee along Skyline Drive — for potential housing development. The board did not set precise boundaries at the meeting; the motion instructs staff to start the application and return with recommended parcel dimensions and further analysis.

Why it matters: County leaders say the step is intended to expand local housing supply in an area where private development faces uncertainty because of water availability, infrastructure costs and market risk. Staff and outside consultants told the board that water availability, archaeology and the state land auction process are among the issues that will shape whether any purchase can be used for housing.

In a work session that preceded the vote, county staff outlined two scales under consideration: a smaller roughly 115-acre polygon composed of mostly flat mesa tops near the landfill and park, and a larger “full mesa” option that could total several hundred acres. Staff estimated the smaller parcel could yield about 50–65 half-acre lots (after accounting for roads and setbacks) if developed for single-family housing; they cautioned those are preliminary estimates. “The first question is water. It always is water,” County staff member Derek Rapier told the board during the presentation.

Staff presented a timetable and early cost…