City, owner agree on Winsor Ave. rezoning

The Yuma City Council was able to move forward on a difficult rezoning case that had been continued three times, only to face another controversial development case at its Wednesday meeting.

In the first case, the council heard the first reading on an ordinance to rezone the parcel at 3130 S. Winsor Ave. from high density residential to limited commercial at the request of property owner Rick Fee.

Fee purchased the property in 2004 with the intention of developing condominiums. However, the current residential zoning doesn't conform with the city's General Plan because the property lies within an airport overlay district.

Fee's efforts to seek limited commercial zoning were met with opposition from area residents over fears he would develop a self-storage facility or another use that would adversely impact their neighborhood.

Fee and the city were finally able to reach a development agreement that satisfied the property owner, the city and the neighbors.

"It outlines some pretty specific items to help develop the property so it fits into the community," Fee said. Among the things he agreed to, he said, is that there would be no truck deliveries between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., buildings would be no more than two stories and if a self-storage facility is developed, it would be designed as an attractive complex.

Fee said the most feasible use of the property would be for office space.

"I'm happy to have some resolution," he said. "Now the real work begins to take it to market."

With that case all but behind them, council members faced a new controversy with a public hearing on the final plat for Tierra Subdivision at the southwest corner of Avenue C and the Central Drain. Developer Jonathan Lines is proposing to develop a mix of single-family houses and townhomes on the 7.9-acre parcel. The final plat calls for the main access to be from 41st Drive through Fall Ranch No. 6 next door.

That brought out the neighbors, who said they had been misinformed about the street when they purchased their property. They fear the use of 41st Drive for the new subdivion's main access would bring increased traffic that would endanger their children and disrupt their isolated neighborhood.

Lines said he was willing to build fewer homes and develop 22nd Place to Avenue C as the new subdivision's main access. However, city staff recommended against that plan because it would place roads off Avenue C too close together.

At an impasse, the council voted to continue the public hearing until Nov. 5.

The case highlights an issue that has been coming before the council frequently as developers seek to develop vacant land in already established areas of the city, said Councilman Ross Hieb.

"Neighborhoods develop as isolated communities, but it was never the intention of the city to have them remain isolated," he said.

"We would rather have infill but the neighbors push back," he said. "Clearly we will have to make some accommodations."

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