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Planning commission denies request to rezone for commercial equipment storage; county code requires enclosed storage
Summary
A request to rezone a 1.06‑acre R2 lot to R5 to allow on‑site storage of professional landscaping equipment was denied after staff said open storage must be inside an enclosed building; the applicant cited topography constraints.
The planning commission denied a petition to rezone 1.06 acres at 3,825 (address shorthand used in transcript) from Low‑Density Single‑Family Residential (R2) to Rural Residential (R5) to permit on‑site storage of professional landscaping equipment.
Staff presented the request and advised denial, saying the R5 district’s allowance for certain equipment‑storage uses depends on enclosed, building‑based storage; an open shed or carport would not comply. The rezoning was prompted by a code‑enforcement complaint, the planner said.
Petitioner Alfonso Pimentel (represented in part by a family member) explained the equipment consists of two mulching machines, trailers, trucks and a bobcat with attachments and that the machines are currently stored under a carport. Pimentel and family said they did not realize the storage violated code and that enclosing or relocating the equipment would be difficult given the lot’s topography and shape.
Planning staff clarified that if the equipment were enclosed on the property in a fully enclosed building (four walls), a home‑based business might be allowed; otherwise the only practical way to keep the equipment on site would be to move it off the lot. Commissioners discussed whether a deed or life‑trust arrangement could condition future land use; staff said zoning reversion by deed conditions is not a standard zoning mechanism.
At the hearing the applicant indicated a willingness to enclose equipment if needed, but also noted terrain constraints. The commission moved to deny the rezoning request; the denial noted the unresolved code‑compliance issues and the requirement that professional equipment storage be enclosed when allowed in residential locations.
The action was recorded as a denial and will be included in the planning record. The transcript shows the commission discussed enforcement and the need to either enclose the equipment within a compliant building or remove it from the property.
