Planning commission approves special-use permit for marijuana retailer near Bowie

The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a special-use authorization for a retail marijuana establishment proposed by Green Reason LLC at 1134 West Business Loop, near Exit 362 west of Bowie. The commission voted 9-0 to approve docket SU 25-05 after staff recommended approval with conditions.

Staff presented the application as a request to allow retail sales of marijuana and marijuana products on an approximately 4-acre parcel (APN 30215001H) currently zoned RU-4. Planning staff told the commission that the proposed use would be retail only—no cultivation, infusion or testing on site—and that state licensing is administered by the Arizona Department of Health Services. The zoning regulations cited by staff require marijuana retail uses to operate within a permanent building, maintain a minimum 1,000-foot separation from other marijuana-related and certain “sensitive” uses (libraries, schools, child-care facilities, churches or youth facilities), and be at least 300 feet from any existing residence; staff noted a nearby property formerly zoned RU-4 has been rezoned to GB and thus the 300-foot residence rule would not apply to that parcel under its current zoning.

The commission’s approval included conditions recommended by staff: retail sales must be conducted within a permanent building; refuse containers and outdoor storage must be screened with obscuring fencing and landscaping; overnight truck parking would require a modification to the approved special use; and parking areas and driveways must be improved with 2-inch gravel to reduce dust. Staff identified seven of the ten statutory factors in section 2.48 of the county zoning regulations as applicable and found the request complies with applicable factors with conditions.

Applicant Elizabeth Del Deo told the commission the business would seek a state license and expected the issued license to be dual (medical and recreational). She said the operation would be retail only and would not contain a kitchen for manufacturing or a laboratory for testing. Del Deo said product sourcing had not yet been decided but would be from licensed distributors within the state. She estimated the store would be small, employing roughly five to seven people, and described likely hours as daytime retail (she suggested about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., subject to county or city limits).

Commissioners asked about possible impacts. Questions and staff responses recorded in the meeting included concerns about traffic and public safety when customers drive after purchase, potential odors from cannabis (the applicant said packaged retail product would be sealed and unlikely to produce odors comparable to a grow operation), and whether overnight truck parking could occur (staff said that condition was included because of an adjacent truck-stop approval and would require a modification if proposed). Commissioners also asked about medical versus recreational limits; the applicant and staff said retail (recreational) purchasers must show photo identification and are limited to one ounce per transaction, while medical patients may purchase under different allowances. Staff noted the state’s tracking system records transactions linked to purchaser IDs.

Motion and vote: A commissioner moved to approve docket SU 25-05 with staff-recommended conditions; a second was made (seconding member not specified on the record). The roll-call vote recorded Chair DePew and commissioners Watkins, Young, Gonzales, Fickett, Marzke, Saunders, Montgomery and Limbach voting aye. The motion passed 9-0. The commission’s announcement noted that any individual could appeal the action to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors within 15 days; appeal applications are available from the county clerk.

Why it matters: The approval allows a permanent retail marijuana outlet to locate along a high-traffic segment of Business Loop 10 near Bowie, subject to the county’s separation and site standards and the conditions imposed by the commission. The decision is a final action of the Planning and Zoning Commission but may be appealed to the Board of Supervisors within the statutory appeal period.

Additional procedural and notice details captured in the staff presentation: staff said property notices and legal advertisement requirements were met (letters mailed to property owners within 1,500 feet and postings/ads run in accordance with the zoning regulations; dates referenced in the staff record included February and mid-March notices), and the applicant provided a site plan showing an approximate building location. The property is adjacent to Interstate 10 and railroad tracks and lies next to commercial zoning and nearby business uses approved recently by the Board of Supervisors.