Hearing officer recommends Huachuca City zoning change to align with state firearms law

Hearing Officer Dr. Johnson recommended on Feb. 19 that the Town Council approve a proposed amendment to Huachuca City Zoning Code Section 18.100.210 D(1) intended to align the town’s code with Arizona state law governing firearms-related home-based businesses. The public hearing was held at Council Chambers; Dr. Johnson read the revised text and said notices and materials had been available for public review since Feb. 5.

Dr. Johnson read the proposed prohibitory language aloud: "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." He told the meeting there were no written or phone-in comments and that no members of the public were present in the chamber. Dr. Johnson said he recommended approval of the amendment as written and that his recommendation would be forwarded to the Town Council for the council’s final reading and decision. The hearing was then closed and adjourned.

The amendment process here is advisory: the hearing officer’s recommendation goes to the Town Council, which must perform a final reading and any formal vote before the zoning code changes take effect. The record of the public hearing notes that notices were posted at required locations and on the town’s Facebook page and published in the newspaper; the town clerk’s minutes state no written comments had been received as of the hearing.