City P&Z meeting canceled after another lack of quorum

Hearing on controversial land use change is rescheduled for March 23

With a member sick, one on vacation and another injured, the Yuma Planning and Zoning Commission lacked a quorum for the Monday meeting. The three hearings on the agenda have been moved to the March 23 meeting.

Without a full board, the commission has been struggling to take care of business. Two recent appointees have left the board. Shara Whitehead has commitments that make her unable to attend meetings, and Jackie Follmuth has moved to Pinetop. Vinod Mohindra is on an extended vacation to India.

During a Feb. 25 retreat, Mayor Doug Nicholls acknowledged that a lack of quorums has led to the cancelations of commission meetings, leading to the postponement of applicant requests. He asked staff to look into shortening the Planning and Zoning process to move things along quicker for businesses. The mayor said he wants to streamline the overall process and shorten it while still adhering to public meeting requirements.

The city has been trying to fill vacated seats on the commission. The council recently appointed two members, Barbara Hengl and Lori Arney, but Alyssa Linville, assistant director of community developer, said that the board still had two vacancies.

Arney and Hengl stepped up after a call was made for community members to volunteer on city’s boards and commissions. Arney noted that without enough P&Z board members, important meetings are canceled. “If we don’t have a quorum, we can’t get anything done. It’s at a standstill,” Arney said.

Hengl also noted that it’s important to keep development moving forward. “We need to make progress. If we keep stalling, then people won’t want to bring business to Yuma. If we keep delaying things, it just slows everything down,” she said.

Hengl pointed out the need for diversity on the boards and commissions. “If you have only four people, it’s good, but it limits the exposure and the experience you have at the table. Having so many different people, retired, not retired, employed, self-employed, the diversity really does help. We have to represent Yuma better,” she said.

Boards and commissions are made up of volunteers appointed by the council, with formal appointments made at regularly scheduled council meetings.

Potential candidates must file a Boards and Commissions application with the City Clerk’s Office on the first floor of City Hall. Appointees are selected based on education, work experience and civic involvement as listed on the application. Any person who lives within Yuma’s city limits may serve on a board or commission; however, several boards of a more technical nature require one or more members to have specific technical expertise.

More information is available on the city’s Boards and Commissions page: https://www.yumaaz.gov/city-clerks-office/public-meeting-agendas.html.

POSTPONED ACTIONS

The Public Works Training Room was nearly full on Monday, mostly with

residents there for a hearing on a request for a land use change that would potentially open the way for an apartment complex in the area of 14th Avenue. The first hearing held Feb. 24 drew dozens of neighbors opposed to the proposed change, citing fears of increased traffic and crime, an adverse effect on property values and other concerns. Shelley Anderson, on behalf of the Anderson EW and Elizabeth Trust 4/2/76, has asked to change the land use designation in the general plan from low density residential to high density residential for 1.54 acres located between 8th Place, 9th Street, 14th Avenue and Arena Drive. The applicant’s intent is to sell the property for future development of a multi-family residential project, possibly an apartment complex with up to three stories. Anderson said that a builder has agreed to buy the property if the general plan changes.

The other hearings that had been scheduled for Monday include:

• Dahl, Robins and Associates, on behalf of KDC of Yuma LLC, is requesting approval of the preliminary plat for the Patagonia Subdivision located near the southeast corner of Avenue 9E and 24th Street. The 29.39-acre subdivision would be divided into 21 residential lots, ranging in size from 43,581 square feet to 102,795 square feet.

• Enterprise Leasing Co. of Phoenix, on behalf of Jim D. Smith, is seeking a conditional use permit for retail sale or rental of goods in the Light Industrial/ Airport Overlay District on the property located at 2811 S Ave 2 ½ E.