Needles planning commission approves special-use permit despite safety concerns over River Road access

The Needles Planning Commission voted to approve resolution 04192023PC, granting a special-use permit for a proposed RV/resort development that commissioners and members of the public said could bring hundreds more people to a narrow riverside area.

Commissioners approved the permit after a motion by Speaker 7 and a second from Speaker 1; the chair called for a voice vote and several commissioners responded "Aye." The recorded outcome on the record was approval; speakers later referenced vote tallies as both "6 to 1" and "5 to 1" during wrap-up remarks.

The debate centered on road access and public-safety risks. Speaker 3, who voted no, said he could not make finding (f) required under the local code — that the use "will not materially endanger the public health or safety" — citing past wildfire entrapment in nearby Verde Shores and the narrow, dirt condition of River Road. "I cannot make [finding f]. The use will…