SAFFORD — NatureSweet officials said Monday it will develop a research and development facility. Whether it’s in Graham County or not is the issue to be decided.
NatureSweet President and CEO Rodolpho Spielmann went before the Graham County Board of Supervisors Monday to ask for help in figuring out how to get development of a facility in Bonita moving forward.
“The help comes from, how do we work on this together? Instead of letting the process work and standing on the side and waiting for things to happen,” Spielmann said.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Danny Smith said during the meeting he wanted to talk with NatureSweet officials to find out exactly what they want the county to do.
“We, the county, support NatureSweet and any business wanting to grow their business, expand their business and provide jobs,” Smith said. “So I was just wondering what the impediment was; I didn’t catch it. If it was expressed, I didn’t hear it.”
NatureSweet recently received rezoning of two of its greenhouse complexes in Bonita — Sites 5 and 6 — to M-X Unlimited Manufacturing, which will allow NatureSweet to sell those complexes to Bayacan for an indoor medical-grade cannabis grow.
The money from the sale will be used by NatureSweet to convert the remaining four greenhouse complexes into a research and development facility.
However, both the plans for both NatureSweet and Bayacan are on hold following qualification for the ballot of a referendum challenging the Board of Supervisors’ approval of the rezoning. Voters will decide the referendum in November 2022, which Spielmann said is too long for his company to wait.
He also said NatureSweet has been approached with incentives to house the research and development facility in Texas, but that NatureSweet would prefer to develop the facility in Bonita.
Spielmann spoke during the Call to the Public segment of Monday’s meeting, preventing the board from asking questions. Also speaking during the Call to the Public, in favor of finding a way to move the NatureSweet project forward; was Keith Alexander, of Eastern Arizona College; Vance Bryce, from the Graham County Chamber of Commerce; and Reed Richins, owner of Double R Communications.
The referendum seeking to overturn the approved zoning was brought forward by Respect the Will of the People: Graham County Voters & Arizona Public Integrity Alliance Encourages a No Vote on Massive Marijuana Expansion in Our Area. Despite the name, the committee and its chairman, George Khalaf, are not based in Graham County, but operate out of Maricopa County.
Two lawsuits seeking to overturn the validity of the petitions used to qualify the referendum for the ballot are scheduled to be heard by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John R. Hannah on Jan. 20, 2022.
