Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission recommends industrial rezone near future Douglas port of entry
Summary
The commission voted to forward CPA25‑02 and RZ25‑04—amending roughly 369 acres from Rural to Developing and rezoning from RU‑4 to Light Industrial— to the Board of Supervisors with special conditions including right‑of‑way dedications and expanded landscape buffers to protect adjacent residences.
The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of concurrent requests CPA25‑02 (comprehensive plan amendment) and RZ25‑04 (rezoning) for approximately 369 acres west of Douglas along Kings Highway, changing the plan designation from Rural to Developing and rezoning parcels from RU‑4 to Light Industrial. The application was filed by Arden Arizona LLC and was presented as anticipatory development to serve the planned new port of entry west of Douglas.
Staff said the parcels sit about 2.5 miles west of Douglas and are adjacent to areas already designated Developing; the rezoning would facilitate warehouse and storage uses tied to port operations. Staff identified two responses in favor and three in opposition among property owners; 12 notices went to public agencies. The staff report recommended forwarding both items to the Board of Supervisors with special conditions, including right‑of‑way dedications per exhibits, a 20‑foot landscape buffer at development time along property lines shared with established residential uses, and a wildlife survey with Arizona Game and Fish recommendations during final design.
Applicant representatives said the request responds to market demand connected to the new port and stressed coordination with county and federal partners; they noted utilities and road design work tied to the port are already in progress. Multiple residents from Posey Ranch Road and nearby parcels testified in opposition, raising concerns about proximity of industrial buildings to existing homes, night lighting, security, hydrology, wildlife impacts and the adequacy of public outreach.
Commissioners pressed the applicant and staff on utilities, drainage, long‑term phasing, impacts on Kings Highway and buffering for the nearest residences. Several commissioners emphasized the need for stronger buffers than the initially proposed 20 feet; the commission asked the applicant to work with staff on enhanced separation and landscape mitigation prior to the Board of Supervisors hearing. The commission voted to recommend approval of both the comprehensive plan amendment and the rezoning to the Board of Supervisors with the staff’s special conditions and additional direction to refine buffering for adjacent residences.
