By David Harrison, Stateline Staff Writer
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2010
Stateline.org
This article describes the Superstition Vistas area as test case for the Arizona Land Department, which is resposible for 9.3 million acres in the state and is trying to develop a sustainable development policy following the housing bust.
“Now, with the boom gone bust, the land department is hoping to catch its breath long enough to learn a few lessons. Superstition Vistas is a test case of sorts, to see if an agency that minted money by auctioning land to the highest bidder can take a more deliberate approach when the market rebounds. In Superstition’s early planning stages, the land department is delving into the nitty-gritty of land use planning — something it has never attempted on such a scale. It’s also seeking to reform the rules governing state trust lands, which have not been substantially updated since Arizona became a state in 1912.”