Valley resort-commercial project and 151‑lot manufactured‑home park recommended to supervisors

Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commission members recommended approval Wednesday of a mixed resort‑commercial and workforce housing project in the Valley, forwarding two zone‑change requests and a subdivision preliminary plat to the Board of Supervisors.

The commission voted unanimously to recommend rezoning the Highway 64 frontage parcel to RC (Resort Commercial) and a contiguous parcel to MHP (Manufactured Home Park), and to forward the developer’s SUB‑25‑007 preliminary plat — a planned, subdivided manufactured‑home park with 151 lots — for board consideration.

Why it matters: Applicants told the commission the project pairs a low‑density hospitality development of about 150 detached, factory‑built lodging units with a 151‑lot manufactured‑home subdivision intended primarily for workforce housing. Staff and the developer said the proposal would install a community water system, a community wastewater treatment system, maintained roads and dedicated on‑site fire protection infrastructure — services that are largely absent across much of the Valley area and that the Valley Area Plan identifies as priorities.

The applicant, Ryan Scott, said the hotel‑style hospitality component will be built as an Arcana‑branded wellness lodging development and the housing parcel will include lots for sale and lots allocated for partners such as Habitat for Humanity. “We are building the infrastructure in the first phase for both of the projects,” Scott told the commission, saying wells, storage and treatment for wastewater will be constructed so the residential area is not left dependent on haul water or piecemeal septic systems.

Staff presentation and findings Jess McNeely, Community Development staff, told commissioners the site lines along Highway 64 make the property a “gateway” location and that county code and the Valley Area Plan support clustered, visitor‑oriented development and workforce housing at this node. The staff report recommends approval with conditions that require, among other items, ADOT encroachment permits for new turn lanes; construction of a community water system permitted through Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR); state‑approved wastewater treatment; and arrangements for local emergency services.

Engineering and public‑safety details Ian Braun of CD&E, the applicant’s engineer, described the water and wastewater approach and said the team plans to drill two wells — one as redundant capacity — and to design storage and hydrant capacity sized for firefighting. Braun said the design targets a 1,500‑gallon‑per‑minute fire flow with approximately 180,000 gallons dedicated for fire suppression and about 400,000 gallons total on site.

Traffic improvements will be subject to ADOT review and encroachment permitting; a traffic impact analysis submitted to ADOT shows right‑ and left‑turn lane improvements are needed at Highway 64, and the applicant said it has a preliminary agreement with ADOT to proceed to construction drawings. The applicant also discussed improving interior emergency access routes and Highgrove Road as part of site construction.

Public comment and neighborhood outreach The applicant reported a neighborhood meeting with about a dozen attendees and said he reduced the number of residential lots after community feedback. During the public hearing several local residents raised concerns about traffic, emergency response, and whether new services would serve the wider Valley community or primarily the project. Several commissioners urged continued coordination with neighboring property owners and the volunteer High Country Fire Rescue to ensure service levels.

Commission action Vice Chair Paul Wilson moved to recommend approval of the two zone changes; Commissioner Tina Berger seconded. The motion passed unanimously (Tohi, Wilson, Best, Berger, Leslie, Hayward, Burton — all aye). Commissioner Best then moved to recommend approval of SUB‑25‑007; Vice Chair Wilson seconded; that motion also passed unanimously.

What’s next The commission’s actions are recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, which must consider the zone changes and preliminary plat at a future hearing. If the board approves, final platting and building permits would be required; ADWR and ADEQ approvals will be needed for the proposed water and wastewater systems, and ADOT must finalize the highway encroachment/turn‑lane permits.

Provenance Topic intro: “Thank you, madam chair. This is Jess with community development department staff… the requested zoning is RC Resort Commercial … and manufactured home park zoning for a separate parcel” (transcript block_8640.115; excerpt length 289).

Topic finish: “And this is chair Burton, and I also vote aye. Motion passes.” (transcript block_12782.069; excerpt length 39).