A Gold Canyon community survey closed on Nov. 1 with more than 1,200 respondents providing their input on how they would like to see the unincorporated Pinal County area to develop in the future.

The survey is part of a joint project between Pinal County, Gold Canyon Community Inc. and Arizona State University to formulate a long-range community plan, according to a release.

The survey results will be integrated into an ASU School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning case study as part of the urban land-use planning course led by faculties from the ASU Knowledge Exchange for Resilience.

A steering committee made up of GCCI members and other community groups will spend time poring over the data of the survey before handing it off to ASU in mid-December.

GCCI will provide survey feedback to the Gold Canyon community — in-person and virtually via Zoom — in January, while ASU’s detailed study will run from January to April 2022.

GCCI’s Jerry Stevenson said early analysis confirms the survey has defined several baseline themes and surfaced core community values which are the underpinnings for successful planning.

“Gold Canyon is primarily a ‘quality of life’ destination,” Stevenson said in the release. “With the surrounding rural vistas of the Superstitions, Gold Canyon has ready access to some of Arizona’s finest outdoor activities. It’s no surprise that residents have arrived from all parts of the USA, Canada, as well as from local Arizona communities. Most moved to get away from the ‘big city’ to enjoy the open spaces and well-planned neighborhoods.”

Stevenson continued, “However, the recent amendment rezoning — later withdrawn — and potential sale of thousands of acres of pristine land adjacent to the Superstitions served as a wake-up call to this quiet community. Everyone quickly realized Gold Canyon needs to catch up. This will require working in unity to develop a detailed land plan vision and going-forward zoning strategy. Fortunately, the partnership with the ASU professionals will help to quickly define the blueprint and building blocks of our future — before someone else does it for us,” Stevenson said.

Pinal County District 5 Supervisor Jeff Serdy was part of a similar ASU study looking at Apache Junction when he was mayor of the city, and he’s looking forward to seeing what the University and its students might propose for Gold Canyon.

“The ASU student project proved a valuable resource for Apache Junction, and I’m hoping their work in Gold Canyon can provide residents with some exciting ideas and guidance to enhance the community for all. The survey had a high level of respondents thanks to the collaborative work between ASU, GCCI, and Pinal County, and I thank everyone who took the time to complete it as we all work towards the betterment of Gold Canyon and District 5,” Serdy said in the release.