By Richard Dyer
Twitter: @RHDyer

Rezoning 1039 E. Junction St. to bring the property into conformance with the surrounding neighborhood and to eliminate a rear-yard setback encroachment will be discussed at the 7 p.m. Oct. 20 meeting of the Apache Junction City Council. The meeting will be in the City Council Chambers, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.

The Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 22 voted to recommend City Council approve the change from medium-density, single-family detached residential to general rural, low-density single-family detached residential. The commission’s vote also recommended the approval of a minor General Plan amendment from medium-density residential to low-density residential.

“It’s pretty straightforward. I think it would be a benefit,” Chair Tess Nesser said.

One of the stipulations read into the record by Vice Chair Peter heck is that the parcel and one adjacent to it become one.

“(A) lot combination must be completed for parcels 101-22-006F and 101-22-006E within two months of rezoning approval or rezoning will revert back to the RS-10,” he said as part of the motion for approval.

The 1-acre property is on the southeast corner of Junction Street and Belair Road. The proposed rezoning would bring the parcel into conformance with the surrounding General Plan designation found in the immediate neighborhood, according to a staff report.

“We have one parcel that is currently zoned RS-10M and the parcel to the east is zoned RS-GR. Sometime a long time ago this was not zoned RS-GR and zoned differently prior to 2014, probably for the idea of further splitting that lot,” Senior Planner Sidney Urias said to the commission. “Heidi and Larry Erickson have purchased the lot recently and would like to rezone that property to RS-GR, which would fit the surrounding neighborhood and give them a little bit more of an allowance for accessory structures and correct a nonconforming issue, which is a setback encroachment to the rear yard.”

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.