Page County hearing officer inclined to grant 10-year conditional use for enlarged detached garage and shed

A Page County zoning hearing officer on a continued conditional-use case said he is inclined to recommend approval for 10 years of a request to increase the permitted size of a detached accessory building at the Friedman property, but he did not issue a final decision at the session.

The hearing officer opened the continued public hearing on the Friedman case by adopting the record from the March 5 hearing and accepting new exhibits submitted on March 19, including an updated site plan, construction drawings and three pages of photographs. The officer described the application as a conditional use to increase the total permitted area of an existing detached garage and shed from 1,000 square feet to approximately 1,381 square feet.

The officer swore in the petitioner; when asked whether he intended to operate a business from the enlarged accessory building, the petitioner, Mister Friedman, replied, "Yes. I do." (The petitioner answered the oath question "Yes. I do." when sworn in.) The petitioner later confirmed, "That's correct. I currently don't have any businesses," in response to a separate question about operating a business from the property. The officer also asked about utilities and the petitioner said there is no electrical service to the shed and no plumbing or heating.

The officer explained a key difference between a variance and a conditional use, saying a variance would last indefinitely while a conditional use can include conditions and a time limit. The officer stated the maximum time he customarily grants for a conditional use is 10 years and said, "But my inclination is to view your case favorably for the full 10 year period." He did not issue a final decision at the session.

The officer said he would make a decision within the next couple of weeks and scheduled a formal announcement of his recommendation for April 2 at 3:00 p.m. He said that recommendation will be transmitted to the county development committee and then to the full county board, which will make the final decision. If the body ultimately approves the conditional use, building permits may follow after that county-level process.

No formal vote or final action was recorded at the hearing. The proceeding focused on clarifying the scope and intended use of the enlarged accessory building, confirming the absence of utilities and business operations on the site, and establishing the scheduling and procedural steps that follow the hearing.

The officer closed the hearing after noting there was no old or new business left to consider and adjourned the session.