COCHISE COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT
1415 Melody Lane, Bisbee, Arizona 85603

(520) 432-9240
Fax 432-9279

Judy Anderson, Director

Tres Alamos Area Plan
The Tres Alamos Area Plan consists of the Vision Statement, the Policies and a Land Use Map.
The Land Use Map identifies the boundaries of the Plan Area. The land use designation within
the Plan Area is the “Rural Residential” (RR) designation within a Category “D” Rural Area.
designation.
Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan land use designations do not change the underlying
zoning district designations for any parcel lying within the Plan area. The underlying zoning
remains until a property owner seeks to change the zoning through a rezoning process.
Vision Statement
“In the year 2020 the Tres Alamos communities will maintain a rural quality characterized by
quiet, peacefulness, neighborliness, the beauty of the rural environment and large lot sizes. The
community will maintain a trail network while protecting wildlife pathways, green open spaces
and dark night skies. New development will contribute to this Vision and will honor the rich
ranching history of the area and will preserve historic sites and trails.”
Land Use Policies
1. Heavy industry is not appropriate.
2. Legal subdivisions are preferable to lot splitting.
3. All approvals for rezonings to a higher density shall be conditioned with the requirement
that new development proceed under the subdivision process.
4. Improved roads should be required as part of new development and should be designed to
(a) be safe for residential traffic; (b) reflect a rural residential character; and (c) be
pedestrian-, bicycle- and equestrian-friendly.
5. Water resources should be protected, particularly groundwater levels for home sites and
watersheds serving the San Pedro River. Unique natural water features, such as natural
springs and ponds, should be preserved.

1
Adopted July 11, 2006 by Resolution 06-53
Recorded Fee # 060727408

How the Plan is to be Used
The purpose of the proposed Tres Alamos Area Plan is to guide future growth and conservation
efforts within the Plan Area. The Vision Statement and policies provide direction and guidance
on how the community chooses to direct residential and non-residential development,
infrastructure, and new building forms in order to sustain and strengthen the natural resources,
rural character, privacy and healthy livability of the community.
It is intended that Applicants for subdivisions, rezonings and special use permits will review the
Plan’s Vision Statement and policies prior to designing the site plans for their Project and will
address the Vision Statement and its values in the siting of infrastructure, roadways and trails,
building sites and building orientation, areas for open space and natural resource conservation
and various land uses to insure that their proposals meet the Vision Statement. Applicants who
propose Projects that satisfy the land use and design values of the Vision Statement can be
expected to be supported in their efforts by the Tres Alamos community, the Planning and
Zoning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors. Developers should use the information in
this Plan to select appropriate sites for development and to assist in the layout and design of their
Projects. Prospective residents can use the Plan to identify the valued resources of the
Community and to gain some assurance that these resources would be protected in the future by
County staff and legislators.
The text of the Countywide Comprehensive Plan identifies land use policies that can be used to
measure new development within various parts of the County. An Area Plan, typically, provides
a set of policies which can be viewed as a sub-set of the broader Countywide policies and which
are deemed more specifically reflective of the local physical environment, its setting, and the
values and desires shared by the local community. The polices within this Area Plan are to be
used to measure the suitability or appropriateness of a development proposal within the Plan
Area. At a minimum, if a proposal meets or satisfies a specific policy of the Area Plan, this
would be deemed a factor in favor of approval of the proposal. Conversely, if the proposal did
not meet the policies of the Area Plan, it would be deemed by staff to represent a factor against
the proposal, or a factor for staff or legislators to create conditions of approval to alter or
redesign the proposal to positively address the Plan Vision and policies.
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2
Adopted July 11, 2006 by Resolution 06-53
Recorded Fee # 060727408