Growth is nearly inevitable for many regions in Arizona, and to make sure growth has a positive affect on the regions, voters passed the Growing Smarter and Growing Smarter Plus Acts. These acts include comprehensive land use planning and zoning reforms, but paying for the planning can create financial hardships for smaller communities and counties.

To resolve this situation, the State of Arizona, and APS, recently awarded grants to help Arizona communities and counties fund their growth planning.

Coconino County and the communities of Cave Creek, Coolidge, Quartzsite, Superior and Winslow, received grants and reimbursement funding through the Growing Smarter Planning Grant Program, a public/private partnership administered by the Arizona Department of Commerce with matching funds from APS. The awardees were determined through a competitive evaluation.

Approximately $290,000 is available through the grant program this year. Commerce provides $80,000, the Main Street Program within Commerce is contributing $10,000 in funding, APS supplies $60,000 to match grants, and the Arizona Department of Transportation provides up to $150,000 in reimbursement funding earmarked to complete various transportation projects.

"APS is proud to be part of the Growing Smarter Planning Grant Program," Jan Bennett, vice president, customer service. "As one of the fastest-growing states in the country, it is important that we manage our growth so that we are able to preserve our Arizona lifestyle while helping our economy continue to grow."

While growth for much of Arizona may be inevitable, the downside of growth is not. Through careful planning made possible by the Growing Smarter Grant Program, communities can now guide their growth to best suit their needs.

June 14, 2002