Prescott Valley planning commission forwards ‘Government Tank’ mine rezoning to council after contentious hearing

The Prescott Valley Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3–2 on Dec. 8, 2025, to forward a recommendation to the Town Council to approve a major General Plan amendment and a zone map change that would allow the Government Tank aggregate site to operate on a 40‑acre parcel with an accompanying development agreement.

The commission’s action is advisory to the Town Council; council approval would be required before mining activity could begin and would be subject to referendum under Arizona law. The hearing drew more than a dozen public speakers, repeated questions from commissioners about water, dust and blasting, and detailed assurances from the applicant and its counsel about mitigation measures.

Bill Lally, counsel for the applicant, told commissioners the site was chosen to keep hauling costs low and to provide a replacement site near the operation’s existing processing plant. Lally said the development agreement incorporates “very limited blasting,” restricts hours of operation to 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, prohibits new groundwater wells on the Government Tank parcel and requires robust dust‑control measures including water trucks and soil stabilizers. He described a proposed gift of roughly 80 acres to the town that would be restricted to park use and said the development agreement would prevent the owner from exercising mining operations on the deeded town parcel.

“The development agreement has very limited blasting,” Lally said, adding the proposal limits controlled detonations to “four times in a year” and that blasting would be a last resort. He also said the applicant agreed to dark‑sky lighting standards and signage with a town compliance contact for complaints.

Opponents pressed commissioners on several fronts. Patricia Betzholt, speaking from Chino Valley, described the transaction as a quid‑pro‑quo and raised concerns about a clause in the draft development agreement that could require rebates if a future town property tax were approved. Residents who live outside the town limits in Dewey‑Humboldt and Blue Hills told the panel they rely on well water and feared that blasting and excavation could damage wells or require them to haul water. Several speakers said the proposal was inconsistent with the town’s existing Village Pad A1 designation and urged the commission to respect the 11,000 residents who ratified the current general plan.

“I am opposed to the Prescott Valley rezoning to allow the mine at Government Tank,” Jennifer Jones, a Dewey resident who said she lives roughly a half‑mile from the proposed site, told the commission. “Winds around there run 40 miles an hour… Mines should not be allowed anywhere near residential properties, period.”

Supporters argued local aggregate resources are needed for ongoing regional growth and that the development agreement offers protections that do not exist under current county regulation. Bear Shimon, a longtime Prescott Valley resident, said the mine had been well‑run and called the opposition’s claims “not facts based.” Commissioner Evans, who made the motion to forward the General Plan amendment recommendation, said he had changed his view after reviewing the development agreement and outreach materials.

The development agreement and conditions recorded during the hearing include: a 50‑year term for operations on the 40‑acre site; a 15‑year commitment not to apply to expand operations outside the 40 acres (the applicant said any future expansion would still require the same public process); limits on controlled detonations to four events per year of short duration; prohibition on drilling a well on the Government Tank parcel (water to be trucked from the existing processing site and stored in tanks on site); hours of operation limited to daytime work; adherence to town lighting standards; and required dust‑control plans enforced through state permits and town compliance procedures. The applicant also proposed gifting roughly 80 acres to the town for park use with deed restrictions.

After public comment and discussion, the commission voted to forward the Government Tank General Plan amendment by a 3–2 vote. Later the panel also voted 3–2 to forward a positive recommendation on the zoning map change (ZMC 25‑008) with the conditional use permit incorporated as a condition of rezoning. Both actions were recorded as recommendations to the Town Council, which will consider final approval.

If the council approves the General Plan amendment, state law permits a referendum; several speakers referenced a citizen petition and the prior procedural litigation that had converted a minor amendment into a major amendment earlier in the process.

Next steps: the Town Council will review the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendations, consider the development agreement and conditional use permit conditions, and schedule its own public process. If the council approves the legislative actions, those approvals would be subject to referendum under Arizona law.

(Reporting note: quotes and attributions are drawn from the public hearing record.)