PRESCOTT VALLEY - An action that the Planning and Zoning Commission took Monday will make it possible for Galpin Ford to expand a covered storage area for recreational vehicles on two additional acres.
The commission, an advisory body to the Town Council, voted 5-0 to rezone the property from residential to commercial. Commissioners Gary Bruce and Larry Parkhurst did not attend the meeting.
The site adjoins the existing storage area and is on the southwest side of Highway 69 roughly 600 feet north of the intersection with Highway 169.
"We found out we had a little piece of residential" property surrounded by commercially zoned land, dealer Greg Galpin told the commission.
The commission approved his request with little discussion.
Galpin said after the vote that he wants to expand the storage area to meet growing demand from customers. He added he hopes he can build the new storage area within two months.
"What we are doing is building a covered storage for RVs," Galpin explained. "We have three buildings now that hold 24 (RVs)."
He said he opened the RV storage area several years ago on about 5 of the 15 acres of his dealership.
The enclosed storage area makes it possible for RV owners to protect their investments from the elements, Galpin said.
Besides granting Galpin's request, the commission voted unanimously to amend the General Plan to designate 160 aces of state trust land within the town's boundaries to business park. The affected land is immediately to the north of the Big Sky Business Park off East Valley Road.
The state Land Department is seeking the change to increase the value of land when it eventually tries to sell it, Ed Dietrich, project manager of the planning section for the Land Department, said. Planning staff advised the commission against encouraging future housing development in the area because it would conflict with the nearby industrial uses.
Referring to improved relationships between the Land Department and town government,
Community Development Director Richard Parker said Prescott Valley is the "poster child" for reforms involving trust lands.
Dietrich said, "We want to maximize the value of our trust land." He described Prescott Valley officials as having "a very unique and forward-thinking attitude" toward trust land.
He said after the meeting that potential sales of the land are several years away. He added the trust lands border commercial and industrial areas to the south.
Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, April 17, 2009
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
The Planning and Zoning (P&Z)commission in PV is made up of "selected" candidates as picked by the "hand picked" PV council. Therefore, unless you are for "ALL" growth clearly, you need not bother making application for an appointment. So if your interest is a "balance" of town interests or might question some projects; forget it. Only "team players" allowed in PV. See thetruthpv.com for more historical issues and an old speech from Orange County CA politics.
