The Mohave County General Plan document is intended to bring about coordinated physical development in accordance with the present and future needs of the County. It addresses land use, transportation, and resource conservation issues. It is used as an aid and guideline for the Development Services Department and Board of Supervisors when making land use decisions and considering amendments to the County Zoning Ordinance and zoning district map.

It was decided to revise the 1980 Havasu area study, since the area had changed so much. The members felt that to retain some control over the growth a revised area plan was needed and decided to have the area covered to be just the 72 square miles of the Desert Hills Fire District, rather than the whole of the unincorporated Lake Havasu Area north of the City.

In 1995, Mohave County adopted the “Mohave County General Plan” which included a countywide land use design. Included were several surrounding small communities. These communities subsequently created their own more specific area plans which were then included in the Mohave County General Plan. However, Dolan Springs was identified as an “outlying community” which would not be included. Dolan Springs then created their own area plan.

The purpose of the Long Mountain Area Plan is to recognize the unique character of the Long Mountain Area and to encourage land use patterns that are consistent with the goals of the Mohave County General Plan. The Long Mountain Area Plan, a component of the General Plan, covers approximately 61 square miles of unincorporated land in Mohave County.

The purpose of the U.S. Highway 93 Corridor Area Plan is to recognize the unique character of the highway corridor and to encourage land use patterns that are consistent with the goals of the Mohave County General Plan, the residents and the property owners. The U.S. Highway 93 Corridor Area Plan, a component of the General Plan, covers approximately 430 square miles of unincorporated land in Mohave County.

A primary objective of the plan is to help local governments, fire departments, and residents identify at-risk public and private lands to better protect those lands from severe wildfire threat. Additional functions of the plan are to improve fire prevention and suppression activities, as well as to identify funding needs and opportunities to reduce the risk of wildland fire and enhance public and firefighter safety.

This plan is an action agenda that avoids the long-term strategic planning platitudes and broad generalizations that sound good but do not achieve a great deal. The steps presented in this document are ones we can take in the near term, over the next two years or so, that will provide the foundation for long-term economic growth and stability.

It is important to note that the Rio Verde Foothills Area Plan is not a document that represents ultimate buildout as many municipal general plans typically do. Rather, it prepares for and accommodates growth over the next ten to fifteen years, but will be reexamined and updated periodically to reflect current conditions and changes. While not a complete solution, the Rio Verde Foothills Area Plan helps address the effects of growth and development by enhancing cooperation between government agencies, citizens, and other affected interests, and by considering regional implications.