According to a public notice, immediately following the time of sale of the 76.538 acres, the successful bidder was to pay $1,369,060 to the Arizona State Land Department by a cashier’s check, broken down as:
• 25% of the appraised value of the sale parcel, which is $1,147,500;
• A selling and administrative fee of 3% of the sale parcel’s appraised value, which is $137,700;
• Estimated reimbursable legal advertising costs of $5,000;
• Reimbursable appraisal fee of $6,660;
• Estimated reimbursable costs and expenses of $75,000, a portion of which may be refunded to the successful bidder if that bidder is not the applicant and the actual reimbursable costs and expenses are lower; and
• A patent fee of $200.
Within 30 days after the date of auction the successful bidder must pay:
• The full balance of the sale price;
• A selling and administrative fee of 3% of the sale price, less the amount paid under terms of sale;
• The actual legal advertising costs, less the amount paid under terms of sale;
If the successful bidder fails to complete all payments as stated in this auction notice, the bidder shall forfeit all amounts paid, which amounts shall be deemed rent for the sale parcel.
The city of Apache Junction was the lone bidder on 76.538 acres of state trust land and is to pay $4.59 million for what will be the site of a flood control facility designed to make the community downstream safer.
The land is south of State Route 88 (North Apache Trail) and north of East Lost Dutchman Boulevard.
“The city of Apache Junction purchased the 76 acres of land for the construction of the Weekes Wash Regional Multi-use Detention Facility, an earthen flood-control project,” said Floodplain and Stormwater Coordinator Matthew McClure.
“The city was awarded $44.5 million in federal funding for this project. The project design calls for the potential impoundment of over 1,000 acre-feet of floodwaters, aimed to significantly reduce flash flooding and related flood losses downstream, including Weekes Wash and Palm Wash. Currently, the project site is in environmental, historic review with FEMA,” he said.
One acre-foot is the volume of water required to cover 1 acre to a depth of 1 foot and is equal to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons, according to a definition by the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
The auction for two parcels of 71.538 acres and 5 acres was held June 26 at the 1891 Historic Pinal County Courthouse, 135 N. Pinal St. in Florence. The Arizona beneficiary is the permanent common schools (indemnity selections) fund, it states in a public notice.
Apache Junction City Engineer Emile Schmid was the official bidder, McClure said.
Others representing the city of Apache Junction at the auction were: McClure, Finance Director Angelie Hawley and City Attorney Joel Stern.
Weekes Wash
The detention facility has been in the works for several years.
The 10-square-mile Weekes Wash watershed collects rainwater from storms and sends it down Weekes Wash into the city, City Engineer Schmid said during an Aug. 16, 2022, council work session.
“But you’ll notice as it approaches the city, this large 10-square-mile bathtub has a single outlet and all that water comes across Lost Dutchman Boulevard just west of Goldfield Road,” he said at the meeting. “So this is the area that we are proposing to use for this large regional flood-control facility.”
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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