'New Urbanism' in Casa Grande

'New Urbanism' proposed as change for long delayed northside development, from the Casa Grande Dispatch, reports that the developers for the largest master-planned community in Casa Grande's history, Copper Mountain Ranch, presented their development plan to the Casa Grande P&Z Commission. The 8,504-acre community is being planned as a "New Urbanism" type of development, where housing is clustered around individual shopping areas, with apartments and condos above many of the stores. The development will contain single-family housing, resort areas, golf courses, a business park and a major commercial area that could handle a big box store such as Home Depot. The developer, Vangaurd, says that it could take up to 30 years for Copper Mountain to build out.
'New Urbanism' proposed as change for long-delayed northside development

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15617075&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6

Coolidge vs. Florence

Coolidge, Florence feud flares over towns' annexation plans, from the Arizona Republic, reports that Coolidge and Florence are in an annexation battle around the Coolidge airport southeast of Coolidge. Florence officials claim Coolidge isn't playing fair by muscling them out of annexing land already within their general plan and water and sewer provision for annexation. Coolidge officials contend they're just looking out for their own economic-development interests by gaining control of land around their airport so that land-hungry Florence's developments can't interfere with flight paths and the planned eventual opening of another runway. Coolidge recently files to annex 4,100 acres around the airport, but within Florence's general plan. Coolidge is positioning the area to be it's major business center due to the airport, a potential major freeway link and the businesses and people that will bring, translating into tax revenues for the city.