The line of parked cars — more than a quarter mile in length — was a quick indicator as to the interest in a proposed development off State Route 89A between Sedona and Cottonwood.
An estimated 150 people turned out to Spring Creek Ranch on Friday, Dec. 6, despite cold, gloomy weather to hear a presentation by owner Eric Borowsky and his daughter, Lisa. The meeting was supposed to last 90 minutes but went for more than three hours as residents from around the Verde Valley came to hear the presentation, ask questions and express their thoughts and concerns.
The Borowskys are seeking to change the zoning of their 246 acres from Residential Rural to Planned Development. Joining them in this endeavor are members of the Ryerson family, who have owned 36 acres of adjoining land since the early 1960s. Eric Borowsky purchased his land 15 years ago.
The maximum number of pads on the land will be 1,900 manufactured home sites and 600 RV sites. In addition, they hope to have 400 apartments — with no buildings over 30 feet high — and a 200-unit assisted living facility. Some of the manufactured homes may also be used as long-term rentals.
The site will also offer a recreational facility, a general store, restaurant, park area with walking path on 60 acres of open space as well as a Verde Valley Fire District fire station and possible Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office substation.
The Borowskys feel a selling point is the fact there will be no age restrictions, nor will they allow any short-term vacation rentals within the community. All apartment leases will be for six months at a time.
If developed, the Borowskys plan to own and manage the property, which will be developed over six to nine years or longer depending upon demand.
But before they can put a shovel in the ground, the Borowskys must first receive a zoning change from Yavapai County. They are slated to go before the Yavapai County Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday, Dec. 19, in Cottonwood. If all goes as planned, work could begin as early as spring 2020.
In addition to receiving the county’s blessing, they also will need approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Arizona Department of Transportation before moving forward.
“People are coming to the Verde Valley — we’re not going to stop that,” Eric Borowsky said. “Right now, they have no place to go. There are no houses available. Renters are being forced out of Sedona because of short-term vacation rentals. It’s not for everybody but it’s for a lot of people.”
In terms of the price of the manufactured homes, in recent weeks the Borowskys have reduced the basic model cost to $100,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bath — $20,000 less than originally planned. In addition, depending upon the location of the home, the monthly space rental will be between $600 to $800, which would not include utilities.
As for the apartments, two-bedroom, two-baths would range from $1,000 to $1,200 a month. Even though it’s not an option, they said that if they sold the manufactured home and the lot it sat on, the cost would be $230,000 to $250,000.
The question and answer portion of the open house lasted for more than two hours. Several of those in attendance praised the Borowskys for having the open house and taking the time to listen to the concerns. Those concerns varied greatly but many were concerned about the density of the project and why the need to divert from the current zoning that allows two-acre parcels. Other concerns and opinions included the potential impact on Spring Creek and the riparian zone, traffic, dark skies, rent increases, the affordability of the homes for the area’s workforce, “greed,” value depreciation of manufactured homes and concerns expressed by state agencies.
Following the open house, Lisa Borowsky sum-med up the Borowsky’s feelings about the event and what was shared by the public.
“My father and I appreciate the time and interest of those that attended our community presentation,” she said. “Hopefully, the information we provided helped clarify our intentions and the Spring Creek Ranch development proposal. Visiting the site provides the opportunity for individuals to see, first hand, how remote our location is, and how minimally development on our property will impact the surrounding area.”
Lisa Borowsky went on to add, “We received some interesting feedback, which we appreciate. We had a few people tell us they changed their opinion after sitting through the meeting, which was encouraging. We intend to follow up with many of those that attended, and we look forward to continuing the dialogue with the community.”
