Zoning change will allow commercial development and new park in Somerton
SOMERTON – The city council here took a step this week toward allowing commercial development and development of a regional park on Somerton’s west side that would serve residents as well as students of a future high school.
The council on Tuesday unanimously approved an amendment to the General Plan that changes use of a city-owned parcel of near
ly 20 acres from residential to commercial, allowing for future business openings and a new clinic that Sunset Health proposes to build.
The action came as Somerton officials announced that the city has received purchase proposals for the land from an unnamed commercial developer and from Sunset, a nonprofit primary health care provider that serves patients throughout Yuma County.
The council also changed the zoning of a nearby parcel of 35.7 acres, also owned by the city, from residential use to open space, allowing for more flexible development standards for what is anticipated to be the park.
The park would include athletic and recreational facilities that would be shared by residents and a campus that the Yuma Union High School District plans to build on adjoining land to the north.
The two rezoned parcels are Hector Tapia, Somerton’s located north of Main Street and economic development director, east of Avenue F 1/2, and were praised the council’s action as acquired by the city in 2017 as “an advance in the steps needed part of its efforts to promote eco- to develop that property commercially.” nomic development.
He said the city and Sunset have renewed talks concerning Sunset’s interest in purchasing nearly 4.5 acres as the site for a new, larger clinic. Sunset’s current clinic is Somerton is located at Main Street and Somerton Avenue.
“The Sunset proposal would be moved to the start of 2021, so we have nearly six months to get ready, in case an agreement with them is finalized,” he said. “The next step is to divide the parcel into lots and begin with the water and sewer infrastructure project and (construction) of a pump station for that area.”
He said previous talks between the city and Sunset were put on hold earlier this year by the pandemic, which forced the health care provider to focus on taking care of COVID-19 patients.
Tapia said the city could finance the water and sewer improvements initially with revenue from lease payments for the land, and later submit an application for a grant or loan from the Arizona Water Infrastructure
Authority.
He said the unnamed commercial developer, meanwhile, is interested in purchasing a 4-acre parcel as a site for future businesses and office space.
In other action, the council approved the preliminary map for a 3.6-acre residential subdivision that Maxx Builders is seeking to develop. The subdivision would consist of 16 lots located on the city’s northside, on the southwest corner of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Madison Street.
Meanwhile, he added, the city is about to renew talks with Hall’s General Contractors that could lead to new agreement for development of the seventh and eight phases of the Las Estrellas subdivision on the city’s south side.
In 2016, the council revoked the residential zoning for the 20-acre site those phases would encompass, owing to differences between the city and the developer relating to a development agreement then in place.