Prescott Valley approves 259-unit senior community on university site with traffic infrastructure conditions
PRESCOTT VALLEY, ARIZONA — March 15, 2024

Prescott Valley approves 259-unit senior community on university site with traffic infrastructure conditions

Town council approved rezoning of former North Central University site for 259-unit senior living community with significant traffic and wildlife habitat concerns resolved through infrastructure improvements, fencing requirements, and conditions limiting construction access.

Prescott Valley Approves Senior Living Rezoning Despite Fierce Neighborhood Opposition; Council Adds Fencing and Traffic Restrictions

The Prescott Valley Town Council voted 5–1 late Friday to approve the rezoning of the long-vacant North Central University campus—a 49.3-acre property southeast of Superstition Drive and Sheridan Lane—from Public Lands (PL-PAD) zoning to Residential Services (RS-PAD) for a 259-unit, 55-and-older transitional senior living community. The decision, however, came only after developers and staff agreed to substantial infrastructure improvements and construction constraints aimed at mitigating traffic and wildlife concerns raised by dozens of residents from the adjacent Superstition Hills neighborhood.

The vote capped a three-hour public hearing that exposed a fundamental tension between demographic need—Arizona's 65-and-older population is projected to grow 18.8 percent by 2030—and neighborhood preservation. Several speakers invoked a 2011 town council commitment not to develop the university site, while supporters, including a former councilmember, argued that the market-rate senior housing fills a genuine community gap.

Key Speeches

"We have listened to the community the best that we can. We did meet with some of the leaders of the Superstition Hills community, and we do understand what their concerns are. That's why we decided to bring in the Menino extension from the south to the north, to take that traffic out of the neighborhood." — Richard Whitney, developer, Platinum Realty Services

"I understand that there is a really nice area out there with a waterfall and water feature out there. I just want to make sure that area remains untouched and that we don't impact that area at all." — Vice Mayor Matt Zurcher

"We are not looking to be a burden to Prescott Valley or to Superstition Hills. We are looking to add to this community. Our development is the least impactful that can come into this property." — Richard Whitney

"I have to say that with the inconvenience that it might be causing for the period of time that it will be developed and built, when it is finally fully built, we will enjoy it as a community and it will be beautiful." — Councilmember Kendall Schumacher

Timeline

Opposition

Number of speakers: Approximately 9 against (some speaking on multiple related topics).

Main Concerns:

  1. Menino Road Extension as Neighborhood Shortcut: Residents of Superstition Hills (a 313-home neighborhood relying on Sheridan Lane as sole ingress/egress) repeatedly warned that extending Menino from the commercial zone north through the development to Sheridan would create a dangerous shortcut for commercial and commuter traffic, bypassing Superstition Drive. Two-lane road with no sidewalks; existing speeding issues on Superstition Drive.

  2. Traffic Safety & Pedestrian Risk: Alicia Dhy, Michael Dhy, Jean Sabo, and Danny Woodward all cited high pedestrian use of Sheridan Lane and neighborhood streets, especially children walking to George Anderson Park. Mailboxes hit seven times in two months from speeding vehicles; one incident involved a city truck forced onto the shoulder.

  3. Pronghorn Antelope Habitat Destruction: Bill Williams, Patricia Betel, and Keith Block raised concerns about simultaneous threats to pronghorn from this project, Lakeshore 650 annexation, and Glassford Hill recreation development. Keith Block stated he used to see herds; now sees only six to a dozen. Wildlife corridor creation timeline ("several years") deemed too slow.

  4. 2011 Council Commitment: Keith Block and others cited former Mayor Skog's and former Councilmember Laura Lee's 2011 public statement against developing the NCU site. Block claimed the council "gave those people our word." Described current approval as breaking a 12-year-old promise.

  5. Affordability & Community Benefit: Rents starting at $5,800/month for independent living deemed unaffordable for Prescott Valley retirees. Tim Reynolds questioned how the project benefits local seniors and whether the developer would simply abandon assisted-living units if demand did not materialize. Keith Block asked "who in Prescott Valley can afford this?"

  6. Water Sustainability & Aquifer Depletion: Jean Sabo, Tim Reynolds, and Randy Bosberg expressed long-standing concerns about aquifer drawdown and the town's responsibility to manage growth relative to water availability. Noted that water does not regenerate and referenced earlier town studies showing concern.

  7. Senior Facility Design Issues: Tim Reynolds detailed specific design flaws: unnecessary full kitchens in assisted-living units (safety and non-standard), four-story apartment building too tall and visible from miles, memory care on second floor (safety concern), and no outdoor memory-care area. (Note: Developer agreed to kitchenette change; kept building heights and upper-floor memory care.)

  8. Construction Impact & Development Creep: Residents worried that the Menino improvement and water-line installation would spur further development on adjacent state trust land, converting undeveloped habitat to urban uses.

Organized Groups: Superstition Hills United; residents collected 1,500+ signatures opposing an unrelated FSG granite mine and showed up en masse for this hearing.

Most Compelling Arguments:

Support

Number of speakers: Approximately 3–4 (including one letter read aloud and town staff comments).

Main Points:

  1. Demographic & Housing Need: U.S. Census Bureau projections (2023–2030) show 65-plus population growing 18.8 percent nationally; 75-plus cohort growing 30.6 percent. Terry Hancock letter and Thomas Montoya statement emphasized urgent need for senior transitional-living options in Prescott Valley. Laura Lee (former councilmember who opposed 2011 NCU development) wrote that "the need for more diverse housing opportunities for seniors in 2024 is urgent and undeniable" and expressed regret that such a facility had not been available during her final years in the neighborhood.

  2. Infrastructure & Community Benefits: Supporters noted that the developer agreed to fund Menino Road extension, 10-foot multi-use path, 12-inch water line to Superstition Hills (with town reimbursing one-third), and secondary emergency access—all improvements that would not occur under a vested university or hospital use.

  3. Lower-Impact Alternative to Vested Uses: Justin Beachy (read by proxy) noted that the 259-unit senior project was "far enough away from Superstition Hills" and that approving senior housing was better than denying it and risking vacancy or alternative uses (university dormitories, hospital, park) with worse traffic and noise profiles.

  4. Responsible Developer & Iterative Design: Tasha Taylor (reading Laura Lee's letter) praised the developer for making "significant infrastructure changes" and being responsive to community feedback (e.g., removing full kitchens, adding secondary access).

Project Details

Vote Breakdown

(Note: Standard procedure; individual votes not announced by name during the roll call at conclusion of motion.)

Outcome & Next Steps

Immediate Decision: Ordinance No. 2024-25 (rezoning ZMC 23-7) approved for two separate readings and final passage with the following mandatory conditions:

  1. Menino Road Extension: Developer must construct extension from Sheridan Lane south to Menino commercial area, complete with 10-foot-wide multi-use asphalt path suitable for bicycles, pedestrians, and dog-walking. Dedication of right-of-way to town at developer cost.

  2. Water Line & Town Reimbursement: Concurrent 12-inch water line to loop through southern Superstition Hills. Town to reimburse developer one-third of cost (rationale: developer only required 8-inch line for project; town requested upsizing for community redundancy).

  3. Cattle Fencing—Both Sides of Menino Road: Constructed simultaneously with road improvement, standard cattle fencing, to prevent pronghorn and livestock from crossing into traffic. Matt Zurcher added this condition after developer's verbal commitment was not reflected in ordinance text.

  4. Construction Traffic Restriction: All construction vehicles, deliveries, and employee traffic must use Menino Road extension as sole access during construction period. Exception: employees residing in Superstition Hills Unit 20 may use existing routes. No construction traffic on residential streets (Sheridan Lane, Superstition Drive interior roads).

  5. Final Development Plan (FDP) Approval: Applicant must submit FDP application within one year of ordinance effective date. Matt Zurcher expressed concern that "necessary submittals" language was vague and did not guarantee construction start; staff clarified that additional conditions on construction commencement and building permits can be imposed upon FDP approval, but current zoning approval requires only application submission within 12 months.

  6. Traffic Signal / Intersection Improvements at Highway 69: If ADOT and town traffic study determine traffic signal or intersection improvements warranted at Highway 69 and Menino extension junction, developer bears cost. Subgrade infrastructure already in place from ADOT's prior planning.

  7. Certificate of Assured Water Supply: Per new town code (Section 14-0-2-080), developer must demonstrate 100-year water supply availability, equivalent to single-family-home developer standard.

  8. Existing On-Site Drainage: Developer to clean, upsize, and maintain existing drainage infrastructure on property to current town standards. Town code enforcement (neighborhood services department) may cite for non-compliance (obstruction, debris). Staff indicated existing town code adequately addresses downstream drainage impacts.

Secondary Actions:

What Does Not Happen:

Next Steps:

Controversies & Context

The 2011 Commitment: In February 2011, then-Mayor Skog and Councilmember Laura Lee publicly opposed rezoning the NCU site. Keith Block cited this as a formal commitment to the neighborhood. Laura Lee herself acknowledged the 2011 stance in her written statement but argued that circumstances had materially changed—the aging-population need is now urgent, and the project offers significant infrastructure benefits not available in 2011. This argument—that demographic and community conditions shift—cut both ways: it vindicated the developer's proposal but also suggested that prior council assurances of no development carry limited weight over 12 years.

Pronghorn Habitat & Cumulative Impact: Residents and advocates noted that pronghorn (desert antelope) historically inhabited the area in herds but have been pushed to shrinking margins (Glassford Hill, Lakeshore 650 basin, areas around the university property). Three simultaneous developments—this senior project, Lakeshore 650 annexation (3,500 homes proposed), and Glassford Hill recreation-area revision—threaten to fragment remaining habitat. Patricia Betel stated that pronghorn require approximately 50 acres per animal and are visible during birthing season at the NCU property. The town's assignment of wildlife-overlay creation to staff, with no deadline, drew criticism for being too slow.

Water Policy Evolution: The town adopted Section 14-0-2-080 (non-subdivision water policy) to close the "rental community loophole"—a prior exemption allowing rental projects to avoid demonstrating 100-year water supply. Developer Steven Pulk initially (incorrectly) claimed the project would operate on a "net-zero" aquifer basis; later corrected to say the project will purchase wastewater-recharge credits through the Water Asset Management entity, obligating the town to recharge the aquifer for the full water demand of the project. Residents (Jean Sabo, Randy Bosberg) remained skeptical that the town is responsibly managing aquifer drawdown relative to growth.

Menino Road Extension Debate: The road was presented as a traffic relief for Superstition Hills Unit 20, diverting approximately 46 percent of resident traffic away from Superstition Drive. However, residents and traffic engineers also warned that the extension would create a straight, steep southern shortcut from commercial Menino toward the residential Sheridan Lane / Superstition Drive neighborhood intersection, likely inducing commuter and commercial traffic to use the route. Danny Woodward suggested angling the connection directly to the property entrance rather than extending to Sheridan, but the developer defended the full extension as the most traffic-responsive solution. Cattle fencing was added as a compromise to prevent wildlife crossing into vehicle traffic.

Council Member Positions:

State Law Constraints: Staff and counsel noted that Arizona state law requires a full hearing and council vote to revoke zoning if conditions are not met within the timeframe; thus, overly aggressive construction-start deadlines could trigger a revocation hearing if the developer cannot meet them (as happened with prior projects in the 1990s when market conditions changed). This constrained the council's ability to enforce aggressive timelines.

Broader Growth & Fiscal Questions: Town Manager Davidson mentioned that a new $500,000 traffic safety grant and the town's overall growth rate (6.9 percent in four years, with safety ranking rising from 11th to 3rd in Arizona) suggest that growth and safety are not mutually exclusive. However, resident Danny Woodward cited a police-commander statement that "crime rises 20% faster than population," raising systemic concerns about service capacity during rapid growth.

Duration

The meeting ran substantially over typical business hours, with the rezoning item dominating the evening.

Other Notable Items

Alternative Local Expenditure Limitation (AHRL) Public Hearing (First of Two): Town staff (Cynthia Morris) presented the first of two required public hearings on extending the town's alternative expenditure limitation (home-rule option) for four years. The state-imposed expenditure limit is based on the town's 1979–1980 fiscal profile; the alternative allows the town to exceed that limit based on current revenues and service obligations. Estimated gap: $48–108 million annually between state-imposed and home-rule option. Second hearing scheduled for March 28; council vote on ballot placement to follow. No public speakers against or for; no vote taken tonight. (Notability: medium—routine but significant fiscal governance item affecting town's budget flexibility.)

Government Tank/FSG Granite Mine Proposal Opposition: Diane Gomez presented organized neighborhood opposition to a proposed granite mine on residential-zoned land between Stoneridge and Prescott Country Club (near Dewey). Residents collected 1,500+ signatures requesting a major general plan amendment rather than minor amendment approval. Petition initiated; matter not voted on. (Notability: medium—emerging controversy with high community engagement but no immediate council action.)

Bicycle Path Safety Request: James Turner requested town accelerate creation of bicycle paths on roadways with sufficient shoulder width, offering to volunteer to map potential routes. Council staff promised follow-up from street department. (Notability: low—routine constituent request, resolved with staff referral.)