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Commission recommends conditional approval for Hereford Road RV park after weeks of public opposition
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted 7–2 to recommend conditional approval of an appeal that would allow a 24‑space RV park near the San Pedro River, after the applicants reduced density and agreed to environmental and operational conditions. Neighbors and conservation groups urged denial, citing groundwater and riparian impacts.
A Cochise County Planning & Zoning Commission majority on March 11 recommended conditional approval of an appeal that would allow a 24‑space RV park on roughly 30 acres near the San Pedro River, sending the matter to the Board of Supervisors with conditions intended to limit environmental and nuisance impacts.
The applicants, Benny and Janelle Schmidt, told the commission they had reduced the proposed site from 30 pads to 24 and proposed a 600‑foot buffer from the river, low‑impact surfacing, and a stewardship program. "We reduced it by 20% from 30 to 24 pads," Schmidt said during his presentation, adding the design uses native sacaton vegetation and aims to avoid subdivision‑scale disturbance.
The commission’s recommendation modifies staff’s original conditions and lists specific limits: the RV park would be capped at 24 spaces; county right‑of‑way and land‑clearing permits would be required; quiet hours (10 p.m.–6 a.m.) would be enforced; perimeter open space would be retained and supplemented with native drought‑tolerant vegetation; temporary refuse and animal waste receptacles must be managed; and parking/internal surfaces would use 2‑inch gravel to minimize dust and erosion. The commission approved the recommendation by a 7‑2 vote.
Opponents emphasized hydrologic, ecological and public‑access concerns. Tricia Jaredette drew attention to missing utility‑provider details in the applicant’s earlier submissions and warned about potential impacts on water rights and flows: "Any pumping would be taken underflow from the river," she said, citing court terminology used in the Gila River adjudication and urging the commission to consider the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area’s federally protected water rights.
Other residents, including Holly Richter and Joanne Roberts speaking for Friends of the San Pedro River, said fencing and signage would not stop visitors from crossing onto the river corridor, and argued that the river’s narrow riparian habitat and seasonal flooding make the location incompatible with an RV park. "The people are coming for the river, not for the parking lot," Richter said, adding that enforcement of visitor behavior would be difficult.
Applicant Schmidt and some commissioners said a managed permit approach could reduce off‑site impacts. Schmidt said both his wells are registered for irrigation and that the project could be a "managed alternative" to unmanaged use that currently tramples river access points. Commissioner Gonzalez called the applicant’s stewardship plans "encouraging," while other commissioners pressed for enforceable conditions and monitoring.
The commission’s action is a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors; it does not authorize construction. The board will consider the recommendation at a future meeting. The commission record notes that an individual disagreeing with the commission’s recommendation has the right to appeal to the Board of Supervisors within 15 days of any ultimate action.
