Dog training facility requests permit from Queen Creek council

A dog training-and-events business near Hawes Road and Superstition Drive is going before the Queen Creek Town Council on Wednesday to try to receive final approval for a conditional-use permit.

The council will also be holding a public hearing on the issue.

The owners of D&D Mini-Ranch Trial & Livestock, 20026 E. Superstition Drive, are asking for a conditional-use permit after the town’s code compliance division received an anonymous complaint earlier this year about the number of animals being kept on the property, dust, and animal-waste odor, according to a staff report.

The nearly 5-acre property, owned by Dan and Diane Sanderson, contains a single-family residence, accessory structures and agricultural pens. The business offers management, breeding and daily training of stock dogs and St. Croix sheep, as well as stock dog training events. It also hosts dog-herding trials.

In June, the Queen Creek Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend the town council approve the conditional-use permit.

Dan Sanderson told commissioners when they purchased the property their real estate agent told them the land was zoned to allow their businesses. The site is zoned rural-residential.

Erik Swanson, planning administrator for the town, told the commission the Sandersons immediately began work to get the permit as soon as they were informed.

A permit would allow the agricultural-based stock dog training and event operation to continue managing, breeding and training of stock dogs and sheep, as well as hosting stock dog herding trials.

Since receiving the complaint, the Sandersons have not held any events at the site. The stock dog event period starts in November and ends in March and includes up to six competitions lasting from one to three days with between 20 and 40 people attending.

Some of the Sandersons’ neighbors voiced support for the project during the commission meeting.

“The greatest majority of the people in our neighborhood support this. I think it’s a great thing for our town, I think it’s a great thing for our neighborhood. I support it and I ask you to do the same,” neighbor Al Weiss said.

Another neighbor said he has not had issues with D&D Mini-Ranch Trial & Livestock and that his young children enjoy watching events from over their fence.

“Eighty-something percent of the time the wind in the area blows from west to east and we’re on the east, and we have never had any issues whatsoever with smell or dust or manure residue floating around or nothing like that. I think they’ve got a great thing going,” Trevor Forbis said.

The Queen Creek Town Council meeting starts at 6:30 p.m., July 16, at Community Chambers, 20727 E. Civic Parkway.

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