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Chino Valley reviews economic-development strategic plan targeting three commercial zones, sewer and water needs
Summary
Economic Development Manager Maggie Holmberg outlined a strategic plan to prioritize three commercial zones (South Gateway, Southgate, Uptown), noted water/sewer constraints and the Circle K and grocery-anchored development opportunities, and discussed options for Old Home Manor parcels valued at about $1.1 million each with a 2023 state statute allowing sales up to $15 million without a public vote (statute not specified).
Economic Development Manager Maggie Holmberg presented a strategic plan to the Chino Valley Town Council that identifies three priority commercial areas and outlines infrastructure constraints, opportunities for retail recruitment and tourism, and options for town-owned land.
Maggie said the presentation was intended to "identify commercial corridors in town with infrastructure that is currently at least somewhat around it, to start attracting more business to town, to generate revenue." She described three zones — South Gateway Center, Southgate Center and Uptown Center — and walked council through a SWOT analysis for each area.
On the south end, staff highlighted a 5,200-square-foot Circle K project and nearby parcels available for sale; Maggie said the Circle K project will install an ADOT egress point that should reduce other developers' ADOT costs and make the parcel more attractive. For the Southgate Center, she described a grocery-anchored shopping-center concept on roughly 27 acres with water and sewer availability and noted strong marketing interest but no finalized deals yet.
In the Uptown Center and surrounding HMU areas, Holmberg and staff discussed multiple available parcels, existing commercial buildings (including vacancies at Butterfield Plaza) and the challenge that some central parcels lack sewer. Town Engineer Steve Sullivan and other staff described the practical constraints of fire-flow and sewer access; Maggie said connecting to Prescott's water via the existing intergovernmental agreement increases cost and that sewer extensions would require a capital investment.
Holmberg flagged the town-owned Old Home Manor parcels — "Each parcel is valued at approximately $1,100,000" — and told council that, "since 2023, when state statute change, we can sell up to 15,000,000 without going out to a public vote," noting the statute was not specified in the presentation. She outlined options: sell parcels outright, sell with limited-use restrictions (e.g., dedicated for an RV park), or develop town-led projects.
Council members asked staff to prepare cost estimates comparing infrastructure investment needs across the zones, with questions focused on which areas would produce the greatest return on capital for water and sewer extensions. Council discussion also referenced tourism-oriented uses (equestrian events, RV parks), and the finance director's analysis of long-term revenue needs — staff said the financial analysis will be published and made available to the public.
Holmberg asked the council for direction on which area(s) to prioritize so staff can develop focused capital-improvement proposals and cost analyses for future council consideration. The presentation closed with an agreement that staff will provide maps and cost estimates for the council to consider at a future meeting.
The presentation and discussion did not produce a formal vote; council directed staff to return with cost analyses and refined proposals for targeted infrastructure investments.
