Supes OK controversial subdivision

By Suzanne Adams

Kingman Daily Miner

KINGMAN - Despite concerns raised by residents and county Planning and Zoning staff, the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 4 approved Provence, a new master-planned community located between Valle Vista and Long Mountain. Board Chairman Pete Byers did not attend the meeting due to illness.

Resident Joanna Miner protested the P&Z Commission's reasons for approving the project.

She also pointed out that the same day the commission approved the project the property was sold. She didn't understand how someone could get approval from the commission and sell a project before getting approval from the Board.

"It makes me wonder why they did this and the confidence they have. Is there a loophole that is not addressed? Is there another way to do a cover up of illegal lot splits in Mohave County?" she asked.

Miner said she was not against growth but the county already has too many empty homes due to the economy. The county should be bringing in more businesses for people to work in rather than building more homes.

Resident Patty Ingram said she was very disturbed that the commission approved the project with the claim by the developer that it had "lots of water."

She asked if the Board knew the amount of water in the aquifer and what will happen when the aquifer runs dry.

Ingram also asked if the new owner would be keeping the current area plan or changing it.

Supervisor Tom Sockwell said that it was not up to the Board to allocate water. The Arizona Department of Water Resources allocates water.

The only thing the county has control over is requiring developers to prove a 100-year water adequacy when they apply for a subdivision, County Manger Ron Walker said. This is a land use issue; therefore the requirement for water adequacy will come at a later date.

"This is a speculative project," said Denise Bensusan, representing the Long Mountain Property Owners Association. "The original owner/developer had no intention of being a responsible developer nor building any homes or installing any infrastructure. The entire project was intended to be sold at drastically increased values by amending the General Plan.

"Our county government should not be in the business of promoting speculation at the cost of existing property owners."

Bensusan said that the water supply to the project was unreliable. She pointed to a 1998 water agreement between Cerbat Water Company, owned by Mike Neal, and Lake Juniper Subdivision. Cerbat did not fulfill its agreement to supply the subdivision with water, she said, and the county ended up in a million dollar lawsuit because of it.