Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Hearing officer finds Coconino County resident responsible for zoning violations after no‑show; $40/day fines ordered
Loading...
Summary
A hearing officer in Coconino County entered a finding of responsibility against Mr. Christiansen for two zoning violations after he failed to appear. The officer ordered abatement within 30 days or combined fines of $40 per day (about $1,200 over 30 days), with a recall hearing set for March 18, 2026.
At a county hearing in Thomas Auditorium, a Coconino County hearing officer found Mr. Christiansen responsible for two zoning-code violations after he failed to appear and imposed daily fines until the property is brought into compliance.
The hearing officer, Miss Brown, entered a finding of responsibility and said a written order would follow after the county presented exhibits, including an affidavit showing service of the citation and notice to appear. County staff member Mister Stento testified under oath that he personally served Mr. Christiansen on Jan. 14 and that he and Code Enforcement Officer John Cole conducted a site inspection on Feb. 9.
Why it matters: County staff said the remaining violations — operation of a business in a residential (AR) zone and outdoor storage of secondhand materials, vehicle parts and household appliances — persist even though an earlier RV‑occupancy violation appears to have been abated. The officer’s finding triggers penalties under the county zoning ordinance if the property is not brought into compliance.
Mr. Stento told the hearing the respondent told staff he intended to continue cleanup but did not plan to attend the hearing and appeared likely to go to work at a nearby food truck instead. Staff advised Mr. Christiansen the county would likely request a 30‑day compliance period and warned that failure to appear would be deemed an admission of the citation.
County staff requested that the hearing officer require full abatement of the cited violations within 30 days or, if not corrected, assess monetary penalties consistent with the zoning ordinance: $20 per day for outdoor storage violations and $20 per day for unpermitted commercial use in the AR zone, for a combined total of $40 per day. That rate totals $1,200 over 30 days and would continue to accrue thereafter until compliance is verified. Staff also requested a recall hearing to determine compliance and said the county would refer the matter to the county attorney’s office if cumulative penalties reached $1,500.
Miss Brown said she was required to enter a finding of responsibility because the zoning code deems failure to appear an admission. She stated, “I will, in fact, find that the violation alleged in the citation is deemed admitted because of Mr. Christiansen’s failure to appear,” and imposed the penalties recited by staff. A recall hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 8 a.m. to determine compliance; the hearing officer also said a written order would be issued and the county would provide notification.
Next steps: The written order will set out the penalties and compliance time frame; if the property remains noncompliant after 30 days, fines will continue to accrue and the county has the option to refer collection or enforcement to the county attorney per the hearing record.
