Commission backs Whitebarn Event Center septic option after town of Gilbert withdraws sewer commitment

The Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval on May 8 of case SU250014, a request to remove condition g from a previously approved special use for the Whitebarn Event Center in the Gilbert area. Condition g required the project to be served by the Town of Gilbert sewer system; the applicant said Gilbert later withdrew its willingness to provide sewer service.

County staff recalled that it had earlier recommended approval of the facility on septic at the May 9, 2024 commission hearing and reiterated that, from a technical standpoint, staff had "no technical concerns for the request to remove condition g." Staff told commissioners that while the town of Gilbert had commented it preferred annexation and town sewer, the town later indicated it would not provide sewer service.

Rod Jarvis, attorney for the applicant, told the commission the applicant had negotiated extensive stipulations with neighbors and that the applicant "is not changing the proposed use" but must pursue septic because the town rescinded the will-serve commitment. Neighbors who opposed the change urged the commission to retain the previous condition; Amanda Gallagher Skinner, speaking for the Skinner family (the most-impacted adjacent property owners), said the original board approval depended heavily on stipulations negotiated with the applicant and that removing the sewer requirement would nullify the Skinner family's agreement.

Jim Torgerson, identified as a Gilbert Town Council member, told the commission the applicant had acted in good faith after receiving an erroneous will-serve communication from a town office address; he described it as a staff mistake rather than a denial on safety grounds.

Commissioners discussed the limited practical impact of septic versus hookup to Gilbert sewer for land-use compatibility, with several members saying the case’s other stipulations protect neighbors' interests and that septic was the applicant's only realistic option. A motion to approve the modification passed by roll-call vote, 10–0. The commission recorded the recommendation and noted that final enforcement of stipulations and operational details would occur during permit and subdivision reviews.

Ending

The commission's recommendation moves the modification request to the Board of Supervisors; commissioners said they expect staff and the applicant to follow through on the previously negotiated stipulations that protect adjacent residents.