This is a significant milestone in the history of the Superstition Vistas Comprehensive Planning Project.  A number of Superstition Vistas Steering Committee members have noted that this will likely be the first of a number of amendments proposed for this area as this project evolves over the next decades.  It does, however, memorialize in Pinal County’s public documents a comprehensive approach to the future development of this immense region.  There will be significant challenges facing the various stakeholders involved in the next phases of this project.  These include water supply related issues, developing a comprehensive approach to infrastructure development and governance issues.  The Plan as it was approved provides a thoughtful and sophisticated roadmap for county, municipal and state officials as they plan for the development that will eventually come to this important area of Pinal County.

Click here to read more on the approval from The Arizona Republic.

The Board of Supervisors meeting on December 21^st will start at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at the following location:

Board of Supervisors Meeting Auditorium

Pinal County Government Complex

Administration Building A

31 N. Pinal  Street, Florence AZ 85132

Pinal County Citizen Advisory Committee meeting – September 14, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.

Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission – September 15, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

Both meetings will be held at the following location:

Pinal County Government Complex

31 N. Pinal Street, Florence, AZ. 85132

Building F – Emergency Operation Center room

Download the Superstition Vistas Pinal County Comprehensive Plan Amendment (DRAFT)

Download Superstition Vistas Final Report and Strategic Actions [PDF, 11MB]

Arizona Revised Statute sec. 37-331.03 provides that “The Commissioner shall create conceptual land use plans for all urban state trust land in this state and other state trust lands the Commissioner considers to be appropriate.” The Commissioner has determined that this is the appropriate time to develop a Conceptual Land Use Plan for Superstition Vistas due to the tremendous amount of interest in the area, the investment of both time and financing by the Steering Committee to conduct studies and provide the foundation for a concept land to the Arizona State Land Department without the Department having to expend the resources, and the future value of the area to beneficiaries.

The Arizona State Statues define a Conceptual Land Use Plan as a plan that identifies appropriate land uses, including commercial, industrial and residential uses and transportation corridors, all natural and artificial constraints and opportunities associated with the land.

Based on the Site Analysis data outlined in this report, the research conducted as part of this plan, and previously completed studies, a set Goal Statements and a Conceptual Land Use Plan were prepared. With few exceptions, the land uses are consistent with the land use categories in the Pinal County Comprehensive Plan.

The Conceptual Land Use Plan is based on current information and input from various agencies and stakeholders and is intended to guide development decisions in the future. Future development requests may be required to conduct more in depth analysis and studies to better understand the implications of development. For example, transportation studies, water analysis or drainage studies may be required to determine how a proposed development should address specific constraints or perceived issues.

The Conceptual Land Use Plan reflects residential land uses of varying densities. It is important to note the densities and land uses that are possible within each land use category are further defined in the Pinal County Comprehensive Plan. For example, the Moderate Low Density Residential land use which allows 1-3.5 dwelling units per acre also allows higher density as well as commercial and industrial uses depending on specific conditions.

It is currently the intent of the State Land Department to submit an amendment to the Pinal County Comprehensive Plan in June of 2011. The amendment will be based on the Conceptual Plan. The Pinal County Comprehensive Plan amendment process has several review levels culminating with the Board of Supervisors review and consideration. It is anticipated that the amendment process will be completed in December of 2011.

Download Superstition Vistas: Unlocking Its Potential [PDF, 4MB]

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.”

Read the full article at stateline.org…