Planning commission approves conditional use permit to widen sales area for Chaparral Terrace storage units

Bullhead City Planning and Zoning Commission on April 3 approved Conditional Use Permit U25-001 to allow a multi‑unit storage building at 1175 Chaparral Drive to sell a portion of the units to residents outside the Chaparral Terrace subdivision but within a designated nearby area.

The permit, as approved, requires that 51% of the units be reserved for Chaparral Terrace property owners and allows the remaining 49% to be sold to residents in adjacent neighborhoods including Riverview and Palo Verde Meadows. The commission approved the permit with staff-recommended stipulations plus two additions: a requirement to record which specific units are deed-restricted when the building application is submitted and a requirement that the applicant install physical barriers to prevent pedestrian access within the rear setback area.

The conditional use permit applies to a parcel recorded as Chaparral Terrace Track 4020, Parcels K and L, described in the meeting packet as zoned R‑1L (planned area development, residential single family limited). According to city staff, the parcel was designated for RV storage on the original 1986 subdivision plat and therefore could be used for open RV/boat storage or for a storage building if the units were restricted to Chaparral Terrace residents. As Johnny (staff member) summarized during the public hearing, "The question that we are here to to talk about is whether the development can expand and be available to people outside this neighborhood, or if it has to remain, only for use of residents within Chaparral Terrace."

Why the decision mattered to neighbors

Many neighbors who spoke during the public comment period said they oppose expanding sales beyond the subdivision and raised concerns about traffic, safety, security and the character of the neighborhood. Larry Chang, who said he has lived in Bullhead City "since before it was a city," told the commission, "If he's asking for a conditional use permit to sell them to people that are outside the neighborhood when the original plan of the development called for the units to be sold to the people within the development, then I don't think that's a proper use of a conditional use permit." Deborah Johnson, who lives at 1176 Chaparral Drive, said she would "much rather see somebody's RV parked over there than a bunch of commercial buildings," and cited worries about fencing, lighting and unattended areas attracting trespassers.

Tracy Stallman, who organized petition signatures, said she gathered signatures from only a few streets while on vacation and that "every single house that I was able to knock on the door to, every single house ... said no." Douglas Tran, an adjacent resident, cited traffic collisions at the nearby corner and called the proposal "a huge safety hazard."

Applicant and owner statements

Trent Timothy, who said he originally purchased the subdivision from the city and remains an owner, said the expansion was intended to give neighbors an option for boat and RV storage: "We just wanted to expand it out, so a lot of those homes are older, they've got 2 car garages ..." He and the applicant representative, Mr. White, told the commission the project will include owner-controlled units, gate access and cloud‑based cameras; Mr. White said each unit owner would have a personal opener and there would be "no windows, no man doors" on individual units.

Staff clarifications and technical details

City staff and the applicant described how the parcel's legal designation works. Garn (staff member) and Johnny explained the difference between the parcel's original RV/storage designation on the plat and the CUP's effect: the parcel may be developed as storage for Chaparral Terrace without a CUP, but a CUP is required to expand sales beyond that subdivision. Garn said the CUP would "expand those who could access the storage units beyond Chaparral Terrace" and reiterated that without the CUP the units must remain restricted to Chaparral Terrace.

On traffic, staff referenced the traffic-engineering guideline cited by the applicant: "The traffic engineer's manual states about a quarter of a trip per unit, so it'd be about 7 trips per day for the entire facility at about 28, 29 units." Neighbors disputed whether summer use or boats and trailers would increase local congestion beyond that estimate.

Stipulations added at the hearing

Commissioners agreed to the staff-recommended stipulations in the CUP packet and added two changes on the record: 1) the applicant must record (as part of the building-permit submittal) which units will be deed-restricted so there is a public record of the deed-restricted units; and 2) the applicant must install physical barriers to prohibit pedestrian access within the rear setback area. Garn noted an error in the packet's wording for stipulation number 5 and clarified the 51% requirement as it applies to the subdivision.

Vote and next steps

A motion to approve Conditional Use Permit U25‑001 with the added stipulations carried; the commission announced that the motion "carries." The audio record shows a majority vote and the chair declared the motion carried. City staff also advised the public that if the commission had denied the CUP, the applicant could seek review by the City Council.

Other action

The commission also approved the minutes from the March 6 meeting earlier in the session.

What the approval does — and does not — authorize

Staff and the commission emphasized that the parcel's existing plat designation allows the property owner to develop storage for Chaparral Terrace residents without further commission approval; the CUP only permits expanding who may purchase or lease units beyond the subdivision into the defined adjacent area. The permit does not authorize commercial businesses to operate from individual units, and the commission included the deed-recording and rear-setback barrier stipulations to address neighborhood safety and clarity about which units are reserved for subdivision residents.

The commission did not set a construction schedule during the hearing; any building permit, site work, or signage will be subject to future permit reviews and submittals required by city building and development regulations.