Yuma Valley residents invited to share vision for their community

  Yuma Valley residents are invited to discuss the future of the area and their vision for their neighborhood.

  A community meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Gadsden Elementary School Cafeteria, 18745 S. Gadsden St. in Gadsden.

  It is part of an ongoing effort by the Yuma County Department of Development Services to gather input from residents of the various regional planning areas in preparation for updating the 2010 Yuma County Comprehensive Plan.

  The update will reflect changes in local needs, development trends and what residents would like to see in the future, said Juan Leal Rubio, a long-range planner for the county.

  The Yuma Valley Planning Area covers 72 square miles and is primarily rural farming. It is surrounded to the west, northwest and north by the incorporated communities of San Luis, Somerton and Yuma as well as various units of the Cocopah Reservation,

  The area's total population is 3,517, many of them employed in the agriculture sector, according to the background study for the planning area.

  Primary focus of the study is on Gadsden's expected redevelopment since the community was connected to the city of San Luis, Ariz., sewer system, said Leal Rubio. "The sewer connection opens the doors for growth there."

  At this time, growth there has been slow but steady. However, that would change.

  The majority of recent land use amendment cases have centered on Gadsden, said long-range planner Andrew Fangman. "There's a question how that will develop over time."

  One major project planned for the area is revitalizing Hunter's Hole, a once-popular recreational area that has become overgrown and the site of illegal activity, Leal Rubio said.

  The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is spearheading the effort to enhance the 1,000-acre area by restoring native habitat and providing for easier patrolling by law enforcement agencies.

  The community meeting will include an opening presentation by county planning staff on a detailed study of demographics and development in the area. That will be followed by an interactive workshop on future plans for development, with participation by those attending.

 Also at the meeting, interested residents may sign up to serve on a citizen advisory group to meet over the next several months to discuss the issues and ideas raised at the community meeting. They will also recommend how the plan may be amended to better address the needs of area residents and the community.

  The background study is available online at www.co.yuma.az.us/dds/studies.

  For more information, call Leal Rubio at 817-5176.

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Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.