Huachuca City hearing officer recommends zoning amendment to align home-based firearms rules with state law

Dr. Johnson, the town's hearing officer, recommended on Feb. 19 that the Town of Huachuca City adopt a text amendment to Section 18.100.210 D(1) of the municipal Zoning Code to align the ordinance with Arizona state law governing firearms-related home-based businesses. The public hearing was held in Council Chambers; no members of the public attended or offered comment.

“The amendment is necessary to align the town code section 18.100.210 D(1) with state law concerning firearm-related home-based businesses and to further clarify what is prohibited,” Dr. Johnson said as he opened the hearing and read the proposed changes. He read the code language limiting the operation of home-based businesses that would involve sales, manufacture, storage or repair of explosives, improvised explosive devices or prohibited weapons as defined under ARS Section 13-3101.

Town staff and the hearing officer said the public review period began Feb. 5 and that notices were posted at the town’s standard posting locations, on the town Facebook page and published in the newspaper. The clerk stated that no written comments or phone-in comments had been submitted for the record. With no one from the public present, Dr. Johnson closed the hearing and said he would forward a recommendation to the Town Council for its final reading and action.

The minutes of the hearing were later approved administratively; the document bears Mayor Johann R. Wallace’s approval date of Feb. 26, 2026 and is certified by Town Clerk Brandye Thorpe. The council has not recorded a final vote on the amendment during this hearing; the matter was submitted to the council for its consideration.