Mohave County delays final vote on 2025 General Plan after public outcry over Golden Valley 'Dorado' development

Mohave County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 23 heard more than two hours of public comment on the draft 2025 Mohave County General Plan, with residents of Golden Valley sharply criticizing a proposed land-use change for the Dorado project and raising concerns about water supplies, emergency response times, flood risk and developer-funded infrastructure.

The board did not adopt the plan at the special meeting. Instead, supervisors approved a motion to place the 2025 General Plan back on the board—s Nov. 3 regular meeting agenda to allow additional review consistent with public-notice concerns and to give staff time to respond to issues raised at the hearing.

Why it matters: the General Plan sets countywide land-use designations and policies that guide rezonings, subdivisions and infrastructure requirements for the next decade. Golden Valley residents said the proposed Dorado designation and other changes would allow denser development than residents expect, strain limited local water and emergency services, and increase flood risks downstream.

Staff overview and scope of the plan

Matthew Gunderson, Mohave County planning and zoning manager, told the board the General Plan update began with a board-approved work plan in March 2024 and that drafts were circulated to state agencies and neighboring jurisdictions as required by statute. Gunderson summarized map and policy changes across county subareas and said the update aimed to align land-use designations with the county—s current conditions rather than to overhaul the entire document.

Gunderson said the plan incorporates area-plan maps and, where appropriate, folded area-plan goals and policies into the countywide document. He described specific map changes for the Arizona Strip, Beaver Dam/Littlefield, Lake Havasu City, Golden Valley, Kingman and other subareas. For Golden Valley, staff…