• Other action taken at Board of Supervisors meeting,
Several proposals from the Yuma County Planning and Zoning Commission came before the Yuma County Board of Supervisors during their meeting Wednesday.
Among the proposals that the board approved were two that opened up parts of the southeastern edge of the city of Yuma near the Foothills to suburban development. The two areas are along County 13½ Street, where most of the land is designated rural. The board approved both requests to rezone the 5.94gross-acre and 10.03-grossacre plots of land from rural area to suburban sites, which will allow for residential development.
The board also approved a request for a special use permit to allow the continued use of a parcel of land in the Foothills along North Frontage Road to be used as a tire shop. The business, Albert’s Tire Shop, had brought in complaints from Foothills residents because of its outward appearance on the busy road.
“Most of the complaints I’ve been hearing are just that it’s an eyesore,” said Supervisor Darren Simmons, whose district includes the Foothills. The property is an open space with a chain link fence perimeter and stacks of tires inside.
The owner of the property, Lurdes Zamudio, applied for a special use permit that would allow him to use his RV as a home, tire shop and storage for tires.
Zamudio gathered 36 signatures supporting his business from neighboring residents and tenants and brought in five people who spoke in support of his business to the board meeting. Supervisor Russell McCloud said that made an impact on him.
“When I came into the meeting today, I thought there’s no way I’m supporting this,” he said. “It looked like a simple matter. It didn’t fit with the area, I didn’t think it belonged. All the support and people who showed up for you today paid off, at least for my vote.”
The board granted the special use permit with the condition that Zamudio put up a masonry wall and white slatted fencing around the perimeter to keep it from looking so exposed.
“Anything to improve the way it is or the way it looks is a gain,” said Simmons.
The board also approved the rezoning of land along Highway 95 and several miles north of the Foothills from a rural area designation to an industrial use designation. The area already includes mills and depots and most of the zoning district is already designated industrial.
The board decided to rezone a plot of land in Somerton along South Avenue B½ from its suburban designation to its original rural area designation because it failed to meet its required schedule for development. The landowner had received a mailed notice informing him of the county’s intention, and the landowner signed off on the letter, confirming he was aware of the reversion. Having heard no objection, the board reverted the designation.