Coconino County Supervisors OK Glittering Mountain development
Project near Twin Arrows to include retail, housing and entertainment

Navajo Nation Shopping Centers, Inc. plans to build an entertainment center, retail stores, cultural center and housing next to Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort over the next 10-12 years. Submitted photo

Navajo Nation Shopping Centers, Inc. plans to build an entertainment center, retail stores, cultural center and housing next to Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort over the next 10-12 years. Submitted photo

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The Coconino County Board of Supervisors Sept. 1 approved a zone change for seventy-acres north of I-40 next to Twin Arrows Resort and Casino that allows development of an entertainment center, retail stores, cultural center and housing, among other things.

Navajo Nation Shopping Centers, Inc. requested a zone change from general to mixed use to allow for its expansion plans. The adopted agreement with some amendments paves the way for the group to develop the property in four phases over 10 years.

Because the project is on fee simple land, not tribal trust land, the county needed to approve the agreement.

Nathan Begay, CEO of the Navajo Nation Shopping Center, Inc., said he believes the project is a good one and is a new one for the Nation, too.

"We are thinking outside the box," he said. "I took that challenge to build something different. I really see it as a unique project that we want to do."

The development agreement, called The Outlook at Glittering Mountain, which represents the San Francisco Peaks as one of the Dine's sacred mountains, was first submitted in 2013. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the zone change in October 2014. Since that time, other details of the development agreement have been solidified and address concerns such as water and wastewaters services, fire, police and emergency services, preservation of cultural resources and the use of sustainable business practices and renewable energy. The development agreement is the contract between the county and the developer and can only be amended by the board of supervisors in another public meeting.

The project would be broken down into four phases. Some of those phases, which include an entertainment center with a bowling alley and laser tag, were included in collaboration with Twin Arrows to increase the casino's appeal to families with kids.

Because of the cross-jurisdiction between trust land and fee simple land, the system for delivering water and wastewater services from Twin Arrows Casino would need to meet the requirement of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

Eight archaeological sites on the property - five eligible for inclusion on the National Registry of Historic Places - must be accounted for in the plan.

While Supervisor Liz Archuleta approved of the sustainable building practices, she had questions about the height and square footage of some of the buildings in the agreement that exceed what the county normally approves.

The cap is usually 40 feet in height for commercial and 35 feet for residential. Big box stores have a cap of 70,000 square feet for building space. Some of the plans in the development agreement exceed that amount.

Jay Christelman, director of community development for the county, said that a planned community (PC) zone can establish its own performance standards if it is acceptable to the Board of Supervisors.

The supervisors were also reminded that this is a high density project including 70 acres, up to 376 residential units and 400,000 square feet of commercial space, with some areas also designated for open space.

Some residents had concerns about the effect of the development on an area that has mostly been ranch land and how it would change the landscape.

Virginia Riedel said that she has owned a ranch south of Twin Arrows for 55 years and while she believes in property rights she has some concerns on how the area will be affected and the potential for much more housing than has really been addressed.

"I think this project will significantly change the complexion of this area," Riedel said. "I think that you need to consider you will be setting a precedent with this project for other projects of similar size and character."

Other homeowners in the area questioned whether they would still have access to their properties with easements that are already in place.

Supervisors still had questions about how the expansion would deal with fire protection, whether through an annex by an existing fire district for fire protection and emergency medical services. Other ideas were to establish a fire district in the local area that meets Arizona statues or contract for fire and emergency services from a fully certified public or private provider whose response times meets or exceed industry standards.

A fourth idea proposed that Navajo Nation Shopping Centers, Inc. develop a method of fire protection at its own discretion. The supervisors struck that option from the development agreement.

Supervisors approved a 150-foot buffer zone between the expansion and where its edge borders Padre Canyon, which is a wildlife corridor - the Canyon is also used by residents for recreation - despite developers' request of 50 feet.

Chairman Art Babbott said a lot of work had gone into developing an undeveloped piece of land and that the developers' "light on the land" proposal was a good one and relevant to where the expansion is located. He said he appreciated that by bringing the project into fee use land, the county had its chance to weigh in on the project, both in design and compliance with regulations.

"I want to really recognize as a sovereign nation, you have an obligation to improve the lives of your citizens whether that's on trust or fee land," Babbot said. "I want to acknowledge that is an important endeavor that needs to be given support when we work together on that."

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