Issue 1: Reclassification to "Employment" UPDATE: WITHDRAWN
Details about Case # PZ-PA-006 UPDATE: the application was withdrawn on August 3, 2021
UPDATE: on August 3, 2021, the application for the Major Comprehensive Plan Amendment was withdrawn. No specific reasons were given.
The State Trust Land between Peralta Trails and Entrada del Oro is currently slated for two land uses: 1. MLDR (moderate low density residential) and 2. Open Space. Gold Canyon residents expected to eventually see additional quiet single-family home developments with plenty of open space in between and around.
However, in 2019, the AZ State Land Department requested a major amendment to the Pinal County Comprehensive Plan to re-designate the 12,115 ± acres in this area from MLDR and Open Space to 1. MLDR, 2. EMPLOYMENT, and 3. Open Space. Residents were informed of this application in June of 2021. Of the 12,115 acres total, approximately 8,600 acres would be used for Employment.
The addition of the Employment category would open this land up to large-scale industrial development which most residents in Gold Canyon neither want nor need. The average age is over 65, and workforce participation is a low 33% (see https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/gold-canyon-az-population). Most people move to Gold Canyon because they seek a peaceful lifestyle close to nature, not to find employment.
