Board approves GoldHawk at the Preserve rezoning with conditions after weeks of negotiation and public opposition

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously May 21 to approve a major comprehensive plan amendment (CPA 2024) and a rezoning request (Z24006) for the development called GoldHawk at the Preserve, subject to revised conditions labeled A–X negotiated since the Planning and Zoning Commission hearing.

The actions approve changing the Goldfield Area Plan land-use designation and rezoning approximately 1,940 acres to allow a maximum of 696 dwelling units under an RUPD overlay; the applicant and staff said that figure reduces potential density from prior entitlements and that a southern portion of roughly 200 acres will be limited to standards consistent with rural 190 zoning.

County planning staff described the request as a “downzoning” from earlier entitlements that at one point had capacity for many more lots, and said the rezoning includes new conditions on septic systems, water supply, disturbance envelopes and archaeological protections. The board’s approval followed extended public comment, a late executive session to address an attorney conflict, and hours of testimony from tribal governments, neighborhood groups and experts.

Why it matters: The decision alters long-standing assumptions about allowable development on roughly 1,900 acres of Goldfield Ranch land. Supporters said the conditions reduce potential impacts and create enforceable restrictions; opponents warned that approving zoning before infrastructure (water, wastewater, fire and roads) is secured leaves uncertain protections for water resources, cultural sites and long‑term septic performance.

What the board approved and what remains to be decided - Approved motions: the board adopted the CPA and rezoning with the revised conditions A–X presented in a May 21 staff memo. The conditions include: a cap on total lot count (696 units); required defined lot-level disturbance/building envelopes averaging 25,000 square feet; a requirement that each home be fire‑sprinklered; restrictions limiting turf in common areas; and commitments for septic inspection, maintenance and HOA oversight. Staff and the applicant said about 70% of the site will remain natural desert open space. - Infrastructure and regulatory checks remain at later stages: final plat approval is required before lots may be created. County staff said final platting will require an Assured Water Supply certificate from the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), confirmation of water sources, master drainage review, traffic studies with ADOT/MCDOT inputs, and a fire services agreement with the Goldfield Ranch Fire District or other provider before final plat is accepted. - Archaeology and tribal coordination: a revised condition (W) requires that if previously undocumented archaeological materials, human remains or funerary objects are found during construction, work within 100 feet must stop, professional archaeologists evaluate the find, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) be notified and afforded an opportunity to confer or repatriate materials. Developers must give tribes 30 days’ notice before additional data‑recovery work.

Public comment and contested issues - Opposition: speakers included attorneys and representatives for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the SRPMIC, the Goldfield Property Owners Association and numerous nearby residents. Their criticisms focused on groundwater impacts; replacement of a sewer expectation with as many as 700 individual septic systems; long‑term maintenance and financial assurances for those systems; sedimentation and drainage risks to the Verde River watershed; and adequacy of fire protection, road access and electrical service. - Applicant commitments: the developer’s attorney presented a long list of negotiated commitments, including capping lot counts, restricting turf, providing HOA‑managed inspections and periodic pumping schedules for septic systems, demonstrating adequate fire flow and storage, installing hydrants near the community entrance, and meeting ADWR requirements for assured water supply at the plat stage. - Expert testimony: speakers included civil and traffic engineers who warned about high‑speed access to State Route 87 and the safety implications of additional driveway/traffic points, and environmental commenters and neighbors who described difficulties obtaining conventional septic permits on nearby parcels and the potential need for higher‑cost alternative systems.

Board discussion and legal concerns - Executive session: during the public hearing an attorney from Snell & Wilmer said a lawsuit had been filed challenging the process; that prompted the board to enter executive session to obtain legal advice about a potential conflict because that law firm has represented the county in other matters. After the closed session the board returned to public proceedings; members noted the legal issue and asked county counsel to further review the conflict question if needed. - Legal and procedural limits: planning staff and county counsel told the board that a certificate of Assured Water Supply from ADWR and compliance with county platting, drainage and septic rules are required before building permits or final plats may be approved. Staff also said that if lots are divided outside the platting process, conditions in the approval require those transfers to meet rural 190 standards rather than evade development standards.

What to watch next: Approval is an entitlement step, not a construction permit. The developer must still obtain ADWR certification of water supply, finalize plat and infrastructure plans, secure a fire services agreement and pass county environmental and drainage review. Tribal governments and neighborhood groups said they will continue to monitor those stages and reserve legal remedies if stipulations are not met.

Ending: The board’s unanimous vote approved the CPA and the rezoning with the revised conditions A–X, sending the project into the next phase of platting and agency reviews.