A rezoning is being sought to allow the continued use of a construction business with a contractor’s office, shop, indoor and outdoor storage and construction truck parking southeast of Royal Palm Road and Old West Highway in Apache Junction.
The Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 22 voted unanimously to recommend city council approve rezoning 1.6 acres at 991 E. Old West Highway from general commercial to industrial.
The council is slated to discuss the rezoning at a work session Monday, Nov. 4, and a meeting Tuesday, Nov. 19. Both begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.
According to the Pinal County assessor, the building on the property was constructed as an automobile service garage in 1953 and the property maintained this use until about 2016. After the property closed for automobile services it was used as a contractor’s yard and office from about 2018 to 2021 when the current owner, SM Holdings LLC, purchased it to use for Storbakken & Sons Construction Inc., a construction and contractor’s business, Planner Nick Leftwich wrote in a memo to the commission.
Land north of Old West Highway is zoned commercial. Multifamily residential zoned property is to the east and west, and to the south is the Palm Springs single-family residential subdivision, he said during the commission meeting.
“Storbakken & Sons bought the property without knowing that there would be a zoning conflict, and when they began operating they were contacted by city staff who informed them of the zoning issue of having an inappropriate land use for the general commercial zoning district,” Leftwich said at the meeting.
The site plan shows one office and garage building with the rest of the yard for parking trailers and trucks, he said.
“So although no further development is proposed, this rezoning presents an opportunity to clean up and improve the property, which is why staff have recommended as conditions of approval standard property development requirements that would bring the property into compliance with our current wall and screening standards since the site right now is mostly bordered by a chain link fence,” Leftwich said.
It would need to come into compliance with the city’s dust-control and landscaping standards, he said.
“And the applicant has agreed that if this zoning were to go through, they would comply with these requirements,” Leftwich said.
Greg Loper is the applicant. SM Holdings LLC / Storbakken and Sons Construction Inc. is the owner.
The owner purchased the property believing they had the correct zoning and entitlement, Loper said to the commission.
“They want to try to make things right and improve the site,” he said. “(W)e did the notification, we had a neighborhood meeting — not received any negative input that I am aware of on it. We do agree with the stipulations the staff has put on the rezoning, the site improvements, the frontage. That building was built in the early 1950s — older than me — and it does need a facade renovation, there also needs to be landscaping, improvements on the driveway.”
The primary duties of the commission include community contact regarding items including a zoning change request, to an application from a developer for a shopping center development or housing project. Also included are conditional use permits with the final decision being handled at the Planning and Zoning Commission level, according to the city’s website.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@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.
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