The Navajo County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval on June 17 of a special use permit to expand the existing EZE Storage facility into an adjacent roughly 5.15-acre parcel in the Lakeside area. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Navajo County Board of Supervisors for final action.

The permit request, filed by Ironside Engineering and Development on behalf of Somerset Investment Properties LLC, covers APN 212-15-0028 and proposes about 10 additional storage buildings, six-foot perimeter fencing, and use of some storage units as screening in lieu of fencing. Planning staff recommended approval subject to 16 conditions listed in the staff report.

Kristen, a planning staff member presenting the item, described the site layout and access. The record shows the parcel is roughly 5.15 acres and adjoins existing commercial uses including J & S Patriot Automotive, Penrod RV and Mobile Homestead, and the existing EZE Storage facility. Staff told commissioners the expansion would have a primary access point in the southwest corner and secondary access through the original EZE Storage site; some existing buildings on the expansion parcel may be removed during final design.

Property owner Brian Limmerman told the commission the additional storage faces mostly inward, away from the frontage road, and that his company owns roughly 20 adjacent acres and had parceled off this smaller tract because it had limited road-facing use. "We ended up just parceling off 5 acres that we felt was behind existing that wouldn't, really affect the frontage road," Limmerman said. He also said the owner plans to repave the existing interior circulation when the expansion work is done and to match the existing office and hours.

No members of the public submitted comment cards on the item. After discussion, a commissioner moved and a second was made to recommend approval of the special use permit to the Board of Supervisors subject to the staff conditions; the commission voted unanimously in favor.

Because this was a recommendation hearing, the Board of Supervisors will make the final decision on the special use permit. The record before the commission did not include any permits or approvals issued by other agencies, nor did it include concerns from responding agencies; staff said no public comments had been received at the time of the staff report.

The commission also noted a potential conflict disclosure from one commissioner who said they hold two storage units with the applicant; the commissioner stated the relationship would not create a conflict of interest for the hearing and remained in the proceedings.

Next steps: staff will forward the commission's recommendation and the staff report (including the 16 recommended conditions) to the Navajo County Board of Supervisors for a future hearing and final action.