“A third pilot that has been approved by the board is becoming involved with the Lakeshore Project again with the Fain signature group in Prescott Valley. They are going through the process of developing some land on the east side and having that land brought into the town limits of PV. If you look on the left hand side, that’s the whole project. Below the ravine is that little kind of upside down L-shaped property.
“And the large image on the right is a blow-up of that. And that’s where they plan to build some attainable housing. It will be a combination of both manufactured housing and modular housing, and we plan to participate in that project as it works its way through the approval process.
“So far, we’ve not made a capital investment as of yet. As part of that project, the fans introduced us to a product from Xeni home. Again, it’s I have manufactured, I made a mistake. This is actually a modular home. It’s built to local zoning code standards. They come in both 306 hundred square foot units. They can stand alone, as you see in the picture on the left, or they can be combined into row houses or even apartment buildings, and they come fully furnished, including most of the furniture.
“So I had a chance to go down and see some of the units in Tempe at the end of last summer. And I think we were very impressed with the quality of what they’re offering. . . .”
Recall that back on January 27, 2020, the District Governing Board showed no opposition to a proposal made by the College executives to spend almost a half million dollars to purchase two 3D concrete printers. The information given to the Board at the time suggested that the printers could complete the foundation, interior, and exterior walls for a medium-sized home in 3-5 days.
After roofing, electrical, plumbing, and other services were installed, it was thought that these 3D printed homes could help alleviate Yavapai College’s attainable housing shortage by providing temporary housing for staff, faculty, or students. This innovative approach seemed like a promising solution to a pressing problem.
However, after Governing Board approval and the investment of the half million dollars, the College eventually had to scrap the purchased 3D printers and construct their own, using its own staff and materials. The purchased printers were not fit for the purpose intended by the College.
The next bit of information surfaced in December 2020, when a brief announcement in the College’s Facilities Management Newsletter revealed ongoing work to equip the 3D housing sites (possibly three of them) at the Chino Valley Center with essential utilities. The announcement stated, “Facilities Management is aiding the 3D house printing project by installing electrical, data, and water services for up to three houses at the construction site. Moreover, the Chino Ag Center will serve as a platform to display the program’s capabilities.”
However, since December 2020, Yavapai Community College’s disclosure about the status of the 3D homes has been at best sparse. That changed slightly when, during a brief moment at the November 26, 2023, Governing Board meeting, some light was shed on this project.
The scrap of information came in response to a succinct question from Chair Deb McCasland about the status of those homes. “What is the plan for the houses built on the Chino Valley Campus?” she asked. In response, Community College Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, Clint Ewell, surprised some listeners by stating: “Those are actually not certified for occupancy. So those will just be basically demonstration homes.”
Recall, as noted earlier, that since 2020 many, if not most, had assumed that the 3D cement homes being constructed would, when completed, provide temporary housing for College faculty, staff, or students. But as clarified in Ms. McCasland’s query, this will not be the case. They cannot be occupied!
It is worth noting that the total amount, running into hundreds of thousands of dollars, invested by the College in this endeavor remains hidden from the public. The District Governing Board, charged with the dual responsibility of judiciously using taxpayer funds and keeping the community informed about spending, seems to have missed the mark over the past three years in ensuring transparency and accountability for this project.
YOU MAY VIEW THE VIDEO OF DR. CLINT EWELL’S REPORT TO THE GOVERNING BOARD ABOUT THIS PROJECT ON SEPTEMBER 19 BY CLICKING HERE. AUDIO ON VIDEO OF POOR QUALITY AS COLLEGE TECHS FORGOT TO MOOT CERTAIN MIKES.
You may visit the Developer’s website announcing the availability of the apartments and containing additional information about them by clicking here.
Below is a housing statement contained in the 2022 Community College Master Plan with the photo of the housing project at San Mateo College.