Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Rezoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Graham County commission recommends rezoning to legalize long-running kennel on mesa
Summary
The Graham County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend rezoning a 5.1-acre property at 7716 East Sanchez Road in Safford from general land use to M (general manufacturing) to bring an existing kennel into compliance; the item will go to the Board of Supervisors on March 3.
The Graham County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of a rezoning request that would bring a long-running kennel on a mesa above Safford into compliance.
The commission recommended changing the land-use designation for the 5.1-acre parcel at 7716 East Sanchez Road (APN 107-30-048) from A (general land use) to M (general manufacturing). Steve, county planning staff, told the commission the kennel has been operating for “20, 25 years” and the owners agreed to pursue rezoning to correct the zoning mismatch. The commission’s favorable recommendation will be forwarded to the Graham County Board of Supervisors at its March 3 meeting for final action.
The rezoning request was filed by Wade and Terry Lineberger, who appeared at the hearing. According to discussion during the meeting, the kennel sits on the corner of the Linebergers’ property adjacent to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land; staff said there are no immediate neighbors opposed and the owners asked what steps were required to obtain proper zoning. Steve said, “We just found out this existed…they said, ‘okay. What does it take? We'll do it.’”
Commissioners asked about the nature of the operation. Applicants responded that they breed and sell dogs and that the facility typically houses about 50 dogs. Staff described the request as an effort to bring an existing use into compliance rather than to expand operations, and no permit conditions or setbacks beyond standard county requirements were identified during the hearing.
The Planning and Zoning Commission’s motion to send a favorable recommendation to the Board of Supervisors passed unanimously. The commission’s secretary confirmed the item will be on the Board’s agenda for its March 3 meeting; the Board will make the final determination on the rezoning.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to approve minutes from the commission’s prior meeting — passed (motion moved and seconded; vote recorded as "Aye").
- REZ92520 (APN 107-30-048) — Wade and Terry Lineberger: request to rezone 5.1 acres from A (general land use) to M (general manufacturing) to legalize an existing kennel. Motion: send favorable recommendation to Graham County Board of Supervisors on March 3 — outcome: approved (unanimous). Mover/second: not specified.
- REZ92625 (Jeff Green): set public hearing for rezoning from general land use to R (single-family residential) for property at 2725 North Shifflett Avenue — outcome: set for next meeting (motion passed; mover/second not specified).
- REZ92725 (Donovan Kerr): set public hearing for rezoning 12.2 acres from SD (special development) to AR-3 (agriculture/residential 3-acre) — outcome: set for next meeting (motion passed).
- REZ92925 (Guy Nolan): set public hearing to rezone ~0.97 acres from RR (single-family residential) to RM (multifamily residential) to allow two duplexes — outcome: set for next meeting (motion passed).
- RZ93O25 (Peter Velasquez): set public hearing to rezone multiple parcels totaling about 224.5 acres from A to commercial/manufacturing for future commercial development — outcome: set for next meeting (motion passed).
- REZ93125 (Tom Palmer): set public hearing to rezone ~2.2–2.5 acres to RSB (single-family residential, smaller lots) to allow smaller lot sizes with city water/sewer from Pima — outcome: set for next meeting (motion passed).
All items set for future hearings were described by staff as needing individual motions and will return on separate agenda items at the commission’s next scheduled meeting.
Why it matters
Rezoning the Lineberger property would regularize an established commercial use in a rural area and shift the county’s formal oversight of that parcel; the Board of Supervisors will decide whether to follow the commission’s recommendation. Several other rezoning requests were scheduled for public hearings at the commission’s next meeting, meaning those issues will receive a separate review and opportunity for public comment.
What’s next
The Lineberger rezoning will appear before the Graham County Board of Supervisors at its March 3 meeting for final action. Other rezoning requests mentioned at the session were set up individually and will return to the commission for public hearings at the next scheduled meeting.
