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Board approves Grand Canyon Inn & Cabins rezoning in Valley after public hearing
Summary
Following a public hearing with residents split over traffic, water and density, the board rezoned a 5.76‑acre parcel at the Highway 64/180 junction from G (10‑acre minimum) to CG (10,000 sq ft minimum) to allow renovation of a 28‑room motel and development of a 50‑space park‑model RV area and five workforce units.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a zone change for the Grand Canyon Inn & Cabins property (5.76 acres at State Route 64 near the Highway 180 junction in Valley), converting a legal nonconforming commercial lodging site from the G (general, 10‑acre minimum) zoning district to CG (commercial general). The approval followed a lengthy staff presentation, a unanimous recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission and a public hearing that drew supporters and opponents.
Applicant Grand Canyon Hospitality presented plans to renovate an existing 28‑room motel building, convert a storage structure to five workforce housing units and develop a 50‑space park‑model RV park for short‑term rentals. County staff and the applicant said the project will add clinic‑level wastewater infrastructure and rely on a permitted well; staff noted the developer has applied for the Arizona Department of Water Resources wells and for an on‑site wastewater permit and that ADOT will require a traffic impact analysis and any needed highway access improvements as part of the encroachment process.
Supporters at the hearing said the project would boost local lodging capacity near the Grand Canyon gateway, create jobs and add workforce housing options; several speakers stressed the property had long contained commercial lodging and that formal rezoning would allow upgrades and safer, code‑compliant replacement of aging facilities. Opponents raised concerns about water availability in a drought‑prone area, the effect of denser short‑term rentals on local character, fire and emergency response distances and traffic safety at the busy 64/180 intersection.
Planning staff and the county attorney reviewed the statutory and zoning criteria for a rezoning. Staff said the Valley Area Plan and the county’s comprehensive plan support visitor‑oriented commercial uses at the Highway 64/180 junction and noted the parcel has been commercially developed for decades under an older permit; staff recommended approval, as did the Planning and Zoning Commission. County legal staff told supervisors they had no legal basis to hold the application pending a future rewrite of the Valley Area Plan and reminded the board that Arizona law requires local governments to decide land‑use applications under current law and within statutory timeframes.
The board voted to approve the zone change and the conditional use permit for the RV park; the board chair asked staff to ensure follow‑up on ADOT requirements, ADWR and ADEQ permits and to report back on any outstanding infrastructure conditions.
Ending: Supervisors said they would monitor project permitting and insisted the applicant comply with ADOT, water and wastewater permits and local fire protection requirements before construction and occupancy.
