What are future housing plans for the Verde Campus now that the little trailer park is full?  Did planners even have future plans in mind when they began project? 

Robert Oliphant, Editor

OPINION: The modest 10-space trailer park on the Verde Campus is at full capacity for fall 2024. According to rental information from Yavapai Community College, a waitlist for January 2025 is already forming.

This trailer park wasn’t even a part of the Master Plan discussed in concept and approved back in November 2022, which means there are no past or future plans for it in the College’s blueprint. Moreover, the Governing Board has seemingly sidelined or completely eliminated the $9 million initially approved in concept for Verde Valley Campus housing. Instead, it appears this money has been redirected to cover the cost of a 41-acre camp purchased in May 2024 for Prescott, another project absent from the Master Plan approved in concept in November 2022..

Once again, Sedona and the Verde Valley find themselves at the losing end of the deal. If the popularity of this small trailer park experiment proves anything, it’s the evident need for on-campus student housing—much like the comprehensive facilities suggested in the November 2022 Master Plan approved in concept.

However, the failure of the Cottonwood apartment project, poor planning as related to the desert trailer park, and the apparent necessity to divert Sedona/Verde Valley property taxes to fund the rapid expansion on the Prescott side of Mingus Mountain,  suggest that the long-overdue housing development for the Verde Valley will once again be ignored by the Prescott Community College powerful.

This situation highlights a concerning pattern: the critical needs of Sedona and the Verde Valley are consistently ignored, despite clear evidence and pressing demands.

Yavapai Community College’s planners astonishingly located a 10-space trailer park adjacent to backyards of Clarkdale residents, which are separated from the park by only a poorly maintained narrow gravel maintenance road.  Meanwhile, a location elsewhere on about  80 available vacant acres on the Campus with easy travel trailer access could have been chosen with  no impact on Clarkdale residents

Home almost directly across from Community College trailer park.

The decision made by Yavapai Community College executives, who are based in Prescott, regarding the location of the trailer park on the Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale raises major concerns about their consideration for the neighboring residents. The 10-space park is located adjacent to backyards of Clarkdale residents, which are separated from the park by only a poorly maintained narrow gravel maintenance road.

While the College may have had its reasons for selecting the odd location for the park,  presumably related to financial considerations, it is apparent that little thought was given to respecting the privacy and well-being of the immediate neighborhood.

It is truly astonishing that the trailer park was situated in such close proximity to the backyards of private homes in Clarkdale. This location choice appears both puzzling and, at worst, ignorant. There were clearly numerous readily accessible other locations on the 80 or so vacant acres on the Campus far from the Clarkdale neighborhood.  If chosen, the location would have had no adverse impact on the lives of Clarkdale residents.

In response to this seemingly ill-conceived placement, it is evident that affected neighbors have taken matters into their own hands. Some have chosen to erect a substantial metal-like privacy and security fence as a means of shielding themselves from the College’s trailer park, which they seemingly perceive as unattractive and disruptive.

While the exact cost to the College’s neighbors of installing these fences remains unclear, one can reasonably surmise that it is a significant expense. The fact that residents are willing to invest in such measures underscores the inadequacy of the chosen location for the trailer park. Residents undoubtedly feel compelled to take these steps in order to safeguard their privacy and maintain their quality of life.

Four trailers parked on lot: no sign of promised RVs

The construction of Yavapai Community College’s Verde Campus 10-space trailer park is still ongoing. As a reminder, this small facility project commenced in March on an unused portion of the vacant 80-acre parcel of land owned by the College within the Verde Valley Campus.

Since the start of the fall semester, only  four travel  trailers have appeared on the premises.

Back in March, the College made a commitment to acquire and place four recreational vehicles in the park for rental purposes. The goal was to purchase them and have them ready for rental by faculty or students by the beginning of the fall semester.  However, as of October 23, there are no signs of these vehicles being present at the park.

VERDE VALLEY CAMPUS TRAILER PARK SHOWING THREE OF FOUR TRAILERS PARKED ON IT AS OF OCTOBER 23.

Says work not yet finished on water and sewer infrastructure but hoping for August 14 completion; Facilities Management Newsletter where announcement made contains two photos showing progress of the project

Yavapai Community College’s August 2023 Facilities Management Newsletter provided a three-sentence update on the progress of the RV parking lot project at the Verde Valley Campus. Since commencing construction in March of this year, the project has been slowly moving toward completion. Although substantial strides have been made, the announcement by the College acknowledges the need for further work on essential water and sewer infrastructure. The anticipated project completion date is set for August 14.

The Facilities Management Newsletter  includes a visual glimpse into the project’s current state through two accompanying photographs. These images offer a window into the ongoing efforts to create  the RV parking lot for students and staff.  You can access the photos by clicking here.

However, important aspects regarding the RV lot have not been released to the public.  These include the purchase cost of the four RVs (if any were purchased), security provisions for the park including lighting measures, all potential RV parking charges, availability of internet service, the presence of a dump station, noise management strategies due to proximity to neighboring Clarkdale homes, and technical considerations involving the weight-bearing capacity of the gravel road. These all remain unexplored.

Notably, the absence of information regarding the RV Park’s total construction cost estimate in any Community College budget raises questions about budget transparency. While from the College’s Prescott-based executives’ perspective these costs may be considered trivial, a comprehensive understanding of the project’s financial implications would contribute to a more informed community.

As the project nears its expected completion date, the residents of Yavapai  County  eagerly anticipate receiving additional information to gain a comprehensive view of the RV park’s features and costs.

Community College ignores Blog’s most recent request for information to update RV park’s status as Fall semester begins August 12

Obtaining information from Yavapai Community College can be quite challenging, as the institution seems to uphold a strict policy of confidentiality when it comes to its internal operations. Regrettably, despite requests from the Blog to the College’s public relations department, our recent inquiries about the current status of the RV park have gone unanswered. As a result, the residents of Yavapai County are left uninformed about a variety of matters, including the RV park’s readiness status by August 12, the rental costs of a student parking an RV in the park, lighting and security measures for the park, or the type and cost of the four purchased RVs (if any were purchased).

To address this issue and shed light on these matters, the Blog remains dedicated to pursuing any available channels of information and will strive to keep the community informed as soon as we receive any additional information.

The Blog understands the importance of transparency in the decision-making processes of an institution like Yavapai Community College, and it will continue its efforts to ensure that residents have access to the information an institution should normally furnish its taxpayers.  Rest assured, the Blog’s commitment to delivering accurate and up-to-date information remains unwavering.

The following is  what the Blog has learned so far from a wide variety of reliable sources about the RV park on the Verde Valley Campus 

Here is what the Blog knows so far:

1. The Blog is unable to find in the Community College budget for the past or present years an entry clearly identifying by name the Verde Campus RV park and its estimated budgetary construction cost.

2. On October 18, 2022, at the Community College’s District Governing Board  meeting the question of an RV park at the Verde Valley Campus of Yavapai Community College was discussed for about two or three minutes.  During the brief discussion,  then Third District Yavapai Community College Representative Paul Chevalier, in whose district the RV park would be constructed, said he opposed the idea. He was concerned that using RVs for housing might  “lower the quality of the look of the campus.”  Board Chair, Deb McCasland fully supported the idea. No formal vote was taken.

3. During March 2023, without public notice or a formal Governing Board vote on the project the Blog can identify, construction was discreetly started on the Verde Valley Campus to build a ten vehicle RV park for staff and students. Heavy equipment began leveling the surface for the RV lot on Campus land adjacent to the vineyard.

4. On May 17, 2023, through its own press release, the College belatedly publicly announced its decision to construct a 10-space Recreational Vehicle Park on the Verde Valley Campus. According to the press release, the College intends to purchase four RV units and initially offer them for rent to employees and possibly students. Additionally, the remaining six pads will be exclusively reserved for employees and possibly students who already possess their own RVs. Employees will have priority over students.  It will have such amenities as a patio, gazebo, and dog run. Occupants will have access to an onsite laundry facility and, “along with their neighbors,“ a well-maintained gravel road.

5. In an article dated May 17, 2023, which appeared in the Verde Independent,  it reported it was told by the College that “The RV Park is a Yavapai College District Governing Board-approved project.”  It also told the Independent that the RV park  will have “electrical hookup and septic available.” It appears that the decision was made to forgo connecting the RV park’s sewer system to the neighboring Cottonwood (or Clarkdale) sewer system and install a septic system because it would be too costly.  It will drain sewerage into a septic system in the desert area adjacent to the park.

6. On May 30, 2023, Clint Ewell granted an interview to Phoenix  Channel 3 News  reporter Casey Torres about the RV park.  She reported the College will rent the RVs on the Verde Campus for $500 a month for “RV owners.”  It was unclear what the College would charge for renting one of the remaining six spaces. Some viewers were surprised that during this interview College Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, Dr. Clint Ewell, appeared to emphasize the projects as being aimed at  student housing rather than employees although he noted at least three employees had shown an interest in the RV park.

7. In a story posted on Azcentral.com on July 5, 2023 (updated July 21, 2023) Clint Ewell is quoted as saying: “It’s really been in the last maybe two to three years that we’ve started to feel like (the cost of housing) is starting to influence our ability to attract new people.” “Over time, I think this becomes a great way for us to onboard new employees and give them a place to land and get the lay of the land before they go out looking for a house to buy or rent,” he said.

8. Present: Recent requests from the Blog to the College’s PR department to provide Yavapai County residents via the Blog an update on  the status of the park as fall semester approaches have been ignored. All of the news stories indicated the goal was to have the park ready by the start of the fall 2023 semester.

Water and sewer connections will add to cost of construction on Verde Valley Campus

Yavapai Community College’s tiny 10 pad RV park will have to invest a considerable amount of money into providing sewer and water.  It will also have to meet Clarkdale’s general and specific regulations regarding its operation. 

Here are a few of the general regulations the RV park is expected to meet:

RVs must be properly licensed and registered with the Arizona Department of Transportation.

RVs must be hooked up to a sewer system and have a working water supply.

RVs must be hooked up to a sewer system and have a working water supply.

RVs cannot be used as a permanent residence.

Here are a few of the specific regulations regarding operating an RV park the pad is expected to meet:

• • • Water and sewer: RV parks must be connected to a public water and sewer system. If a public water and sewer system is not available, the RV park must have its own water and sewer system that meets all applicable standards. (Note. Cottonwood’s sewer system is adjacent the College.)
    • Electricity: RV parks must be connected to a public electric system. If a public electric system is not available, the RV park must have its own electric system that meets all applicable standards.
    • Fire safety: RV parks must meet all applicable fire safety standards. This includes having fire hydrants, sprinkler systems, and fire alarms.
    • Waste disposal: RV parks must have a system for disposing of waste water and sewage. This system must meet all applicable standards.
    • Parking: RV parks must provide adequate parking for all guests.
    • Maintenance: RV parks must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

Chevalier’s view, in whose district the campus resides, did not prevail

What kind of RV will the College purchase?

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board held a general discussion about housing  employees at its October 18, 2022 meeting.  During the meeting, it became clear that Third District Representative Paul Chevalier opposed using recreational vehicles for employees and possibly student housing on the Verde Valley Campus.  Board Chair, Deb McCasland, fully supported the idea.

Doubtful College will purchase an RV like this.

Chavlier evinced a concern that using RVs for housing stating that in his opinion they would “lower the quality of the look of the campus. So I would be opposed to RVs.” 

Chair Deb McCasland said “the idea of RV pads is excellent.  Because all we’re investing in is cement and utilities.” 

Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Clint Ewell said at the meeting that an RV park is “fairly affordable in the scheme of things.  But you have to have an RV.”  However, subsequently the College announced it would purchase four RVs for the park and rent them out at $500 a month while leaving six spots open for RV owners.

Obviously, Third District Representative Chevalier’s view, in whose district the Verde Valley Campus is located,  did not persuade the College executives.

You may view a view clip of the exchange at the October meeting by clicking here.