Graham County panel recommends rezoning of former Joby’s site for 24‑hour ice-and‑water vending and storage

A county planning panel voted to send a favorable recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on a rezoning request that would allow a 24-hour ice-and-water vending machine and future commercial rentals at 5570 US Highway 191.

The request, REZ94525 (APN 10607062), was presented by Karen Martin, who said she and her husband Jeff retained the Joby’s business EIN after selling the convenience store in 2020 and operate under a new DBA, "Quality H2O9's." Martin told the panel the parcel is about 2.9 acres and that she plans to site the vending unit on the front acre with warehouse rental space behind it.

Panel members heard that the company already operates four self-contained ice-and-water units in the region (Pima, Thatcher, Safford and Clifton) and that customers have requested a closer unit for the highway corridor. Martin said the building on the property will be removed, and she is working to clear roughly 37 vehicles from the lot under abandoned-title procedures; she described the site as an "eyesore" she intends to clean up.

Martin said there is no city water on the lot at present and she is coordinating with Morgan at the City of Safford on a grant-funded water extension that was delayed; she added the on-site well has not yet been tested for suitability for vending use. She also described three driveway entrances (two on Highway 191 and one off Lebanon Loop) and said the vending units are quiet, self-contained, and can be served by trench drains or city septic where available.

A panel member noted the previous owner faced enforcement judgments to clean the parcel and expressed support for the applicants' active cleanup plans. After discussion, an unidentified panel member moved to send a favorable recommendation to the Graham County Board of Supervisors; the motion was seconded and approved by the panel with no recorded opposition.

The Board of Supervisors hearing on the rezoning was announced for Feb. 2 at 8:00 a.m.; the panel reminded proponents that the supervisors make the final decision.

Details the panel recorded include the parcel APN (10607062), the applicant’s plan to remove on-site vehicles and structures, the intended 1-acre footprint for a vending unit and 1.9 acres for commercial rentals, and unresolved utility matters (city water extension and well testing). The panel’s favorable recommendation advances the rezoning request to the Board of Supervisors for a final decision.