Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission approves open-storage yard on Kiowa Boulevard with frontage and landscaping conditions
Summary
The Lake Havasu City Planning and Zoning Commission approved a conditional use permit to allow an open storage yard at Tract 2307 Block 4, Lot 52090 Kiowa Boulevard North in the C-2 General Commercial District, adding conditions requiring design review, frontage improvements and a decorative wall; the motion passed 4-3.
The Lake Havasu City Planning and Zoning Commission approved a conditional use permit to allow an open storage yard at Tract 2307 Block 4, Lot 52090 Kiowa Boulevard North, voting 4-3 and adding conditions requiring design review, a sidewalk and driveway, a decorative block wall meeting the city’s landscaping standards, and a Knox key switch on the electric gate for the fire department.
The decision matters because the parcel backs up to residential properties and a church; commissioners raised concerns about dust, noise and compatibility with nearby homes before the vote.
City staff told the commission the property is zoned C-2 and that open storage yards in that district require a conditional use permit. Staff recommended approval subject to two formal conditions: “design review shall be completed prior to the issuance of a grading permit or any site improvements” and “a Knox key switch on the electric gate shall be provided, for the fire department.”
Applicant James Gagnon told the commission he does not plan to pave the lot and said, “I had already planned to develop the front of the property with a sidewalk and a driveway... There is gonna be a block wall, decorative block wall in the front, with some desert landscaping.” Gagnon said the property would be used for open storage to generate interim income while the owner holds the land.
Commissioners pressed on off-site improvements and neighborhood compatibility. One commissioner said the site “backs up to residential” and that open storage next to housing “would not be a good idea” because of potential noise or odors. Another commissioner raised the dust and access issue, saying the dirt surface could lead to traffic running over the curb and tracking dirt into the street unless a paved driveway is provided.
After discussion the commission added the sidewalk/driveway and decorative-wall conditions to staff’s recommendations; the motion to approve the conditional use permit, with those additional conditions, passed 4-3.
Conditions recorded by staff require completion of design review before any grading or site improvements and installation of the Knox key switch for emergency access. Staff also noted final off-site improvement requirements (for example, curb or sidewalk) will be determined through the specific review process for the location and street.
The commission’s recommendation will go to the City Council for final consideration according to the meeting structure explained to the public.
