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Commission Approves Middlemarch Guest Lodging Special Use with Conditions
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Summary
The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved SU25-32 to permit guest lodging on a 36-acre RU-4 parcel near Tombstone, limiting camping to nine sites and imposing quiet-hours, sanitation, and permitting conditions after public comment about water and alcohol liability.
The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve docket SU25-32, a special use authorization permitting guest lodging on a roughly 36-acre parcel on Middlemarch Road northeast of Tombstone.
Staff presented the application for applicant Michael (Mike) Dewsbury and recommended approval with conditions, citing the county zoning factors and noting the property’s RU-4 zoning and rural comprehensive-plan designation. Staff said the proposal would allow up to nine campsites by right, and the applicant proposes a 2,000-square-foot multipurpose building for bathrooms, showers, food and visitor services.
In public comment, Manuel Echabe, a nearby property owner, raised safety and environmental concerns: he urged the commission to consider potential alcohol-related traffic risks (noting a family member killed by a drunk driver), asked how power and water would be provided, and asked about environmental impacts. Applicant Mike Dewsbury told the commission his family owns the larger parcel below the site, that the property has seven wells, that they will haul and store water as needed, and that any bar operations would follow alcohol‑service training and be limited to daytime hours (Dewsbury said operations would be roughly noon to sunset, with no intention of late‑night hours).
Commissioners asked staff and the applicant about road maintenance, expected vehicle volumes, and the meaning of 'possible' campsites shown on the site plan. Staff confirmed Middlemarch Road is county‑maintained and that the notification process had produced one written support and one written opposition within 1,500 feet. The staff recommendation included required conditions: a county right‑of‑way permit for access, a maximum of nine campsites, quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., sanitary management of guest areas, appropriately sized refuse and animal‑waste receptacles, and standard permitting and modification conditions.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve SU25‑32; the motion passed unanimously. The chair noted that anyone disagreeing with the commission’s action may appeal to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors within 15 days and provided clerk contact and online appeal information.
The commission’s approval is a special‑use authorization that allows the use (including the increased height, density or structures where applicable) subject to the conditions listed at the meeting. The applicant said he intends limited camping and a small hospitality component; implementation will proceed through required permits and the county right‑of‑way process.
