Commission will consider bikeways plan on Monday
Yumans are asking for more bikeways, according to a public survey conducted by the city. Accordingly, the city wants to adopt the 2018 Yuma Bikeways Plan and amend the General Plan to incorporate it.
The plan will be considered during the Yuma Planning and Zoning Commission meeting to be held at 4:30 p.m. Monday in the Public Works Training Room, 155 W. 14th St. This will be the first of two public hearings on the plan.
Specifically, the amendment calls for changing “Chapter 3 — Transportation Element” of the General Plan to reflect an updated proposed bikeway network as well as updated goals, objectives and strategies to implement the plan.
The 2018 Yuma Bikeways Plan sets out a guide for developing the city’s bicycle facilities to addresses current deficiencies and accommodate the region’s growth over the next 10 years.
The plan’s vision statement, which is “A unified bikeway network that provides people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to safely ride a bicycle,” will be accomplished through four goals, each outlined in a section of the plan: Safety, Convenience, Connectivity and Promotion.
The plan described proposed bikeway network improvements and identifies and describes in detail the high-priority projects.
A staff report notes that bikeways will improve residents’ quality of life, increase business and tourism, conserve resources and provide a more affordable travel option. “Studies have shown a direct correlation between the number of bicycle facilities and the number of users; therefore, an increase in bikeways leads to an increase in users. As the public survey demonstrated, the demand for bikeways in Yuma clearly exists, and the more connected the system, the more useful and popular it will become,” the report says.
Another hearing involves a proposal originally approved by the City Council in 2016 and resulted in a resident-initiated special election. Voters overturned the council’s decision with 59 percent denying the rezoning request.
Dahl, Robins and Associates, on behalf of Saguaro Desert Land, has brought back the proposal with a request to rezone seven acres from agriculture to medium density residential for property located at the northwest corner of East 24th Street and South Avenue 9E.
Other public hearings scheduled for Monday include:
— A request by Vega and Vega Engineering, on behalf of the David R. and Debra L. Feller Trust, for a conditional use permit to allow a commercial use in an industrial zone and an industrial use within 600 feet of a residential use in the Light Industrial/Airport Overlay District on property located at 2619 S. Avenue 2½E.
— A request by Dahl, Robins and Associates, on behalf of Yuma Alliance LLC, to rezone 10 acres from agriculture to general commercial, while maintaining the existing airport overlay for property located at the southwest corner of South 4th Avenue and the West 38th Street alignment.
— A request by Dahl, Robins and Associates, on behalf of Leonard R. Sanchez and Glenda G. Curtis, to rezone a 1.13-acre parcel from light industrial to heavy industrial while maintaining the airport overlay for property located at 2920 S. Kish Ave.
To view the complete agenda, go to www.yumaaz. gov.