By Tony Davis | Arizona Daily Star
A planned project for 7,000 homes and apartments in Sierra Vista now sits in legal limbo due to a judge’s ruling overturning state approval of it.
If the ruling is upheld by higher courts, it could have a major impact on growth in Sierra Vista and how the state handles future cases of whether a new development has enough water for 100 years, various observers said Tuesday.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Crane McClennen ruled that the Arizona Department of Water Resources erred in concluding that the developer of the Tribute project has adequate water through a water company. The water department found in April 2013 that the Pueblo del Sol Water Co. of Sierra Vista has a legally available supply. Such a finding is necessary for a new Cochise County development.
