Pima Council debates first action — zone or sale

During the Jan. 4 meeting, Pima Town Council member Deborah Barr questions the town's selling of properties before the properties are zoned. - David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central

PIMA — The Pima Town Council continues to wrestle with the issue of what part of the community should be zoned for commercial businesses.

At previous meetings, it was decided to seek property along Highway 70, away from residential areas, to prevent truck traffic from being a nuisance.

However, two existing industrial businesses are operating on town land that was originally planned to be industrially zoned, but now is being eyed for residential and school development.

Town Manager Vernon Batty sought Town Council approval to put those parcels of land out for bid, but Council member Deborah Barr questioned the sale before the town came to a conclusion on the zoning.

“It needs to become industrial property before we sell it to them. And we need to wrap up all the loose ends that were not wrapped up a year-and-a-half, or a year ago, whenever it was,” Barr said.

Batty said he was given legal advice from multiple attorneys on the situation, and it was recommended that the town sell the properties as soon as possible due to liability concerns.

The council directed the Planning and Zoning Commission to address the underlying zoning of the two parcels at its next meeting, with a recommendation to come back before the council for final action in February.

Meanwhile, Batty will schedule a survey to lock down the legal description of the parcels in question.

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