San Tan Valley, AZ

San Tan Valley residents got their first opportunity to voice their concerns and desires regarding an effort to incorporate the area as Arizona's newest city.

State of play: Opinions were mixed as board members from STV Inc. 2024 presented their first draft map of the proposed city boundaries to about 50 people at an open house Tuesday evening at San Tan Heights Community Center.

Catch up quick: STV Inc. 2024 hopes to refer an incorporation plan to the ballot next year.

Why it matters: Supporters say incorporation would give residents more control over local affairs, better services and more authority over their own tax revenue, which is collected and spent by the state and Pinal County.

What they're saying: "I think the people need to know what it's going to cost them," said resident Jerry Pierce.

Zoom in: Others who were more supportive of incorporation expressed concerns that their tax revenues are going to the county or neighboring Queen Creek, home to many of the businesses they patronize.

Meanwhile, one resident said San Tan Valley has the worst water in the area, and questioned whether an incorporated city would change that.

Between the lines: Some attendees' biggest concern with the proposed boundaries was they weren't within them.

What's next: STV Inc. 2024 will hold open houses on July 20 at the Pinal County Offices and Sept. 30 at San Tan Heights Community Center.

Voters may get a chance to decide in 2024 whether San Tan Valley, Pinal County's largest unincorporated community, will become a municipality.

A group of San Tan Valley residents has formed a committee, STV Inc. 2024, to petition for the county area to incorporate, according to an April 12 notice of intent delivered to the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.

During a Wednesday meeting, a member of the group told supervisors that organizers intend to speak with neighbors in the community and nearby cities to obtain feedback and develop plans.

Tyler Hudgins, one of the residents behind the effort, said the boundaries of the proposed municipality remain undetermined. He said residents seek incorporation to secure localized control over tax dollars and address issues such as "water, transportation and development."

As an unincorporated area, San Tan Valley is dependent on county government and services, so the board currently determines how those problems are tackled. But the community has boomed as housing prices have soared in metro Phoenix, and residents and county officials have long expressed concerns that it's outgrown its roads, services and unincorporated status. It has a rapidly growing population of about 100,000, per the U.S. Census Bureau.

That entire San Tan Valley population may not be within the final boundaries of the incorporation bid. Still, it's likely that the community would become Pinal County's largest city if it were to incorporate. Currently, the city of Maricopa holds that title, with a population of about 60,000.

Two potential paths to incorporation

Hudgins stressed that the incorporation process is still in early stages, calling the committee "exploratory."

The group is currently arranging meetings with officials from Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction, he said.

As the group meets with neighbors and stakeholders, Hudgins and other members will work to develop proposed boundaries, create a budget and plan out services for the potential municipality. Once a formal plan has been put together, the committee may seek incorporation via a county supervisors vote or by an election of San Tan Valley voters.

Incorporation by county supervisors would require committee organizers to produce signatures of two-thirds of the registered voters within the boundaries of the area. Incorporation via a direct election requires only 10% of registered voters to sign.

The group's notice of intent states that the committee will endeavor to place the initiative on the November 2024 ballot and "allow the community to determine the future of San Tan Valley."

In that case, the incorporators will need to submit their signatures to county supervisors, who will tally up the number of valid ones. If the group reaches the 10% threshold, the board will greenlight the election and voters within the boundaries of the proposed municipality will choose whether to incorporate.

A history of failed incorporation attempts

Previous incorporation efforts in San Tan Valley have crashed and burned before making it onto voters' ballots.

The most recent, in 2018, was hamstrung when the developer of Encanterra announced it would not give permission for that community to be included in the proposed municipality. At that time, state law dictated that the incorporation process required organizers to notify developers and homeowner associations individually. Any entity not notified could opt out of the proposed boundaries and potentially kill the incorporation effort.

That provision was changed last year, and now, incorporators must notify all parties by getting their efforts on a meeting agenda of the county Board of Supervisors six months in advance. Entities may still opt out, but they can no longer kill the incorporation effort.

Other bids to incorporate San Tan Valley faced opposition from nearby cities. State law previously allowed an existing city or town within six miles of a proposed incorporation to block it, a provision that was removed in 2017.

In the meantime, the unincorporated community's neighboring municipalities have annexed chunks of the area into their boundaries.

Sasha Hupka covers Maricopa County, Pinal County and regional issues for The Arizona Republic. Do you have thoughts on San Tan Valley incorporating? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SashaHupka.

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SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ — With the San Tan Mountains as a backdrop, San Tan Valley is one of the fastest-growing communities in Arizona.

"We only had two roads coming in and out and still had cows and loved it," said Evelyn Carr. "But it's definitely time for us to grow up."

Carr has lived in San Tan Valley for 17 years and she believes it's time for it to become a city.

"I believe that it's a good idea for us to incorporate because we need our roads. Control of what's going on in our city," she said.

Carr is among a growing number of San Tan Valley residents who want their community to become a city.

In April, an organization called STV Inc. 2024 notified Pinal County it will try to get San Tan Valley recognized as a city.

"We have 100,000 residents in San Tan Valley, 100,000 plus. It's the largest unincorporated area and Pinal County is not set up to run a city," said Tyler Hudgins, a member of the STV Inc. 2024 board and one of the leaders in the effort.

Geographically, Pinal County is the size of the state of Connecticut.

When it comes to the distribution of county tax dollars, San Tan Valley gets in line with every other community. Becoming a city would give it access to federal funds as well as greater control over what its residents want.

Pinal County Supervisor Mike Goodman represents San Tan Valley.

"Put the government in control of the people and that's what a municipality does," said Mike Goodman, Pinal County Supervisor who represents San Tan Valley. "They get county amenities. But like I said, I'm the only elected official for the County that lives in the San Tan Valley area. This would give more of a local voice to the people and that is one of the reasons why I'm for the incorporation effort."

Goodman says cities are better equipped to build roads and parks and fund fire service than counties.

The group spearheading the effort will still need to convince voters that this is the case.

Later this summer organizers will host a series of open houses to lay out their plan to San Tan Valley residents. They are also meeting with local city governments in Pinal County as well as Mesa and Gilbert to get input and hopefully buy-in on incorporation.

A map of the future city of San Tan Valley still needs to be drawn and the group will need to gather enough signatures in a petition drive before the Board of Supervisors puts the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

Only residents who will live inside the proposed city limits will vote on incorporating.

Pinal County Public Works, in association with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the Town of Queen Creek, have announced plans to develop the Central Arizona Parkway (CAP), a key infrastructure project poised to transform the daily commute for thousands of residents in the San Tan Valley.

The Central Arizona Parkway, designed to run along the western side of the CAP canal, will create a direct route from San Tan Valley to State Route 24 (SR-24). Beyond easing the commute through San Tan Valley, the project aims to reduce congestion on the region's heavily burdened surface streets, offering a more streamlined and efficient mode of travel.

Phase 1 of the project involves the extension of State Route 24, currently terminating at Ironwood Road, to the CAP Canal alignment. This development will include the creation of a 4-Lane Parkway Facility extending south to Ocotillo Road. Presently, the possibility of further extending the Parkway Facility to AZ Farms Road is under consideration, with a Design Concept Report in the works for in-depth analysis and assessment.

According to the project blueprint, access to the Parkway during Phase 1 will be facilitated through Germann Road and Ocotillo Road, as indicated by the blue alignment on the project map.

The Central Arizona Parkway project is geared towards creating a seamless and convenient commuting experience, with the ultimate goal of boosting economic growth and improving residents' quality of life. It's a major milestone in Pinal County's plan to enhance its infrastructure and aligns perfectly with their vision of establishing sustainable and efficient transportation across the region. This project signifies a significant leap forward in Pinal County's efforts to create a more accessible and thriving community for its residents.

As this ambitious project unfolds, further updates and developments will be shared with the community. Stay tuned to santanvalley.com for the latest news on this game-changing infrastructure endeavor.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has recently announced the addition of a new zip code - 85144 - to the existing postal codes in San Tan Valley, Arizona. This decision comes as a response to increased population growth and business development in the region.

The USPS, the organization responsible for assigning zip codes, has stated that several residents will receive a letter notifying them of a shift from their current zip code, 85142, to the new 85144 zip code. Moving forward, any address in Pinal County currently designated with the zip code 85142 will transition to the new zip code of 85144. This shift will result in the 85142 zip code being disassociated from both San Tan Valley and Pinal County, with Maricopa County becoming the sole bearer of the 85142 zip code (see map below). Some of the subdivisions affected include The Borgata, San Tan Ridge, Promenade, San Tan Heights, and Morning Sun Farms, as well as the area known as the San Tan Foothills. San Tan Flats and each of the businesses south of Empire Blvd are also affected.

To ease this transition, the USPS assures that it will continue to deliver any mail addressed with the 85142 zip code in Pinal County until July 1, 2024, providing a year-long grace period. It's crucial, however, for affected residents to start using the new zip code from July 1, 2023, to ensure a seamless transition and maintain efficient mail delivery.

It's important to understand that zip codes are not determined by town or city boundaries. Rather, they are established based on the requirements of the USPS to sort and deliver mail efficiently. Consequently, zip codes may overlap across different town and city boundaries. This is common all over the country, where USPS's operational needs take precedence over municipal boundaries.

It's also important to note that properties with zip codes 85140, 85143, and 85132 will not be impacted by this change. The new adjustment strictly applies to properties in Pinal County with the 85142 zip code.

In a letter sent to residents, the USPS explained the rationale behind the change:

Dear Postal Customer,We want to inform you about a coming change in your zip code that will enable us to maintain our quality service and delivery standards. This change is necessary due to a large increase in population and in the number of companies doing business in our area. Your new Zip will help us sort, ship and deliver your mail more efficiently.Effective July 1, 2023, your new zip code will be 85144.Change is not always easy or convenient, but your new Zip code will provide additional room for growth in the community and effective mail delivery for years to come.It is important that you begin using your new Zip Code on the effective date. To make this change as easy as possible for you, the Postal Service will ensure delivery of your mail with the old Zip Code for a period of one year. Remember when purchasing new return address labels or stationary, be sure to use your new Zip Code.We are sure you will find that using this new zip code will result in more timely delivery of your mail than ever before.If you have any questions concerning your address, please contact The Postal Service Ams Office at 602.225.3460.

San Tan Valley residents are advised to take note of this development and start informing their correspondents about their new zip code effective July 1, 2023.

Note: Those properties affected by this zip code change will still be located in San Tan Valley and should be using San Tan Valley, AZ 85144 as both their mailing and physical address. The only exception are the businesses on the "inside of the J-curve" such as Earnhardt, Dunkin, and the U-HAUL, as that corner was annexed into the Town of Queen Creek. While their zip code is also changing, they will continue to be Queen Creek, 85144. These addresses include the Goldmine Estates subdivision, Earnhardt Queen Creek, and U-Haul Moving & Storage. The rest of the addresses will use San Tan Valley, AZ 85144.

New 85144 Zip Code Area Map