As Camp Verde Community Development Director Carmen Howard admitted, development in Camp Verde is always in danger of being eclipsed by its more populous neighbors.
If recent residential and commercial progress is anything to go by, however, any omission of Camp Verde would be inexcusable. The heavy hitter on deck, Scottsdale-based CFT Ventures, is close to beginning construction on the largest housing development to come into Camp Verde in decades.
Located on property west of the Bashas’ shopping center, the 55-plus community features 585 lots, each of which will contain a 1,300- to 1,800-square-foot manufactured home. Community amenities include a pool, walking trails, extensive golf cart paths, an amenities center, a dog park and six initial pickleball courts.
CFT has proceeded quickly on its phased plan: In September, the company announced the development. Within weeks, CFT’s father and son team, Patrick and Ian Clifton, held a neighborhood meeting. On Dec. 7, they go to the Camp Verde Planning and Zoning Commission for rezoning approval, followed by a vote by Town Council on Dec. 20.
“Once the property has been rezoned, they will be going through the preliminary and final plat process for the first phase, as well as the development plan approval for amenities,” Howard said. “The neighborhood meeting went pretty favorably as far as the information that was passed on, and I was there, of course …. There wasn’t anything that came up during the neighborhood meeting that required changes.”
One feature of the development, land leasing, spurred the most conversation during CFT’s neighborhood meeting. In land lease arrangements, property owners do not own the land on which their properties sit.
When buyers purchase their home, their monthly mortgage payment is generally less because the home price is reduced — a fact that Clifton appears to be trying to capitalize on:
“A big part of what we’re trying to do is provide more for less,” he said. “We want our average price point right around $140,000 …. significantly below our competitors.” Howard predicted that the development would proceed quickly once the zoning change goes through.
Another residential project, at Montezuma Castle Highway and Zellner Lane, has broken ground. According to Howard, the five two-story duplex complex will feature a modern design. Developed by Camp Verde-based Tierra Verde Builders, the duplex will be a rental property.
Circle K’s construction of a second area store on Finnie Flat Road south of Bashas’, stalled since its announcement at the beginning of 2016 because of easement issues, has begun. Howard said the first inspection will occur within the next six months. According to Circle K, the 6,000-square-foot store will be modeled after the corporation’s Casa Grande location, which offers fresh food options and an expanded selection of products.
Taco Bell is proceeding quickly on its new location at the recently completed roundabout at Industrial Drive, only a block southeast of its current location adjacent to Denny’s at 1650 State Route 260.
Howard predicts the restaurant will be completed within three to five months. O’Reilly Auto Parts, which has remained unopened for nearly a year at 1016 W. Finnie Flat Road due to stalled sewer line contract negotiations that prevented the town from allowing the store to open, received its certificate of occupancy last week.
Pending development includes issuing a use permit for Animal Guardian Network, a “sanctuary and healing ranch for lifelong care and rehabilitation for injured, abused and neglected farm animals.”
According to Howard, the Cave Creek-based nonprofit has purchased more than 20 acres off North Arena Del Loma for relocation of its operations.
Also off North Arena Del Loma, Abide Maternity Home has rezoned its property to expand.
“They would like to add another building to add another five mothers and their babies,” Howard said
