In December, Yavapai County was approved for a $25 million BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in order to build a road across the Verde River close to the Middle Verde area of Camp Verde.
The county has dubbed this new plan — which would be extended to a road traveling all the way from State Route 260 to Cornville Road — Verde Connect.
On June 4, the county put forward seven potential routes for the new road, as well as an analysis of the possible “No Build” option. Two of those potential routes would stem from State Route 260 at Thousand Trails Road, two would come from Coury Drive and three would hit 260 at the intersection of Old Route 279. Nearly all would meet Cornville Road at the same intersection as Beaverhead Flat Road.
Two of the options, one that would meet Cornville Road at a different intersection and one that would cross the Verde River by the Middle Verde neighborhood and cut through it, were preemptively dismissed by the county and are not under serious consideration, according to multiple people involved in the project.
On Tuesday, June 11, and Wednesday, June 12, Yavapai County and Jacobs Engineering, the firm tasked with planning the routes, held listening sessions with residents, first at the Cottonwood Recreation Center and then at the Camp Verde Schools Multi-Use Complex the following night.
Over 100 people showed up to look at the routes, hear the pros and cons, talk to experts and provide their input. Some were intrigued and hopeful about the new road project. Others were not.
“It appears that the routes they’ve identified are trying to listen to the public,” Camp Verde Vice Mayor Dee Jenkins said at Wednesday’s meet and greet. “But in no way is that an endorsement. I think they’ve done a good job at designing routes that are the least invasive to private homeowners, but I have yet to see how it benefits the town of Camp Verde.”
According to Nancy Singer, a spokesperson for the Federal Highway Administration, the ultimate decision on which route to move forward with will come after the results of an environmental review process, with the FHA having final approval over the planned route.
Camp Verde’s representatives have been facing heavy opposition to the plan from residents of the Middle Verde area, who say that the road — which would include a connector from the bridge to Middle Verde Road — would destroy the rural character that they enjoy in the neighborhood.
“The only feasible route is from Coury Drive, but why do it? What problems is it going to solve?” Zach Wolfe, a Middle Verde resident who started the ad hoc group Verde Disconnect to oppose the road, said of the proposed routes. Wolfe noted that the routes provided seemed to mostly succeed at avoiding the worst impacts to Middle Verde, but still opposes the project. He pointed out that the federal funding is contingent upon building the bridge to connect Middle Verde to State Route 260, and worries that the cost and time could lead the rest of the road unbuilt, meaning that the whole project would be building a road to his neighborhood that he does not want.
“I think it will definitely change the quality of life in the neighborhood,” Wolfe said. “I think it will increase property values. It will also spur development. I think we’d lose the tranquility and the lifestyle of Middle Verde.”
Other Camp Verde residents have expressed fears that a road away from 260 could affect the town’s planned business development corridor in the area.
The Camp Verde Town Council is planning to vote on a potential resolution of opposition to the project at their meeting on Wednesday, June 19. Since none of the planned routes are on Camp Verde land with the exception of the Middle Verde road connector, it is not clear what impact this resolution would have on the project.
“I don’t believe there has been adequate consultation with the citizenry and the government of Camp Verde,” Councilman Joe Butner, who is proposing the resolution, said. “The citizens of Middle Verde Road are adamantly opposed to this because it disturbs their neighborhood and is contrary to the Camp Verde general plan. This road will function as a second bypass for the downtown businesses of Camp Verde. Lastly, this is an extraordinarily expensive project that does not stand up to scrutiny of a majority of the taxpayers of the Verde Valley to my understanding and will likely draw funds away from local road projects to connect this bridge.”
Camp Verde Town Manager Russ Martin said that town staff has not taken a position on the project and has not expressed fear of a loss of town business as a result of a potential bypass.
But even as Camp Verde’s government has developed an opposition to the project, Cottonwood’s has taken a much more accepting point of view, seeing the road as a potential economic boost for the area, and not seeing much reason to oppose.
“We know we need to relieve the [State Routes] 89A-260 intersection, so this is an alternative,” Cottonwood Mayor Tim Elinski said. “There’s so much flow going up to Sedona that creating another route is necessary.”
“It’s a county project, so we don’t have a position yet,” Cottonwood City Manager Ron Corbin said. He noted that the northernmost potential routes, at Thousand Trails Road, could be on Cottonwood land, providing the opportunity for the town to develop its businesses near it. “I think we’re in the study phase. Our job is to listen.”
Elizabeth Munding, an environmental analyst for the Coconino National Forest, said that the forest is trying to find a way to ensure that the road, which will mostly cross Forest Service land, does not have too detrimental of an environmental impact.
“We are supporting the need for this transportation route, but analysis will show which alternative has the least cultural or natural impacts, specifically addressing archaeology, biology or scenic concerns,” Munding said.
Even in Camp Verde, the response was not unified in opposition.
if done correctly,” said Ed Mezulis, a Camp Verde resident who saw the routes for the first time on Wednesday. “I think it will bridge the gap for emergency services.”
Fire Chief for Copper Canyon Fire and Medical Authority Terry Keller said his agency hopes the new road could improve their ability to operate in the area.
“For Copper Canyon, we’re currently in Rimrock and in Camp Verde, but occasionally we’re busy and all our resources are tied up,” Keller said. “We have to rely on our neighbors to give us backup responses. And having a connection into Cornville, as well as into the Verde Village on 260, allows for those fire engines or ambulances from those fire stations to get into Camp Verde faster and more efficiently.”
Keller also said that the road could make it easier for Camp Verde residents to make it to the hospital in the case of an emergency faster.
Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor Randy Garrison, who has been a major proponent of the road since the beginning, said he felt hopeful about the turnout at the events and he hopes people in the area will be able to see why the route is so valuable with the benefit of more information.
“I think probably the question that was asked the most is why are we doing this,” Garrison said. “Maybe we didn’t do a good enough job of explaining the impetus of the job behind this project.
“We all understand, and our presentation goes into a bit of depth on the history of 20 years worth of regional transportation studies that have shown that some type of a north-south connector would be beneficial to our road system, but people didn’t get that message.”
“It was one of the number one recommendations of a new route, out of this latest transportation study,” Garrison said. “The only other thing we can do is increase or improve the existing road structure we have. So if you don’t want to see a four lane road coming through your community, we’re going to have to find a way to fix some of these issues.”
