Print
Comment
Rate
County brings special permits down to Earth
By Shar Porier/Herald/Review
Thu, 11/19/2009 - 00:35
BISBEE - "The county has been overly generous. It's been 18 years."
That's what county Planning and Zoning Commissioner John Wendle had to say Wednesday night prior to a commission vote that revoked two special-use permits.
Stephen and Reyna Maria Vos were granted a special-use permit in 1991 to construct a private airfield and one hangar for non-commercial use and allow one private flight per day on the 160-acre parcel on Four Pillars Road in Whetstone. The permit was good for one year.
In 1992, they asked for a time extension. It was discovered that two runways, one of which extended onto state lands, were constructed without land-clearing permits or the necessary drainage reports.
In 1995, county hearing officer Daniel Bieger fined the couple $300 for signage advertising a campground and the air field for which they had no permits.
They came back in 2001 and were granted a second special-use permit to add another landing strip, a 40-space RV park, a Bible camp and school/training facility, even though only one of 11 conditions from 1991 had been met. The couple also moved a mobile home to the property with no permits, county officials said.
"It's time to revoke the special-use permits due to the history of non-compliance," Wendle said. "If (the planning and zoning department) hadn't initiated this, it would still be business as usual."
Commissioner Lee Basnar told Vos: "I really do feel you're sincere. However, I think it's best to wipe the slate clean and start over."
When asked why this had gone on for so many years with no action, Susana Montana, planning manager, said the department did not have enough enforcement staff. The only reason the matter came before the commissioners was due to going through old files in preparation of moving to new software.
"We have been working on older permits that were not cleared out," Montana said.
Basnar, Wendle, Pat Edie, Jim Martzke, Don Hudgins and Gary Brauchla all voted to revoke both permits.
Other business
Curtis Vincent got the nod to proceed with a recording studio in his garage and the installation of a 50-foot communications tower to stream music via high-speed Internet at his residence on Kino Road in Hereford. No communications companies will be permitted to install equipment for cellular communications.
The commissioners also voted to forward a county-initiated rezoning to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors for approval. The rezoning will correct an error in a 1975 zoning designation of San Jose Lodge restaurant and lounge on Naco Highway. A portion of the lot was changed from TR-18 (single home on an 18,000-square-foot lot) to GB (general business) at that time, but for some reason, a 0.76-acre portion was not.
The board approved the special-use permit for an impound yard on a 125-acre parcel on Gleeson Road in Elfrida owned by Elbert and Vivian Ruth Olgier. They plan to lease one acre to Robert Burk for the impound yard.
The board OK'd a special-use permit for Yaqui Electric on Madera Drive in Hereford as requested by Stephanie Tripp-Morales to legitimize the business.
The board approved the rezoning request of a 1.75-acre parcel from R-9 (single home on a 9,000 square-foot lot) to Neighborhood Business to permit retail hay sales at 304 W. Crystal west of Douglas, owned by Richard Ramirez and Ramon Guerrero.
BISBEE - "The county has been overly generous. It's been 18 years."
That's what county Planning and Zoning Commissioner John Wendle had to say Wednesday night prior to a commission vote that revoked two special-use permits.
Stephen and Reyna Maria Vos were granted a special-use permit in 1991 to construct a private airfield and one hangar for non-commercial use and allow one private flight per day on the 160-acre parcel on Four Pillars Road in Whetstone. The permit was good for one year.
In 1992, they asked for a time extension. It was discovered that two runways, one of which extended onto state lands, were constructed without land-clearing permits or the necessary drainage reports.
In 1995, county hearing officer Daniel Bieger fined the couple $300 for signage advertising a campground and the air field for which they had no permits.
They came back in 2001 and were granted a second special-use permit to add another landing strip, a 40-space RV park, a Bible camp and school/training facility, even though only one of 11 conditions from 1991 had been met. The couple also moved a mobile home to the property with no permits, county officials said.
"It's time to revoke the special-use permits due to the history of non-compliance," Wendle said. "If (the planning and zoning department) hadn't initiated this, it would still be business as usual."
Commissioner Lee Basnar told Vos: "I really do feel you're sincere. However, I think it's best to wipe the slate clean and start over."
When asked why this had gone on for so many years with no action, Susana Montana, planning manager, said the department did not have enough enforcement staff. The only reason the matter came before the commissioners was due to going through old files in preparation of moving to new software.
"We have been working on older permits that were not cleared out," Montana said.
Basnar, Wendle, Pat Edie, Jim Martzke, Don Hudgins and Gary Brauchla all voted to revoke both permits.
Other business
 |
 |
|
| New National Sulfur Standard May Impact Health, Coal Power Plants, Smelters | Judge wins honor for speech |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
