Commission approves general plan amendment to allow medium-high density housing west of Target Center

The Bullhead City Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend general plan amendment P25-001, changing the land use designation of an approximately 33.7-acre parcel west of the Target Center from RC (regional commercial) to MHDR (medium-high density residential).

Johnny, planning staff, described the application as the first step in a multi-stage process. If the commission’s recommendation is forwarded and approved by the City Council, the applicants would later apply for a zoning map change to a planned area development and a preliminary plat for single-family and multifamily uses.

Applicants Lucas Meyer and Nicholas Blinco told the commission they see opportunity for horizontal multifamily development — duplexes and detached “small house” units — on the parcel, which the applicants said has been in the owner’s family for some time. Meyer said they are working on dedicating the existing long driveway behind Kohl’s to the city so the new neighborhood would be accessed from Bullhead Parkway; new roads within the project would be private.

During public comment, Catherine Watkins, a Terra Loma resident, said she was concerned about the scale and density shown in a recent plan (she said it showed about 77 detached homes and roughly 100 duplexes) and the potential traffic increase. “That’s probably about 350 more cars that are gonna be in this neighborhood,” Watkins said. She also raised questions about police and fire capacity, noise and light impacts, and whether rear yards would abut the existing neighborhood.

Robert Kuneen, another Terra Loma resident, voiced similar worries about cut-through traffic and public-safety implications if the development creates new connections into Terra Loma.

Johnny responded to several concerns: the current application intends no vehicular connection to Terra Loma and the only planned access is from Bullhead Parkway; a rear clearance area will be maintained as a fire break and include a roughly 10-to-15-foot setback; and the project will need to complete a traffic study as part of subsequent zoning and platting reviews. He also said police and fire departments must sign off during permitting, and that subdivision final-plat requirements include financial assurance options (escrow/cash or other code-allowed methods) or the option to build improvements before final plat recordation.

A commissioner moved to accept P25-001 as written; the motion was seconded and carried 6-0. The vote advances the general plan amendment to the next legislative step where council action is required.

The commission and staff emphasized that specific design details, traffic mitigation measures and public-safety assurances will be addressed in future zoning, traffic study, and platting reviews.