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Officials urge state action after 'wildcat' lot splits outpace county controls
Summary
Yavapai leaders sought legislative remedies for so-called wildcat minor land divisions, saying Arizona statutes let multiple lot splits proceed with limited county oversight; they asked staff and local legislators to draft language to restore meaningful review tied to water and infrastructure standards.
Consultant Roger Eastman and multiple board members raised concerns about minor land divisions (often called "wildcat" splits) that can legally create many building parcels under current Arizona law.
Eastman said the state statute governing minor land divisions (transcript references ARS §11-8xxxx) allows administrative approval for small parcel splits and that the county lacks tools to stop concerted splitting that creates new development pressure without roads, water or wastewater. He recommended adding clearer application disclosures and affidavit language to make buyers aware that acting-in-concert splits may be illegal and to provide staff a stronger enforcement trail.
Supervisors discussed possible remedies: asking the state to change the 5-lot administrative split threshold, requiring minimum lot-size controls, or adding water and maintenance covenants tied to road upkeep and wastewater systems. Several supervisors urged expedited work with the County's legislative contacts — including a staff liaison mentioned in the meeting — to draft proposals for the County Supervisors Association and state lawmakers.
No formal action was taken at the session; staff and consultants agreed to help draft potential legislative language and to explore immediate code clarifications (application affidavits and minimum documentation requirements) that can be implemented without waiting for statute changes.
