Board approves special-use permit and four rezones, including private airstrip and storage site with access stipulation

The Graham County Board of Supervisors approved a package of land-use measures after a public hearing Sept. 2, granting a special-use permit for a private airstrip and approving three rezoning requests brought before the board.

Special use permit — private airstrip/helipad: The board granted a special-use permit for an applicant identified in the record as Mr. Wilson to formalize a roughly 1,200-foot by 30-foot dirt airstrip on the San Manuel side of the county. Planning staff and the presenter, Steve McGaughey of the planning department, said the applicant had already cleared FAA notification and assigned an airstrip name. Mr. Wilson told the board the airstrip is intended mainly for emergency access to his remote property, and he described it as “a place where they could land and pick us up and take us away” in a medical emergency. Board members cited the isolated location and potential emergency uses; the motion to approve passed by voice vote (three ayes).

Rezoning — Jensen parcel: The board approved a rezoning request by Lane Jensen to convert a roughly half-acre portion of a 3½-acre parcel near Central Road into rural residential (20,000-square-foot minimum) so the applicant’s son could build a home. Planning and zoning recommended approval unanimously; the board approved the rezoning by voice vote.

Rezoning — storage units (Taylor): The board approved rezoning a 5.5-acre portion of a 61-acre parcel south of town to permit storage units and commercial-manufacturing uses, subject to a stipulation that access be taken from the highway rather than Mourning Dove Lane. Applicant Shauna Taylor told the board the commercial portion would be fenced, contain smaller enclosed units (not open RV/boat storage), and that she would cooperate with widening or easement work on Mourning Dove if the county undertook it. Manuel Bertoldo, who identified himself as executor of an estate that owns property on Mourning Dove, said his primary concern had been ensuring there would be no access from the single-lane dirt road. Taylor and the applicant agreed to the stipulation that access be from the highway; the board approved the rezoning with the stipulation.

Rezoning — England parcels: The board approved a cleanup rezoning requested by Clyde and Paula England to make a 5-acre parcel north of an existing 5-acre parcel mirror the commercial-manufacturing zoning used on the south 5 acres. Planning recommended the change unanimously; the board approved the rezoning by voice vote.

Context and procedure: Planning staff and the planning-and-zoning commission gave unanimous favorable recommendations on these matters. Board discussion addressed access, visual impacts, trash/dumping concerns, and adjacent residential uses; where neighbors raised concerns the board recorded conditions or stipulations (notably the highway-access stipulation for the storage site). All four items were approved during the public hearing and returned the meeting to regular session.