SAFFORD — Despite expressing a desire to update the county’s zoning code, the Graham County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend denial of a change to the code.
As continued from last month’s meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission heard a request from Geronimo property owner Pamela Brooks, who proposed a text amendment to remove growing marijuana from the mixed use industrial zone (MX) and, instead, place it in the Agriculture Zone (A) with conditions applied or under a conditional use permit.
Following comments by two Bonita residents, who oppose the growing of marijuana and a previous re-zoning approved by the Board of Supervisors to allow NatureSweet to sell two greenhouse complexes in Bonita to Bayacan for the indoor growing of medical-grade cannabis, Commission Chairman Gene Robert Larson said it’s time the county considered updating its zoning code.
“Pert near 50 years since these ordinances have been put together. The Valley has changed, the people have changed, and some of the ordinances, when we made them, didn’t quite fit,” Larson said.
“We’ve asked (Planning Director) Steve (McGaughey) to ask the supervisors for money so we can go over our ordinances and get some legal help to look at different counties and see what they’re doing, and bring our ordinances up,” he continued. “Like you said, MX, we definitely need a zone separate.”
Many communities in Arizona require marijuana cultivation take place in industrial areas; however, some take into account ranching and farming areas:
● Flagstaff requires marijuana cultivation take place in Highway Commercial, Urban Commercial, Light Industrial or Heavy Industrial districts.
● Phoenix cultivation is limited to Suburban Ranch or Farm Residence, or Suburban Ranch or Farm Commercial zones
● Tucson allows cultivation in General and Intensive Commercial, and Heavy and Light Industrial zones
● Mesa limits cultivation to General and Heavy Industrial zones
● Sedona requires both dispensaries and cultivation take place in Commercial zones
The commission’s recommendation is now forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final action.
