THATCHER — Culver’s coming to Thatcher is a go.
During last Monday’s meeting, the Thatcher Town Council unanimously approved the sales agreement for development of a Culver’s restaurant in the Thatcher Commercial Plaza.
Town Manager Heath Brown said the restaurant’s owners would like to be open by January; however, there are a few minor hurdles to overcome, including a traffic study with the Arizona Department of Transportation.
“When we get from Culver’s a site plan, so we know exactly what our . . . because we have to submit a plan to ADOT . . . soon as we know what that looks like, then we can start giving out permits,” Brown said.
Brown said he’s working with ADOT to require a traffic study, which moves relatively quickly, rather than a traffic impact analysis, which takes significantly longer.
He added that the town, rather than the commercial plaza tenants, will beautify the frontage on U.S. Highway 70, as the town wants to have a unified look on the ADOT right-of-way portion of the highway. And the town will have the right of first option to re-purchase the land at the sales price plus 5 percent if the restaurant is not developed.
“I’ve been approached several times, with people with ties to Sierra Vista that speak very highly of the Culver’s there, and I want the public to understand that this is not a corporate business; it will be locally owned and operated,” Mayor Jenny Howard said.
Culver’s will be the second occupant of the Thatcher Commercial Plaza, the land that formerly housed the Red Lamp Mobile Home Park. Brown said all utilities to the land are in place and American Southwest Credit Union will begin construction on its new branch in the coming months.
