Planning commission approves Roberts Family Trust rezone for 3255 N. State Route 89

The Chino Valley Planning and Zoning Commission approved a request by the Roberts Family Trust to rezone about 2.86 acres at 3255 North State Route 89 from the existing designation recorded in the staff report (transcribed as "c l a r 5") to commercial heavy (CH), following a staff recommendation and a roll-call vote.

Senior planner Jessica Barragan presented the application, saying the parcel is vacant, is designated light industrial in the 2040 general plan and that surrounding properties are already zoned CH. "Staff recommends approval of DC 2026 dash 0 4 subject to the conditions in Attachment A," she told the commission. Barragan noted a neighborhood meeting on June 25 drew one attendee who raised questions about a southern access.

During public comment property owner Ed Bloomfield said he had no objection to heavy commercial but raised concerns about a south entrance that uses Jackdill and the absence of recorded easement paperwork. "If he has the paperwork, they need to produce it," Bloomfield said, and asked that any informal access arrangements be put on paper and that the owner share maintenance responsibilities for the road used by heavy trucks.

Applicant Martin Roberts said he bought the property years ago and told the commission he was unaware of a recorded easement when he purchased the parcel; he said an earlier farm-era easement existed historically but that he did not have documentation to present at the hearing.

Commissioners debated whether the town should compel private parties to formalize maintenance agreements. Staff noted condition 5 in the packet requires demonstration of a separate access to State Route 89 where applicable, and described the parcel's geometry as a panhandle shared among neighboring owners. After discussion, Commissioner (Speaker 10) moved to approve ZC2026-04 "as presented subject to the staff report and information provided during this hearing and the conditions of approval in Attachment A;" the motion was seconded and passed in a roll-call vote.

The roll call recorded votes in the affirmative for the roster called (Stotts, Morbido, Sherman, Meadors, Vice Chair Paciak and Chair Merritt). The approval brings the zoning into alignment with the general plan and existing development patterns; staff and property owners may still need to resolve private access and maintenance arrangements outside the rezoning process.

Next steps: the approved rezoning will be reflected in town records and any future development that proposes use of the southern access will need to satisfy the conditions in Attachment A and demonstrate legal access as required by condition 5.