A substantial, upscale housing community may be only a decade out for Cottonwood.
On Tuesday, March 8, a joint session of Cottonwood City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission heard proposals about the 680-acre 89 & Vine development north of Cornville Road and the existing Verde Santa Fe development. Details provided concerned Brookfield Homes’ proposed Master Development Plan. No action was taken by the council or the zoning and planning commission, though a call for approval is expected to be submitted in the near future.
Lynne Lagarde, Brookfield Homes’ agent for the development, presented a three-decade timeline starting in 1987, the year Verde Santa Fe was created. Initially adopted by Yavapai County, the plan included 5,112 home units and two golf courses, but this number was reduced to 3,004 in 2000. In 2002, the land north of Cornville Road was annexed to Cottonwood for development of what was then called Verde Santa Fe North.
By 2007, plans for a second golf course had been canceled. That year, the city approved an amended land use map and plan for the renamed Bella Montana development.
“The 2007 plan allows 2,050 residential units on 386 acres; 117.6 acres for commercial development; 188 acres for mixed use; 2 acres for the construction of a wastewater treatment facility; and 176 acres of open space,” stated the March 8 work session agenda. “The land use acreage and unit count were not changed. Rather, the amendment was intended to achieve city and developer goals that were set forth in the pre-annexation agreement, such as removing commercial uses from Cornville Road, and providing large tracts of land along 89A for larger retailers, which is intended for regional needs.”
According to the agenda, work began in 2007 but was halted due to the economic downturn. In 2014, Brookfield Homes approached the city with the intent of implementing the approved 2007 Bella Montana Plan, under the new name 89 & Vine.
Brookfield Communities, developers of most of Verde Santa Fe, has partnered with the Republic Companies’ Jay Stuckey, who first acquired the land. According to Stuckey, building will begin at the north end of the property and extend south to minimize impact on Cornville Road and Verde Santa Fe. The current proposal is to build 2,050 housing units, six public parks, walking trails, shops, a hotel and a village center — all with a “wine country” focus.
According to Dan Court of the real estate consulting firm Elliot Pollack and Company, homes are expected to be in the $220,000 range.
The development will provide for a “higher level of housing,” Cottonwood City Manager Doug Bartosh stated after the meeting. He added that he hopes 89A & Vine will allow professionals to live and work in the city. In addition, he praised the commercial opportunities the development would provide.
“I believe the commercial development is located at a very strategic spot in terms of being accessible to the entire Verde Valley,” Bartosh stated. “We are hoping for a larger variety of shopping and entertainment opportunities.”
According to Bartosh, the development will feature water-conserving xeriscape plantings and make efficient use of reclaimed water, potentially allowing Verde Santa Fe to stop pumping groundwater for its golf course
“The city has studied the impact of this development on our staff resources and natural resources and we feel the impact will be minimal on both. The city has long been developing strategies for reuse of water and this development will install all the latest ideas on water conservation. Cottonwood has one of the lowest per-capita water use in the state and we continue to look for ways to minimize any impact to the flows of the river. This will be a model development in terms of sustainability and desirability.”
“I know that development can be a hot topic, but this project has been a long time in the works and has really been adjusted to try and address many of the concerns of those that oppose development,” council member Jesse Dowling stated. “Getting more housing stock could help with the limited options we have now and hopefully lend to some more affordable housing options. As long as we keep the balance of development and sustainability, I think we can strike a reasonable compromise with both sides of the issue.”
Community Development Director Berrin Nejad said that, pending approval of the plan, Brookfield Homes predicts completion within the next 10 years. Planning and Zoning Commissioner Robert Williams called this projection optimistic and predicted growth would take place at a slower rate.
Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens and Councilman Randy Garrison responded to inquiry but declined to comment on the development.
