Planning & Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting

Commissioner Hellman here Commissioner Rothrock here Vice Chairman Camilla present and Chairman Garrison present.

Thank you very much We're gonna go ahead and start with the Pledge of Allegiance if you could all join in

of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God or God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

all right welcome everybody to the planning and zoning commission for june 15th 2026 uh the first item up on our agenda will be the approval of minutes uh you've been those have been passed out to you they were in your packet did anybody have any corrections or modifications that they would like made to those minutes as presented if not we'll go ahead and take a motion

I'll motion to approve the minutes of March 16, 2026. Do I have a second?

I second.

Thank you very much. We have a motion. We have a second. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Pass is unanimous. Thank you very much. This isn't on the agenda, but we're going to squeeze it in right here before we get to the informational reports and updates. You were all given the new board and commission member training handbook, and you were given a series of three dates. I'm probably stealing Sammy's thunder. But if you could please get back to the staff on when you can attend that training. It should be very helpful for what we do and hopefully make this job make a little more sense as well. So you'll get more information coming. And with that, we'll go ahead and turn it over to the staff for the informational reports and updates. Ms. Riala.

good evening commissioners I just have a few updates one of them was for the new handbook that was adopted by the City Council on June 2nd just a reminder to sign up for one of the free trainings they are mandatory and they will be conducted annually and then for those just another reminder that on July clock to 430 so I just need to get a confirmation on what time that meeting will start and then once I know that I'll let you know in terms of applicants for the Planning and Zoning Commission we did have one applicant We actually had two applicants, but one was not within the city's jurisdiction. So we now have one applicant, and once I hear more information on that process, I will be sure to update you. And then a couple of updates on projects. The spring-worthy apartments is being heard by the city council tomorrow, so that's the general plan amendment and the zone change. The conditional use permit will be revealed, but then the applicant withdrew the conditional use permit, so the conditional use permit for review. less than 40 feet is no longer being considered for that

Sheets at the back of the room if you Expect to come up and speak on one of the hearing items or on the general call Please get one filled out. We have one sheet currently but with our audience size that seems appropriate We'll go on now to new business we are going to this is the same property the same So we are going to discuss this as one item, but we will be approving it as two separate items if it so does. So if we can move forward with the hearing for CUP 26003 and DR 26008, please.

Thank you for that, Chair and Commission.

I'm Connor Bustamante, Planner with Community Development, presenting on CUP 26003 and Design Review 26008 for the Thousand Trail State. Some details on the property. In the left picture down here. I just kind of wanted to show you guys Region as you can see from that before you get into the Right. It's roughly 20 acres the site itself will only be occupying the northern roughly 3 acres of the parcel. It is just south of the Wilbur road in 2.60 round about it is owned I too as you can see it's color coded purple, it's also surrounded by other I too heavy industrial zoning and then off to the north and the West is Prescott National Forest. Here's an aerial view for you. Going across most of the screen is the parcel, and indicated in that circle is the general area for that property site. It's showing under the roundabout that it's Camino Real. That is Wilbur Road. I think Google just has it mislabeled, but just showing you guys where that site is. Here are some pictures the top picture is showing from highway to 60 as you can see the North arrow off the to the left of the screen going from left to right we'd be going further into the city of cottonwood. The picture on the bottom is the access point from Wilbur road. The applicant has submitted a site plan here is a whole parcel view is currently surrounded by a five foot tall barbed wire fence and then, as you can see it runs along state route to 60 and then goes to the roundabout and then there is an access point from wilbur. Here's a zoomed in site. The access point up to the top of the screen comes from Wilbur and then the whole site is proposed to be fenced with a six foot tall chain link fence with privacy slots to accommodate for the outdoor storage use just on the other side of the fence on the eastern portion there is a 15 foot proposed landscape area and and that will be within the parcel boundary and not on any right-of-way On the bottom left corner, there is the screening plant crusher and conveyer equipment surrounded by a 25-foot wide circulation path. The crushing equipment does not exceed 15 feet tall. As you can see, there are also many circles indicating the earthen materials that will be processed through operations. It will be in various phases. Due to the nature of the processing, they will be moved around. However, they are not to cross over into any circulation paths. Up towards the top, close to the access point, there is a strip for employee parking and then a trash enclosure as well as equipment parking. And then here is the five foot tall existing barbed wire fence that surrounds the parcel. Here are some renderings for the sites. From our perspective, we'd be not on the 260 side, but more on the Wilbur side. Just viewing that, you can see the privacy slats and the six foot tall chain link fence. And then all operations will be within that boundary. In order for the commission to approve a CUP, they must make the following three findings. General findings, the project site is located in the southern part of the city along 260. The surrounding parcels are vacant with them being either I-2 or Prescott National Forest. An ADEQ permit will be obtained by the applicant with a water truck there to help mitigate dust. And operations will be limited to Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 p.m. compatibility with surrounded uses the process is in the proposed development is very high intensity the i-2 zoning district is the highest intensity zoning district so this would be the most applicable district for the project then a concurrent application for design review is being considered with the application and then traffic and circulation the proposed development must adhere to all applicable zoning ordinance regulations and design standards If the commission is to approve CUP 26003, staff recommends the following stipulations. The first one, the conditional use permit is subject to the design review approval. Any change in use must conform to all ordinance regulations. And then all activities must not extend onto the city right away. And then four, the project shall conform to the code review board comment letter. And then finally an ADEQ permit must be maintained at all times. If the commission is to approve DR26008, staff recommends the following stipulations. The first is this design review is subject to the approval of the CUP. The project shall be in conformance with the plans on file with the Community Development Department. The project shall conform to the CRB letter. The project shall comply with all sections of the ordinance and all activities must not extend onto the city right away as well. And then a zoning clearance application must be pursued within three months of approval. Staff recommends the approval of CUP 26003 and approval of DR 26008. This is a public hearing. I am here to answer any questions you may have. And we also have the applicant in attendance as well to answer any potential questions for you. Thank you.

Yeah, sorry. I'm taking a minute to pull up the agenda packet. Can you go back to the site plan, please? Yes.

While I'm- That one.

Doing what I'm, yeah. Okay. So can you explain to me real quick where's the slat vents going?

So the slap fence, if you can see the red dot, it would just be right around the site itself, right as the employee parking starts, all the way east to where just inside that 15-foot landscape yard. And then it would go down this way and stop there. It's that dashed line. Sometimes it overrides with other things, but that would be that. And then the X's are the existing barbed wire fence that runs past the site and just along the whole parcel.

Which is also the property boundary?

Yes. And it's my understanding that the property boundary surrounding barbed wire fence is legal non-conforming and was in place prior to the city's ordinance.

So can you, well, maybe the applicant can. I'm trying to figure out why there's a 65-foot setback from property line to what would be the new fence line. Or does that go to the landscape, which is another 15-foot fence line? I can't see the arrow.

Thank you for that based on the site plan. It looks like from the privacy fence. There would be the 15 foot landscape and then that's after 15 feet the rest of that 65 feet would go to the existing parcel boundary. And then I believe it would be about a 100 feet or so. Closer down to the state route.

OK, thank you. Does anybody have any questions? Yes, ma'am.

So is there going to be crushing going on since it says that there's a crusher on site in that circle? I wondered if that activity was going to be going on there.

Thank you for that, Commissioner Hellman. Yes, there will be crushing, and I'll have the applicant explain any kind of extent of what would be going on, but it's my understanding crushing, screening, transporting is all within operations.

And then the other question is, is this a temporary project to support something, or is this a permanent, considered a permanent place to conduct this business?

Based on that question, Director Real, would you have further?

So the application is for a conditional use permit for the use. The applicant didn't specify a time in which the use would cease. So for purposes of this application, we're treating it as if it is a permanent use and not a temporary use.

yes sir how far is it to the nearest residence to the i'll go back to this just to um where is that aerial as far as the nearest residence we don't have Any kind of measurements? The nearest property itself looks to be the Ford dealership, and anything around that is just vacant.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions for Steph? Any other questions? Yes, ma'am.

So it's currently zoned I-2?

Correct, yes. Okay.

And is that how all of that property is all the way to the Ford dealership? It's all industrial zone?

Yes. Within Cottonwood, it is all this purple right here. Everything down here within our city limits is the I2.

I'm sorry to interrupt. Just remember to please push your microphone. My bad.

The button's stubborn. It is.

Commissioner McMillan, do you have any questions for Steph? No questions. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you. Could we have the applicant come up, please? Could we get the screen back to the site map, please? There we go. One more. There we go. Thank you. Good evening. Good evening. Anything additional you want to tell us about what you're doing there that might help us understand what you're asking for?

He did it really well. That's basically what we're doing is separating dirt and rock and we do have an EDAQ license. We had another spot here in town. It's too much in the city so that's why we're moving out there. And we basically separate rock and red rocks that own a rock and stuff and separate it and sell it back off like that. So that's what we're doing. Yeah, the fence, everything that he explained is all pretty much it.

So one of the questions I asked staff was why there was a 65 foot setback and I would, I'm assuming that's because of the terrain, because of the slope?

It drops off a little bit down the road and then the road is actually about 65 feet from that barbed wire fence. And we came back more, it's kind of like a drainage area and a landscape area before that and the fence. So it's 100 feet, over 100 feet away from the road.

well i i appreciate that you're putting the fence at a higher location so it does a better job so it blocks a lot the whole thing is kind of up so yeah it'll it'll hide pretty well from the road since it's about what about 15 or 20 foot uh variation between the road height than the property, right? Yeah, the road's a lot lower. Yeah, so you'll have a hard time seeing behind it. I'm kind of curious. I've been watching that going on for a while. Where are you getting your water?

Because I don't think you've got a well yet, do you? We have big tanks there, and we haul water in. We have water trucks, and we haul water in. We got big tanks that we fill up there. It's a 5,000 gallon tank, I think, maybe bigger, that we fill up that actually runs the mister systems. All the conveyors and crushers and equipment has to have shaker plants. That's what they are. They got to have misters on them. EDAQ comes out and inspects us, you know, and we've had four or five inspections at our other place with no problems. So you got to control your dust as much as you can. That's what you got to do.

Yeah, I drive by that site at least once a week, if not two or three times a week, and I'm always amazed that I'm not seeing just a cloud coming off that site with that red rock dust.

It's not like leveling a moving dirt. When you're doing it in a small spot, you just got to control that. It's not like leveling off a piece of property. That is different.

No, you've done a good job of controlling it so far.

And we keep it very clean, as much as we can, organized and wet before we leave so it doesn't blow dust or nothing.

Any questions for you? Yes. Well, let's start.

So this is more just out of curiosity. Where do you get your loads of dirt? I mean, you're not digging it out of the site, correct? That's just storage.

This is like a mobile. Until there's enough dirt there, it's not worth doing anything with it. That's why we've been using the storage area. we get dirt from all different jobs contracting jobs like this city did this high concrete jobs and sidewalk jobs and all that material we take and we separate it and crush it screen it whatever we do and then it goes back into use on the same jobs basically next next time thank you that's all it is it's the recycling thing of the dirt and products commissioner kennedy are you going to have a retail operation here like are you going to be selling at retail uh mostly contractors is all that we do so they're going to come in and you're going to load yeah the contractors have us haul it off the contractors have new jobs that they take the material back for that's what we do okay and we have dump trucks we haul truck troll it so that's why we need a storage area and that and we have a lot of trucks that we run commissioner rothrock you have any questions for the applicant

No, I asked my question.

Vice Chair Comelli, you have any questions?

No, I think you answered everything. Thank you.

And I'm not trying to ignore you, Commissioner Glascott. Do you have any questions for either staff or the applicant?

Not at this time. Everything's good.

All right. Thank you very much. Sorry about that. You're not visible, so I kind of overlooked it. No worries. We'll try not to allow that to happen too much. All right, any other follow-ups? All right, no more questions. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Before you step off, sir, could you give your first and last name for the record?

Do what?

Could you give your first and last name for the record, please?

My last name?

Your first and last name, please.

Okay, Brent Deal. Thank you. Deal, D-E-A-L.

All right, we have two different items. We have the first, which is the conditional use permit to allow the earth and material processing and storage. And then the second is for the design review for the facility itself when it comes to fencing landscape and those other conditions as stated. Let's attack the CUP first. Do you have any follow-up questions you have any concerns about? No? Commissioner Kennedy? No. None for anybody. All right. Do you have... see i guess i just asked you any questions but do you have any concerns where where do you stand on this i guess what how are you feeling did is this uh feel appropriate for the area are you um having some doubts about how i2 fits in i2 or i1 seeing that this is an industrial zoned area We'll start at the end. Sorry. Commissioner Hellman.

To me, it seems like a great location for this project. I don't see a problem with it being way out the way it is. Of course, way out can tend to get swallowed up with development as we grow, but it seems like a great location. I was actually really surprised it was still in the city of Cottonwood. because I know much of that property out there belongs to Camp Verde. So no, I'm totally in favor of it.

All right, Commissioner Kennedy, do you have any last, about the conditional use permit? We'll tack that one first.

no i think it's a pretty appropriate area for something like that i think it's a much improved area over where they currently are and i don't foresee that there's going to be a whole lot of residential development right there anytime in the near future i mean i would question how long the conditional use permit goes but does that have to be renewed

After certain periods of time or I think it's being submitted for until I mean it's non transferable. If I remember right, right, correct.

So conditional use permits run with the property. They don't run with the applicant.

But if there was a land swap, for instance, and some of that National Forest was then became residential. Like, is this an infinite amount of time that they have a conditional use permit for? Yes.

All right.

Commissioner Rothrock, do you have any comments, concerns?

this kind of activity great thank you very much and i'll agree with my fellow commissioner days i mean that's why we have that type of zoning is for this type of stuff there's residents are our way uh allows you guys to do your thing without impacting traffic and normal city business and to move around especially you're moving big trucks and stuff like that so i think it's a really good use for that

All right, thank you very much. I will restate basically what I said earlier. I go by that site multiple times a week. And when I first saw it pop up, it seems like it's been almost a year. I was really starting to get a little concerned because I was expecting to see huge dust clouds coming off that right onto the highway at that roundabout, which could be really disastrous for traffic flow and also just kind of an attractive nuisance. And through the time I've been going back and forth I rarely see equipment on site. Everything has been neat and orderly. I have seen no signs of dust whatsoever. And should we get through the conditional use permit, the design review portion of our meeting will allow us to attack some of the other visual parts of this project, which I think will even go to further separate it from the road and from being visually attractive to the people driving up and down the highway. So personally, I don't have any problem with it either. I think it's the perfect placement for this. love to see it a little further off the road than it is but otherwise it it it fits and it's already 150 plus feet away from the travel as it is and it's higher so you really couldn't ask for much better of a location for it much better than if they would have placed this probably on the lower portion of that property because then you would have been above it looking down on it so so it's to me it's appropriate so uh with that i don't have any Other concerns? So anybody have any last-minute, last items? So if not, we'll go ahead and take a motion. Vice Chair?

Chair, sorry to interrupt. Did you open on public hearing?

Oh, no, we didn't because we didn't have anybody turning in. So at this point, we will call to the public. Does anybody from the public wish to speak on this item? Once again, if you do, we need a slip. We have none. We have nobody rushing to the podium, so we'll go ahead and call the public close. Thank you for reminding me. I'll probably forget one more time tonight. So with that, we'll go ahead and take a motion, Vice Chair.

I move to approve CUP-26-003 to allow an earth and materials processing and storage facility based on the findings and subject to the stipulations indicated in the staff report. Do I have a second?

Second.

We have a motion, and we have a second. Any other discussion? All in favor, say aye. Aye. Pass is unanimous. Thank you very much. And sorry once again, Commissioner Glascott, for not calling on you. With that, we approve that one. We'll move on now to the design review. So this is discussing the aesthetics as was on the screen and no longer is. If we could get that back up again, that would be great. Yeah, let's stay there. Does anybody have any questions about the design review portion of this application for either staff or the applicant? Commissioner Hellman?

My only question would be you are going to do some landscaping between the highway and this slotted fence and so is there any requirement of a certain type of landscaping or is it just whatever the applicant decides to put out?

I would say that's for staff.

yes commissioner so our zoning ordinance does specify acceptable landscape plant materials so so long as they're in conformance with the plant materials then the landscaping is acceptable looks like a boulder garden yeah I I just always want to see really nice trees along the way so that's just my personal preference but

it commissioner kennedy do you have any comments on the design commissioner rothrock do you have any questions or concerns about the design review portion of this project i think we should forego any trees being added they take water in that area and just let's put up some rocks and be done

To what, to what, this is for a staff question and I'm not sure. To what extent can we deem landscaping not to be necessary?

Commissioner, I don't know if there is a provision that allows the Planning and Zoning Commission to waive a code requirement.

Okay. All right. Thank you. I will take that. Did you hear that? I heard it. Okay.

I'm not happy about it.

vice chair do you have any i don't have any any comments and i would assume there'll probably be some some boulders there uh which for safety for traffic on that road if someone flips off the road then they have you guys have a nice buffer to to keep them out of your area as we know what happens on that road sometimes but that's far enough away so i'm good with that

Commissioner Glasgow, do you have any concerns about the design review portion of this application?

Not at all, thanks.

OK, and the reason I asked the question, so I'll go now. The reason I asked the question is because. I see cattle in that area from time to time, and I think any landscaping in that area is going to become a nuisance or attractive nuisance for the wildlife. I think whatever they plant is probably going to get eaten just as quickly as it goes in the ground. I do like the idea of a rock garden, so you have some geographical, you know, some kind of a breakup of the terrain. So hopefully, I'm also not a big fan of the trees for basically the same reason. This is already waterhole site, so having to put things out there that become dependent on water that maybe won't live. past the day that that tank goes empty and this applicant moves on to another location, I would be concerned about what's wasted on creating a landscape screen that may not be there. in the long run, so I would ask, I guess since we can't arbitrarily deny landscaping in this area, I would hope that the applicant will take a look at all his resources available and find some things that are gonna be basically very drought and heat tolerant and still fit the letter or the intent of the code in what you do, but otherwise I think you'll make it look nice. either way so with that I don't have any other comments about it I think everything else has been covered in the application so I don't have any other concerns Although the police like to sit out there at your big mesquite, so you're gonna have to get rid of your police that hang out out there behind your mesquite. So you may wanna cut that thing down. Other than that, I don't have any other comments or questions. Do any of the commissioners have any last minute thoughts? If not, we'll go ahead and entertain a motion, Vice Chair.

I move to approve DR-26-008 for an earth and materials processing and storage facility based on the findings and subject to the stipulations included in the staff report. Chair Greg Musil.

Do I have a second?

Trustee Nancy Ingram. I'll second it. Chair Greg Musil.

We have a motion. We have a second. Any additional comments? If not, all in favor say aye. Aye. Chair Greg Musil. Pass is unanimous. Thank you very much. Good luck. With that, we'll move on to the next order of business, which is call to the public. We have one white sheet, and it is Karen Mugello. Marzullo, I couldn't see the Z. It was right through the line. Sorry about that. Thank you for being here. We can't talk back to you. We can't answer questions. So this is your opportunity to give us some input on something you would like to maybe see on a future agenda item or a concern that you have with the process that we do.

It'll be short.

Thank you, ma'am.

I haven't been here very often.

Can you state your name for the record, please?

Karen Marzullo. I'm a resident of Cottonwood. The few times I have been here, it's not easy to open up these doors because even though in all of these little flyers here, Pursuant to ARS 38431.02 , I'm sorry, I just did the wrong one. Anyways, it says that you're accessible to handicapped in accordance with federal 504 and ADA laws. That's not true. okay you don't have any buttons outside to open up the door and your door is very heavy even worse than that it would take me and a couple guys to open up the bathroom door so it's extremely hard for me to come here and then if i have to go to the bathroom it's a real drag maybe i could put some trees i could just go in the trees okay So I would like to propose to you that you put it on your agenda to actually make this place handicapped accessible. It's not very easy. Once I get back to using a cane again, it still won't be very handicapped accessible because I would need at least both my arms and hands to get in and out of here and out of the bathroom. So anyways, that's my suggestion and that's my hope is that you'd actually make this ADA compliant. Thank you very much. Thank you for your time. I hope you have a lovely rest of your evening.

Thank you very much for attending our meeting tonight. That is the end of call to the public. We have nobody else in the audience that looks to wish or wants to speak to us. So with that, we'll go ahead and close call to the public. And that leaves suggested topics for future meetings does any of the commissioners have any topics they would like to see made part of our future agenda I'm not seeing any hands shoot up so before we close the meeting one more shot for reading your handbook and please respond to staff with a selection of one of those three dates for the training that will be provided for you and one thing to know is that's open to all boards and commissions the council included i believe so yeah it won't just be us it'll be multiple people so uh should be quite thrilling a day of merriment and fun and lots of knowledge shared so thank you very much for attending tonight and with that we'll go ahead and adjourn the meeting thank you very much we're out of here