Commission approves conditional use permit for 8x40 storage container in Howard Mesa Ranch

The Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved Conditional Use Permit CUP-24-038 on March 26 to allow placement of an 8-by-40-foot storage container in the Howard Mesa Ranch area.

Staff told the commission that the zoning ordinance allows metal shipping containers to be used as accessory structures on vacant lots, and there were no public comments on the case. After a short staff presentation and no opposing public testimony, the commission’s motion to approve the permit passed without dissent.

The motion to approve was made during the public hearing by a commissioner on the record and seconded; the meeting minutes record the approval vote as unanimous among the commissioners present. The approval is binding unless appealed to the Board of Supervisors under the county’s appeal process.

Because the request was a standard accessory-structure permit and staff recommended approval, commissioners had no substantive debate beyond confirming that the zoning ordinance permits containers on vacant parcels.

The commission’s action authorizes the container under the conditions included in the staff report; any building or placement permits required by county code remain subject to normal permitting procedures.