RV horse-trailer regulations considered for Apache Junction

By Richard Dyer
Mail | Twitter: @RHDyer

A public hearing will be held in September by the Apache Junction City Council on plans for residents living on 1.25 acres or more being allowed to park or store one recreational vehicle with an integrated horse trailer in addition to one standard RV on the property in a proposed city code change.

The Apache Junction City Council on Aug. 1 voted unanimously to continue discussion on the change until the Sept. 5 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the council chambers, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.

The continuation of the case was recommended by city staff to provide one ordinance that would also include proposed changes on bicycle racks, parking spaces for motorcycles and charging stations for electric vehicles required of new multifamily Apache Junction developments.

“So in the end there’s going to be one ordinance and one resolution because it’s kind of long and you want to adopt it by reference. Is that correct? Both of these items.” City Attorney Joel Stern said at the Aug. 1 council meeting.

“It is how we prepared it. They were broken into two cases that the actual content of the amendments could be considered separately but the final action just to replace the actual current code was proposed as one ordinance,” Planner Nicholas Leftwich said.

The planning and zoning commission on June 27 voted 5-1 to recommend that the Apache Junction City Council approve a text amendment to the city code under parking, loading and circulation regulations on residential lots with at least 1.25 gross acres. Commissioner Ari Kalan dissented. Commissioner Frank F. Schoenbeck was absent.

The city of Apache Junction presently allows one recreational vehicle to be parked or stored on a 1.25-acre lot, but it can’t be lived in there.

There have been 26 code-compliance cases so far in 2023 with people living in RVs, 16 in 2022 and 55 in 2021, according to information provided to the council.

An RV may be parked at the side or the rear of the main dwelling, Associate Planner Erika Hernandez said at the Aug. 1 meeting.

“Staff previously recommended in addition to the existing recreational-vehicle limitations, one of the following in the single-family residential lot on an acre and a quarter — that would be a horse trailer with integrated living quarters or a motorized recreational vehicle with an integrated horse trailer,” she said.

“Staff recommends a horse trailer with living quarters or a motor home with horse trailer in addition to the existing recreational vehicle limitations; to the side or the rear of the home, which already exists; in RS-GR, RS-54 and RS-54M (zoning districts); with a minimum acreage of 1 acre; for a maximum of two recreational vehicles,” Hernandez said.

Council members Bambi Johnson, Bryan Soller and Darryl Cross said they favored it be changed to allow two RVs.

“I just think that the easiest answer to all of this would be to just allow two RVs and absolutely can’t use them for living in them,” Cross said.

“I just agree. If we’re going to do it, do it for all RVs — you can have two RVs on your property if it matches the 1 acre,” Soller said.

Vice Mayor Robert Schroeder disagreed, saying one RV was enough.

“If we’re coming across ... people living in these things and ‘let’s just throw another one on the property,’ I just don’t quite understand the logic behind just adding more living quarters to property. And then also shrinking the size of the property that we’re allowing it to be on,” he said.

“It’s more the issue of the curb appeal. It’s potentially adding to a problem that is a growing issue, which is people who are living in these motor homes and these RVs on other people’s properties. It exists. It’s happening. And it’s happening more now than it has over the last few years,” Schroeder said later. “It’s more along the lines of we don’t want to contribute to a growing issue.”

Apache Junction resident George Martinez received a citation for having two RVs on his property — a toy hauler and a 20-foot-long RV, he said during a public hearing on the proposed changes.

“I don’t understand why it’s even an issue. I can understand if I have people living in it... I don’t want anybody living in my toy hauler,” he said. “Yeah, the two RV rule, I think, has merit to it.”

Apache Junction resident Wade Jones, who said he has a motor home and a toy hauler, favors increasing the number of RVs allowed on a property.

“I like them on the property because I’ve stored them before and they got damaged,” he said. “I moved out here to AJ so I could have some acreage and I could have a little bit of freedom to keep a few toys and things like that. So I really want you to consider it.”

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

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.