Pre-Development Meetings (PDM)

 

Communities throughout Yuma County and the binational region are actively working to retain existing businesses and attract new employers. To facilitate those efforts, Yuma County and its communities offer a service to inform companies of its development policies and insight to development issues related to specific parcels.  It is a tangible way to demonstrate the community is business-friendly. The vehicle for this discussion are Pre-Development Meetings or PDM’s. While the meetings come in a variety of forms (depending upon the community or county) and may carry different names, the purpose is the same – provide individuals and companies with site specific development/project feedback in advance of formally submitting plans. This saves the company or individual time and money.

The items that are frequently covered in these meetings include;

• Planning and Zoning – identifying the parcels’ zoning and stating its permitted and non-permitted uses. Information is also provided on the development guidelines pertaining to the specific zoning classification including floor area, height limitations, on-site water retention, curb cuts, lighting, and parking.
• Fire and Fire Access – Information is presented related to the requirement for sprinklers and other firefighting infrastructure. The developer is also made aware of the requirements for fire truck access and on-site truck circulation.
• Traffic – Engineering personnel highlight general traffic circulation per the site, site access issues, required road improvement related to new development, easements, and setback guidelines.
• Utilities – Staff provides overview of water and sewer service related to a site. Information is presented on service line locations, bringing service on-site, meters sizes, payback agreements (if any), and connection fees.

PDM’s are done at no-cost to the developer and provide valuable insight to the community’s site development process. The meetings also result in real time savings related to plan development and permit processing.  For assistance in planning a PDM, contact the appropriate local economic development representative or the community’s planning department staff.

Document: Land Development Coordination: San Luis, Somerton, Wellton, Yuma and Yuma County - Building & Zoning Plan Review Timeframes 2019.