Hearing officer recommends Huachuca City zoning change to restrict firearms-related home-based businesses

Huachuca City held a public hearing on Feb. 19 on proposed text amendments to Section 18.100.210D(1) of the town's zoning code intended to align local rules with state law concerning firearms-related home-based businesses. Dr. Johnson, the town's hearing officer, read the proposed language into the record, including the section that would prohibit “the operation of a home based business involving the sale, mail order, trade, manufacture, display, storage or repair of any sort of explosive or improvised explosive device, and or prohibited weapons, as defined under ARS Section 13-3101.”

Dr. Johnson told the meeting that no written comments or phone-in comments had been submitted for the record and opened the public portion of the hearing; he reported that no members of the public were present in the chamber and that only three people were in attendance — himself, Brandye Thorpe, the town clerk, and Wyatt Barry, the chief of police. After closing the public hearing, Dr. Johnson said it was his recommendation to approve the amendment as written and that the recommendation would be sent to the Town Council for the council’s final reading. The meeting minutes record that the minutes were later approved by Mayor Johann R. Wallace on Feb. 26, 2026.