8/6/2007 9:26:00 PM Board: 'No' to realty office at Old Stage store
The Daily Courier
PRESCOTT - The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors on Monday upheld the Planning and Zoning Commission and unanimously refused to amend the 2005 conditional zoning map change for the Old Stage County Store in the Williamson Valley area.
Dan Main, acting as agent for Old Stage Properties Inc., applied for the amendment to allow for the operation of a realty office at the Williamson Valley and Outer Loop roads site, in addition to the country store and gas pumps.
Planning Manager Elise Link said county officials received complaints when the realty office opened in January.
The issue dividing the community is lease space versus a community meeting room.
Supporters say lease space has always been included in the building plans. Opponents say no one ever talked about lease space and the business owners promised the community a meeting room.
"I could find no place in the official minutes where anyone talked about a meeting room. During the two-year process to approve the country store there was always a reference to future lease space. Nothing was hidden, during that two-year process everyone knew there would be lease space," Main said.
Property owner John Hunt Jr. said his intent has always been to lease office space.
"I am paying commercial taxes on 1,700 square feet of that building. I have been called a 'professional developer.' If that were true, I would not be here today," Hunt said.
Hunt said he did not lie and did not try to hide anything.
"The only thing I knew was that I was going to have lease space," he said.
Representatives from Friends of Williamson Valley and The Williamson Valley Corridor Plan continued their opposition to the conditional zoning map change amendment.
However, for the first time, those supporting the real estate office outnumbered the opposition.
Supporters indicated that a real estate office is a good use for the property.
"It is not hurting anyone and there is a low volume of traffic," Realtor Jeff Kales said.
Gloria Moore said, "(the) Friends of Williamson Valley are very vocal in their distaste of commercial development. Where was their distaste when the property was broken up to provide the places where they live? I am amazed that someone who owns a half-acre or an acre can control all the property around them."
Moore said that residents did not elect Friends of Williamson Valley to represent them and it is just a group that "must be heard."
Friends of Williamson Valley President Georgene Lockwood said, "We are that small vocal minority. Our group has about 1,000 members. Maybe the best way to solve this is an election; maybe a realty office is a good thing. However, this is a violation and the county has acknowledged it is a violation."
Former Planning and Zoning Commissioner and Williamson Valley Corridor Plan Chairman Walter Burcham said that the plans for Old Stage Country Store that went to the commission were "for a store at the corner of the intersection for the family to run. I remember seeing plans for a meeting room; I don't remember lease space. The plan was for a meeting room, nothing more, nothing less."
Burcham said the WVCP committee recognized the property as a commercial site. He said since the store was already there, "we could do nothing less. I think this is what they wanted all along, but it is not how it was presented. I don't think they were trying to go behind anyone's back."
Supervisor Carol Springer said, "There has been a lot of discussion about what was on the plans, but none of that matters. What we actually approved was a store and gas pumps. Even if lease space was on the plans, it was not what the Board of Supervisors approved."
Springer said another business occupying space at the Old Stage Country Store is a clear violation of what the board approved.
"On the other hand, there was a lot of discussion about a meeting room, but it was never approved. There is nothing in the stipulations. I think we need to go back and look at what the board approved," Springer said. "My motion is to uphold the Planning and Zoning recommendation and deny the application."
After the vote, Supervisor Tom Thurman said that the next step is for the board to "look at the Williamson Valley Corridor Plan. If the board accepts the plan, the property owner can reapply for an amendment to the conditional zoning map change."
Deputy County Attorney Jack Fields said the property owner "needs to cease use" of the building for a real estate office. He said use of that part of the building is still unclear. He said questions that remain unanswered include whether the property owner committed to a community room and whether they can expand the store.
Development Services Director Ken Spedding said that when the property owner applied for the amendment, county officials placed the zoning violation on hold. He said that the violation process will proceed and officials have scheduled a hearing Friday.
Reader Comments
Posted: Sunday, February 10, 2008
Article comment by:
Mildred Atwell
I am against a 5 lane highway. Three lanes, ok but not 5. I have attended several meetings regarding this project and have wondered how much property Carol Springer, her family and friends own, North of the Outer Loop. This road will eventually reach I=40 and when that happens Williamson Vly Road will become another Blood Alley with 18 wheelers from the West Coast using this road as a "short cut". The peace and quiet that we want will then be gone.Progress? I think not.
Posted: Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Article comment by:
prescottpacific
Take a look back at the original community meetings and the drawings that were presented. They show a store, "cozy" island pumps, and a meeting room. We did get a great store, but we also got a giant and ugly gas station that glows in the dark, a real estate office, and used tractor sales. Probably if the Hunts did what they proposed to the community in the first place they could have come back and proposed other commercial operations. But since they live by the motto that is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission; they have shot themselves in the foot for any future development.
Posted: Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Article comment by:
Pauline H.
