Highest yet real estate development still climbing in Valley

Unprecedented real estate development in Graham County continued through 2007.

In the unincorporated areas of the county, 17 subdivisions are in various phases of the approval process, according to information from the Graham County Planning and Zoning Department. Four of those developments were eventually annexed into either the town of Pima or Safford.

Orchard Park and Alder Heights Phase 1 were annexed into Pima after receiving final plat approval from the Graham County Board of Supervisors. Alder Heights Phase 2 was annexed into Pima after receiving pre-plat approval.

Montana Vista Estates was annexed into Safford after it received final plat approval from the Board of Supervisors.

The remaining 13 developments include Sierra del Sol, a 6,432-unit master plan development proposed by Silver-Prina LLC. The development is planned for a 1,700-acre site south of Safford and will be geared to retirees.

The conceptual plan for Sierra del Sol includes trails, parkways, a golf course and commercial property in addition to the residential development.

Ted Prina of Silver-Prina LLC said in March that the preliminary plat could be ready for consideration by the Graham County Planning and Zoning Commission in about eight months.

The county is not alone in grappling with the challenges of residential growth.

The city of Safford issued a record number of permits and completed a record number of building inspections during 2007.

Through Nov. 30, Safford issued 196 permits for single-family houses with a total value of $20.421 million, and 33 commercial permits were issued with a total value of $10.574 million.

A combined total of 297 building permits for residential and commercial projects with a valuation of $32.338 million were issued by the Safford Building Department during the first 11 months of 2007 — the most current information available.

In comparison, only 144 permits with a total value of $20.289 million were issued during the same time period in 2006, according to statistics provided by the city.

To keep pace with the new construction in Safford, the Building Department has increased the number of building inspections it conducts. As of Nov. 30, 2,397 building inspections were conducted, compared to 2,156 during the first 11 months of 2006.

Reader Comments

retired realtor wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:57 PM:

” Looking Forward… record real estate development in county fails to find record new home buyers in 2008. Lots of vacant lots and filed permits but few completed and occupied homes and sub-divisions. “