Cochise County planning commission denies special‑use request for Ever After Ranch events venue in Tres Alamos

The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to deny special‑use authorization SU‑25‑18, an application to allow guest lodging, events and outdoor recreation at the property marketed by the applicants as "Ever After Ranch." The applicants, Mario and Angela Robles, sought approval to operate a small agritourism and events venue with up to 15 guest lodging units and related facilities on roughly 40 acres of a larger 108‑acre parcel.

Staff framed the proposal as a reuse of an existing, extensively developed ranch property and recommended approval with conditions. Planning staff read a set of conditions that would limit outdoor activities after 10 p.m., require a dual‑lane primary entrance, limit guest lodging to no more than 15 tiny homes, require dust suppression and require permitting and environmental approvals for wastewater and the proposed wading pond. "No more than 15 tiny homes for guest lodging shall be placed on the site," staff said when listing recommended conditions.

The commission heard more than a dozen public comments, most in opposition. Neighbors raised concerns about increased traffic on a county dirt road, the potential for amplified noise from events, strain on local water supplies, emergency‑response distances and possible impacts to property values. "There is no way that having an event center right there is going to not have a negative impact on our property," said Anne Roberts, a nearby resident who said she lives directly across the road from the proposed site. Several commenters noted recent commercial uses in the area and said they were still opposed to this scale of development.

The applicants described the proposal as a low‑impact, rural venue with agricultural activities, limited event sizes and onsite lodging intended mostly for short stays. Angela Robles said the operation would emphasize quiet, small weddings and retreats and that larger, louder events were not the applicants' intent. Mario and Angela Robles said they plan to invest in road upgrades and site improvements; they also confirmed they do not yet own the property and that the sale is contingent on approval of the special‑use permit.

Commission discussion emphasized the tension between the applicant's proposed mitigation measures and the neighbors' concerns. Commissioners asked about water use, noise controls, road maintenance and how frequently large events might occur. The applicants said the facility would be built to accommodate up to 200 people but that typical events would be much smaller; the applicants later described their largest envisioned events as "probably a 150 people," and said larger events would be limited and infrequent.

At the vote the motion to approve SU‑25‑18 with staff‑recommended conditions — moved by Commissioner Limbach and seconded by Commissioner Montgomery — failed. Several commissioners cited neighborhood objections and compatibility with the Tres Alamos area plan as reasons to vote against approval. The motion was denied; the chair read the appeal rights for the applicant.

The commission record shows staff had recommended approval subject to multiple conditions intended to limit impacts, and the decision to deny was based on the majority view that the proposal, as presented, would be inconsistent with the rural character described in the Trace/Tres Alamos area plan and would cause neighborhood impacts that could not be adequately mitigated through the special‑use process.

The applicants and members of the public were told the decision can be appealed to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors within 15 days.

Notes: the applicants and staff emphasized that the special use, as noticed, would apply to the southerly 40 acres of the three‑parcel, 108‑acre property. The staff presentation and recommended conditions also referenced potential state permits from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Arizona Department of Water Resources for wastewater or water‑use changes.