Real Estate 
The Mohave County Board of Supervisors approved a pair of rezoning requests on Monday that clear the way for developers to begin planning a 40-acre retail and light industrial center on Aztec Road in Golden Valley.
The board voted unanimously to pass both rezones that will let Westar and Empire Land Development move forward with Aztec Commercial Center.
Although the rezone passed unanimously it did not go unchallenged in the public hearing portion. Seven out of 13 Golden Valley residents who spoke objected to the rezone. The primary objection is that it is a sharp deviation from the Golden Valley Area Plan.
“It’s outside the area plan. We have an area plan designated for this and it’s along (Hwy.) 68,” Golden Valley resident Robert Holsinger said.
“This looks like an area plan buster,” another resident, Val Starr, said. “People in Golden Valley worked hard on the area plan. If you’re not going to use the area plan let’s just get rid of all of them.”
Another objection was that there is currently no water service or wastewater service to the area. Valley Pioneers water company was approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission to supply water to the project, but it laid down a number of conditions.
“The ACC approved it if it meets the requirements in one year,” Holsinger said. “Valley Pioeneers will not extend service to the area … it can’t afford it.”
The other main objection is that there is no other development in the region. There are three houses within a mile of the intersection of Bolsa Road and Aztec Road where the project is planned. Two of those are Rhodes Homes model homes.
But, by the time it will be built that is expected to change.
“At first glance it looks like a spot zone,” Board Chairman Tom Sockwell said. “”This has probably been one of the most controversial things I’ve seen in my six or eight years on the board. The Pravada development is going to change the face of Golden Valley. Aztec is going to be a primary artery.”
Sockwell was referring to a Rhodes Homes development, Pravada, which is expected to build out to 25,000 homes and will be built a couple miles south of Bolsa. Plans are on tap to widen Aztec Road to at least four lanes, establish a 55 mph speed limit and have it connect from Hwy 68 through Pravada to I-40 on the south.
There were six people from Golden Valley and one from Kingman who spoke out in favor of the development. The primary reasons cited were improved services, shopping and job creation.
Ajit Dudhecker of Westar told the board the project will be an asset in the future.
“A lot of local people don’t realize this area will really grow,” Dudhecker said. “We really believe Golden Valley has a great deal of growth potential and we think we can be part of this growth.
“We are planning ahead.”
Don Rodriguez, owner of Empire Land, said it is a long process from zoning to building, but “we first seek an entitlement” before moving on to plat design and seeking investors and occupants for the project.
“We’ll get started on plat design tomorrow,” Rodriguez said. “This approval today took 365 days. The agreement between Mr. Dudhaker and myself was sent Jan. 13 of ’08.”
He speculates that on build out the project will be a significant employer with an annual payroll of about $6.3 million.
“We estimate there will be 270 employees,” Rodriguez said. “Regarding construction, we plan on using about 90 percent local contractors. It is entirely too costly to mobilize construction and bring it in.”
Neither Dudhaker or Rodriguez would speculate on when the project might break ground due to a host of variables, but they said they hope to at least be moving earth within a year.
The retail portion of the facility will face Aztec Road. The commercial and industrial area will be behind the retail center.
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