Council welcomes housing on golf course property
Officials point out need for residential options
Members of the Yuma City Council welcome plans to turn a 13-acre golf course into a multi-family housing development in view of the city’s housing shortage.
“Since we’re so lacking in supply of multi-family housing, it’s great to see such a new project coming up and I hope this goes through,” Councilwoman Karen Watts said.
Mayor Doug Nicholls echoed the sentiment but with nostalgia. “It’s the golf course I learned to play golf on, so it’s kind of sad to see it go away, but like Councilmember Watts mentioned, more housing options for the community is definitely something that we need,” he said.
The council held a public hearing and unanimously approved a request to change the land use designation in the city’s general plan for property located at 2945 W. 8th St. from medium density residential to high density residential.
The applicant, Kelly Curtis, owner of Ironwood of Yuma, told city officials that the intent is to close the existing 1,720-yard, nine-hole golf course built in 1989 and develop a mixed multi-family and townhome residential development with access through 8th Street.
The change allows a maximum of 232 homes with an expected population of 394, which would be an increase of 66 homes and 112 persons from the previous land use designation. The property is surrounded by recreational vehicle and mobile home parks, single-family homes and agriculture.
The public hearing did not draw any speakers. However, Erika Peterson, the city’s assistant planner, said some neighbors at an on-site neighborhood meeting
expressed a desire to turn the property into a park or keep it as a green space, but they understood that the cost to maintain it would be quite high.
City staff also received emails from neighboring property owners who expressed concern with development plans as well as a phone call and a public comment during a Planning and Zoning Commission hearing stating opposition. Nevertheless, the commission recommended approval of the request.
During a discussion, Deputy Mayor Leslie McClendon asked, if the property did become a park, whether the city or an improvement district would maintain it. Peterson noted that the city’s general plan doesn’t call for a park in that area.
Acting City Administrator Jay Simonton pointed out that this is private property and if the city wished it to become a park, the city would have to come up with the funds to purchase it.
“It’s not in the city’s plans to do that at this point,” Simonton noted.
Councilman Mike Shelton said that he visited with the owner, who expressed a desire to keep “as much of the green and trees as he could.”
Shelton noted that he supports the proposal. “And I would hope and assume that he will use whatever leverage he has to keep it as green and as many of the trees as he can,” he said.
Nicholls asked about the area immediately west of the property. Peterson explained that the property is in the city limits but owned by Yuma County. The golf course currently leases it and uses it as a retention basin. The property would remain the county’s, but Peterson said she believes the golf course would continue to maintain it since it holds a 40-year lease for property.
Councilman Chris Morris asked whether the developer would pick up the lease and maintain it as part of the sale of the property.
“My understanding is that the current property owner and the developers still have the land lease for the next 40 years and plan on keeping it as open green space as they can’t develop it. Further down the road, when the lease expires, I don’t know. That’s the question they have (to bring up) with the county, whether they would continue to lease,” Peterson said.
Approval of the land use change request amends both the existing 2012 and updated 2022 general plans. The 2012 General Plan is currently in effect, however, the council adopted the updated plan on April 6, and it will be referred to voters for ratification on Nov. 8.
The city also received a request from Ironwood of Yuma to annex the property. The 15.4-acre annexation area consists of two parcels of real property and the adjacent 8th Street right-of-way and a portion of the Thacker Canal. The intention is to obtain city utilities and police and fire services.
Last month the council held a public hearing for the proposed annexation. No citizens commented on the issue.
The council on Wednesday introduced the ordinance that would change the city boundaries to include the Ironwood property. The city anticipates that the ordinance will be adopted on May 18.
The council also approved an Infrastructure and Services Report for the Ironwood annexation area as part of the consent agenda.
Two other ordinances were introduced, one authorizing annexation of property located at the northeast corner of Interstate 8 and Avenue 3E. The applicant is Yuma Real Estate.
In addition, the council approved an Infrastructure and Services Report for the Yuma Real Estate annexation area as part of the consent agenda.
The other proposed ordinance would reinstate a requirement that was inadvertently removed when the updated fire code was adopted in 2018.
The proposed ordinance gives the fire chief the authority to mandate the method in which contractors who perform required inspection, testing, and/or maintenance services on commercial properties for fire and life safety systems submit electronic reports to the department.