Prescott Valley planning commission approves rezoning for 100-acre Project Links with conditions

The Prescott Valley Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5–2 on April 14 to recommend approval of ZMC 25-004 (Project Links), a request to rezone roughly 100 acres along County Fair Trail from RU-70 (rural single-family) to IG (industrial general limited). The rezoning includes a preliminary development plan for a 19.23-acre Phase 1 delivery facility; the commission attached conditions including a minimum 100-foot setback from State Route 89A and a five-year construction reversion clause for Phase 1.

The rezoning request was presented by Ernest Ruby, deputy development services director, who explained the town’s updated development code and rezoning procedures and described the Project Links concept as a business-park–scale industrial area consistent with PAD 41 in the town’s General Plan. Ruby said the Phase 1 building is planned at about 86,800 square feet with 398 parking spaces, 10 loading docks and a 33-foot building height; he described the preliminary traffic impact analysis (TIA) as draft and said final TIA, grading, drainage and utility designs require town engineer approval.

The applicant’s team, represented by attorney Shane Ross of Tiffany & Bosco, and a representative of the developer—identified in the presentation as VanTrust (VTRD Development LLC)—said the full 100-acre rezoning would enable a business-park pattern of development; they emphasized that specific uses and engineering would be reviewed as individual phases. Ross said the industrial-general designation best fits the proposed delivery/wholesale uses and offers flexibility for future, site-specific proposals. Amazon’s senior economic development manager for the Southwest, Humberto Quintana, said Amazon is an exploratory, potential user of the Phase 1 delivery center and estimated the facility could generate about 350 jobs when fully staffed; he added Amazon would likely relocate and expand from an existing, smaller local site if it proceeds.

Commissioners questioned how the PAD 41 general-plan language (a mixed-use area intended to provide support services for the fairgrounds and racetrack, business park and housing) relates to an IG zoning designation. Staff and the applicant said PAD 41 allows a mix of uses including business park, commercial and light-industrial activities and that each future phase and specific use will be reviewed by the commission and council, with site- and phase-specific conditions (traffic, utilities, landscaping and buffers) enforced through engineering review and approval.

Public commenters and stakeholders raised traffic, emergency-evacuation, scenic corridor, wildlife-corridor and community-character concerns. LASER (Large Animal Shelters and Emergency Readiness) said its large-animal evacuation site on County Fair Trail can become backed up during wildfire evacuations and that additional distribution-vehicle traffic could create safety risks. Several residents and speakers urged caution about rezoning the entire 100 acres without clearer commitments for the remaining acreage; others, including the owner of the Fairgrounds RV Park and a letter from a former elected official, wrote or spoke in support, citing potential jobs and economic benefit.

Before the final vote on the rezoning, the commission added two formal conditions: a five-year sunset/reversion stipulation (if construction on Phase 1 does not start within five years the zoning reverts) and a 100-foot minimum setback from State Route 89A for subsequent development. The commission also recorded other standard conditions recommended by staff: final engineering and TIA approval by the town engineer and ADOT as applicable, utility connections and extension of sewer along County Fair Trail, construction of County Fair Trail to industrial-collector standards to accommodate anticipated loading, and a requirement that each subsequent phase return to the commission and council for review and approval.

Votes at a glance: - Zoning map change ZMC 25-004 (Project Links): motion to approve with conditions passed 5–2 (Yes: Commissioner Huot, Commissioner Rutherford, Commissioner Laney, Commissioner Bordone, Chair Sandy Griffiths; No: Commissioner Herb, Commissioner King). Outcome: approved; next step is town council consideration with the commission’s recommendation and conditions. - Addition of five-year construction reversion stipulation to conditions: approved (unanimous); moved by Commissioner Laney, seconded by Commissioner Bordone. - Election of vice chair (administrative): Commissioner Herb elected vice chair (unanimous).

What this means next: the commission forwarded its recommendation and the approved preliminary development plan to the Town Council; engineering-level designs, a finalized traffic impact analysis and utility plans are required before building permits are issued. Staff noted an ongoing town study of wildlife corridors that may inform later phases and that landscaping plans must be prepared by a registered landscape architect. The commission emphasized that each phase will return to the commission and, if recommended, to council for final approval and recording of any approved preliminary development plan in the Yavapai County Recorder’s office.

Sources and provenance: the facts and quotes in this article are drawn from the April 14 Prescott Valley Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing and staff presentation on ZMC 25-004 (Project Links) and from statements by the applicant’s representatives and public commenters recorded in the meeting transcript.