By Mara Knaub | Yuma Sun
A planned protest turned into a celebration on Monday when outdoor enthusiasts got word that Yuma backpedaled on plans to expand city boundaries into the desert area commonly known as Fortuna Dunes in preparation for future development.
The area is currently used by off-roaders and outdoor enthusiasts, and many of them opposed the proposal. Gonzalo Zaragoza was among those who spoke against it at the first hearing held by the Planning and Zoning Commission last month.
The commission had set the second of two public hearings for Monday afternoon. Zaragoza planned to speak again at this meeting, but at 12 p.m. he received a call from a city official who told him that Yuma, in coordination with the state, had withdrawn the request to include state land in the city’s general plan and canceled the Monday meeting.
