County seeks change in zoning ordinance to curtail accessory dwellings near MCAS
The issue of how to limit additional housing on properties near Marine Corps Air Station Yuma is still unresolved for the Yuma County Board of Supervisors.
At the board meeting Wednesday, the question arose as to whether to include the term “suburban homestead” on several sections of the Yuma County Planning and Zoning Commission, which would keep them from being listed as permitted use.
A common example of a suburban homestead is a guest house. The issue came up because both the supervisors and MCAS Yuma are concerned by the guest housing, or “accessory dwelling units,” on properties within the noise reduction zone, the area affected by
MCAS air exercises and at risk in the case of an accident.
The supervisors said that they’re concerned that the construction of accessory dwelling units in areas near MCAS, specifically on the mesa, will increase the population density around the base and allow encroachment.
To address this, the Yuma County Planning and Zoning Commission proposed a text amendment to several sections of the Yuma County Zoning Ordinance. However, the board said that they found the proposed amendments lacking.
“This doesn’t fix existing accessory dwelling units,” said Supervisor Russell McCloud. “That’s my main concern. And it doesn’t stop people from getting a (Suburban Ranch) designation. In the future, people can still apply for a suburban ranch designation, and with an SR designation they can still have accessory dwelling.”
Chairman Tony Reyes said that he also wanted to stop people from seeking a special use permit to circumvent the county’s restriction of suburban homesteads from the list of permitted use of property.
“The fact that you can apply for a permit doesn’t mean the board will approve it,” he said. “We want to deter people from spending time and money and effort on this only to come to us and we say no. We want people in the future to know.”
Supervisor Lynne Pancrazi said that the board should limit residents to one unit of resident housing per 2 acres in the area around MCAS and said the concern centered mostly on accessory dwelling in the 65- and 75-decibel noise zone near the base.
The board asked Maggie Castro, the Yuma County Planning Director, if the Planning and Zoning Commission could draft an amendment so to limit accessory dwellings in that 65- to 75-decibel noise zone.
The Yuma County Zoning
Ordinance divides the county into zoning districts, so, Castro said, that process wouldn’t be as easy as drawing a line around MCAS Yuma’s noise zones to apply the accessory dwelling limitations. The process would instead have to take place through a major amendment, which requires a process that will take about a year.
“We want to set rules for allowed use and to create a district for keeping away (accessory) dwelling around MCAS-Y,” said
Reyes. The board sent the text amendment proposal back to the Planning and Zoning Commission so that they could begin the Major Amendment process.
Yuma County Attorney Jon Smith said his office will also be involved in the process to make sure the major amendment doesn’t create legal risks. Specifically, Smith said he wanted the county to avoid the possibility of residents suing the county for diminishing their property values.