[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6679830,"mediaKeyId","2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d","parentId",2171818,"title","Commissioners raise community concern over Horsemen’s Lodge land transfer and potential gaming development","audioSeconds",378,"startMs",4889000,"endMs",5267000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d&start=4889&end=5267","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d/thumbnail_4889000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6679830/Coconino-County/Arizona/Commissioners-raise-community-concern-over-Horsemens-Lodge-land-transfer-and-potential-gaming-development","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6679830-df2782753aa6cacf5f0a204791703519/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162849&Signature=lArDOVJpf3MP~~gvImYUH--M6M7d7IMH06i-WF0LQ3IFWyi6uaGDB1jFvaY7s2EOQ9six2UEX2Ua5Yg42VYM~Q4r2V~k90tgOSi53ga5XymvLcabU28YZGgFk31de42QpQXaoKz81Y2yRbK-uPaU6XWz4IVZoXV7sSlUO7STh4oPzfpFSeRA3uZl0Ez4XQQmgfMAWKYv6Fa8FAuHdE2vwMxgNm4eY912yM0lbuqOLU4Loq4XE0G1vcRhn3uwf33hbhdo19krbIdRxMeJDFmQyWJxO9v~JRYEtnU34IKt51UA4Bq9RBou2dyuO-Hm~QRCBDFb2lv-B1ORl2e1WEz5Fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Coconino County","date","2025-01-01T05:14:15.7Z","article","Several commissioners used the Dec. 4 study-session roundtable to raise concerns about the transfer of the Horsemen’s Lodge property into trust and the implications of a planned gaming operation.

Commissioner Best asked staff for a report on the status of Horsemen’s Lodge, saying the change was a \"bombshell\" for some residents and asking whether there was any ongoing county relationship with the property. Commissioner Wilson expanded on community concerns, recounting his role as co-chair of the Doney Park area plan rewrite committee and describing committee efforts to preserve community character. He said the committee had worked to incorporate protections and community input but that those efforts had not prevented the land transfer.

Wilson described the legal pathway that led to the transfer: changes in federal practice, he said, allowed a land settlement to be processed through the Bureau of Indian Affairs without mandatory public-notice requirements that had previously applied. He told the commission residents adjacent to the property are worried about potential effects: a gaming operation the compact contemplates could include as many as 300 gaming devices and more than 100 employees, he said. Adjacent residents, Wilson said, are concerned about sewage, water sourcing, fire and emergency-service arrangements and the alteration of local character. \"The character of Doney Park that our area planning committee worked so hard to try to preserve, has been destroyed at least in that little part,\" he said.

Commissioner Revels summarized staff and legal observations reported elsewhere in the session: federal officials treated the transfer as a land-settlement matter tied to the 1974 Land Settlement Act and therefore concluded the regulatory notification previously required under the Code of Federal Regulations was not necessary in this instance.

Commissioners asked for a clear, publicly available county explanation of the transfer process and next steps for public services and infrastructure (sewer, water, fire/EMS) if a gaming operation proceeds. County staff did not provide new approvals for a gaming facility at the study session; commissioners emphasized the need for transparent communication to affected residents as the process moves forward.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning and Zoning Staff and Commission Study Session | December 4, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","During roundtable, commissioners discussed the recently completed land transfer that brought the Horsemen’s Lodge property into trust and the potential for a large gaming facility. Commissioners called for a clear county explanation of how the transfer occurred and noted wide community concern about impacts.","taxTitle","Coconino County, Arizona","taxId",2575,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6679834,"Planning commissioners discuss leadership nominees and district-map changes after supervisor election",366,4004000,4370000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d&start=4004&end=4370","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d/thumbnail_4004000.jpg","/articles/6679834/Coconino-County/Arizona/Planning-commissioners-discuss-leadership-nominees-and-district-map-changes-after-supervisor-election","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6679834-d2492cf1caed27a624730319567c26cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162849&Signature=XuBjPf6nYfp4qkPbRX2hwiFs10OYo2i7tWqzEz~xjUjXZ4jYB9JPz1mqbMb-grDpP8aJyLHS3WP2AMOv4KWKywrzOTsYHneuCPmxMrGGrz986qtTAW11bSw3NExfoHnZ2QXq9aouYEZbrhgxbTL5PWoXbcg5Ef2eYwNrMEMRnMq5pI-atQCyJ6ehpOnV-v4Px9h-so6nhSgvC~FV5MfpVMp9kv9NRaMe5nQNLDMtFlW1~AWJuOX2LKSS03U-iP-~UVhWdfS00-WU~jqi85NVohVw5Gs4MtnHbLGsAcvEDx2aPNI2b2pher24OhNmnOfDnYl3XOtn4yjrZ5iUQtaNeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioners discussed commission leadership and the county’s new supervisor-district map during the Dec. 4 study session, ahead of public hearings.

Staff announced that Tammy Ontiveros had been elected district 3 supervisor and had submitted her resignation from the planning and zoning commission; she will be sworn in in January. Vice Chair Tianna Burton said she was willing to assume the chair position and nominated herself to do so; Commissioner Wilson told the group he would be willing to serve as vice chair if the commission concurs.

Staff also reviewed the recently adopted supervisor-district map that becomes effective in the new year. The boundary changes shift several commissioners into different supervisor districts: Commissioner Best moved from District 1 to District 2 and indicated willingness to serve under the new district assignment; Commissioners Wilson and Ruggles moved from District 2 into District 5 and both said they would be open to appointment by Supervisor Lena Fowler. Commissioner Williams remains in District 1 and Commissioners Tohi and Walsh remain in District 4.

Jess McNeely, county staff, said the county will coordinate with the respective supervisors on reappointments and openings. He identified three upcoming openings for appointment: the vacancy created by Ontiveros in District 3 and open seats in Districts 1 and 2 under the new map. McNeely asked commissioners to share suggestions for potential appointees and said staff will forward names to the supervisors.

The commission did not take final votes on leadership during the study session; Burton said the item would be readdressed during the public hearing portion of the meeting. The Board of Supervisors’ recent actions were also reported elsewhere in the session: staff noted the board approved zone change 2403 on Nov. 15.","The commission discussed the resignation of Commissioner Tammy Ontiveros following her election to the Board of Supervisors, a nomination to make Vice Chair Tianna Burton chair and an offer by Commissioner Wilson to serve as vice chair, and the county’s supervisor-district boundary changes and their effect on commissioner appointments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6679840,"Staff outlines key changes and public-review schedule for Flagstaff Regional Plan and county comprehensive plan update",2836,539000,3375000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d&start=539&end=3375","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d/thumbnail_539000.jpg","/articles/6679840/Coconino-County/Arizona/Staff-outlines-key-changes-and-public-review-schedule-for-Flagstaff-Regional-Plan-and-county-comprehensive-plan-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6679840-4c8ce3d12201d29a7f4a9e92d8b07335/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162849&Signature=li-FIi7Dd7wxizHgqmtmicHdeVWzIQa68kWu0n2jR~ykjVYxgKRZJRejY8f29kF0~yHpV-tvHRIoXzr8z051hAoU4p-JZehzBlY99H1RtdWople0ZO4AXAg5jUmHx9UMneNCHIR-oEbdimLPCKKkRlm~BQhPgWLolHolOUdmNc5DYony6LlcSy~d3Dcxc2-Jc28Dg6v3sU3eZQHAiUXkM0eeUmZI-j07aXBy-88QMxdeC7sVIOUSAgdbEsRRCSFjviqPAIa53uW-LKEX1WqR3qRkmU5GyxXykVGD4TJ6yFyPvhHifP9QGxA0Mk5tybx2lbP8tKoA2tinuVabrRZ~FA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Melissa Shaw, a Coconino County planner, briefed the planning and zoning commission Dec. 4 on the draft Flagstaff Regional Plan and the county’s ongoing comprehensive-plan update, answering commissioner questions about policy weight, land-use maps and public engagement.

Shaw said the regional plan is in a 60-day public-review period that ends Dec. 19. Staff are posting materials on a public portal and have scheduled webinars and office hours; Shaw demonstrated the Conveio review site and explained users may register to edit comments. She said advisory committees have completed recommendations and staff will conduct legal review and organize public comments after the 60 days.

Shaw described the plan’s organization: goals and policies are front-loaded in the document, followed by a growth and land-use framework, then implementation and background chapters. She said the update intentionally reduces the total number of goals and policies (the prior plan contained many redundant and non-policy items) and clarifies an implementation hierarchy: goals (desired future condition), policies (courses of action) and implementation guidelines and action items (projects and work-plan items assigned to agencies).

Commissioners asked whether implementation items would carry the same weight as goals and policies in decision-making. Shaw replied, \"the goals and policies, just in short, are the main, pieces of the plans ... The implementation guidelines basically tell how those are interpreted and applied.\" She said the action-item list functions as a 10-year work program with assignments to county and city departments.

Shaw also reviewed the draft future land-use illustration and policy maps. She said the county’s version of the map largely reflects existing zoning parcels but noted the regional plan’s map is parcel-specific rather than a broad paint-layer. Commissioners raised questions about how much weight to give the map in rezoning decisions and whether the plan could imply downzoning; staff said the future land-use illustration cannot remove existing entitlements and that major or minor plan amendment rules would govern substantive changes.

Shaw said the joint retreat with city and county elected and appointed officials is planned for a single day in March with a paid facilitator and a small group (around 24 people) to focus on goals and policies before public hearings. She said that if additional committee review is needed after the comment period, the regional plan committee would reconvene. Shaw noted staff plans a legal review before phase 4 public hearings and that city public hearings and a city ballot initiative are expected to precede county public hearings.

Shaw and commissioners discussed how the plan’s illustrations show denser, mixed-use and multimodal street design as possible futures in growth areas; commissioners stressed that future-density illustrations are not a carte blanche to rezone established single-family neighborhoods without a separate rezoning process. Shaw demonstrated how to zoom and comment on the plan maps on the county’s parcel viewer and the Conveio review site.

No formal action was taken; the commission was briefed and encouraged to submit comments during the 60-day review period, which Shaw said ends Dec. 19.","County planners presented the draft Flagstaff Regional Plan and an update on the county comprehensive-plan chapters, described a 60-day public-review period ending Dec. 19, a joint city–county retreat planned for March and how the draft reworks goals, policies and implementation items.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6679845,"County staff brief commissioners on two conditional-use permit requests for RV residences in the Valley",99,281000,380000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d&start=281&end=380","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171818-73f04bde8cbe7528c179a6123511400d/thumbnail_281000.jpg","/articles/6679845/Coconino-County/Arizona/County-staff-brief-commissioners-on-two-conditional-use-permit-requests-for-RV-residences-in-the-Valley","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6679845-1b43d9060dacf043fe2b061d659f6e81/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162849&Signature=Ly-Z735UXsi2oUElWuaJ81p~vKNO-RBnBZiMWnjgakuMUPSWVDDzpNN4tNFfxEkalMOsPcvUvk-Gj16HXEdpJVkaPrcrs2jrhpiU9u7l6GbxRLKLj41fyqugxnJcfzRlut5R-68NNcABTpmaN5KJA1ggBHIcBPpK62ljRY5Hk8K~J6LNSYu6bfUkND5n02Fmoi3r3FKEQHoC6RR762GKeOIaSopew2jCNalX-z3zPVWz1GwEWCZ3ArRawmf0XdmLugXfeD0aNDrM9mcDK9nlNKckIZUD1novN6o2W6-tLQQ8~76o9XpM45PXo40uoga3bQg2o979FS3jyJKBM4jXtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coconino County planning staff presented two conditional-use permit requests for use of recreational vehicles (RVs) as permanent residences in the Valley during the planning and zoning commission study session Dec. 4.

Bob McNelly, a county planning staff member, said one applicant, Barbara Simmons, is located in the center of the Valley and has nearby houses and electricity; a second applicant, Richard Acosta, is several parcels south of Highway 64 on a relatively good road but will not have grid electricity. McNelly said both requests follow the county’s standard approach for RV residence CUPs, which typically assume hauled water and wastewater service or self-supplied water and waste-hauling arrangements.

The commission pressed staff on enforcement and whether there is evidence that wastewater is actually hauled to authorized dump stations. “Do we have any evidence that that actually occurs or does not occur?” Commissioner Wilson asked.

McNelly replied that county code-enforcement complaints provide indirect evidence: the county receives wastewater-dumping complaints in the Valley, but he said none of those complaints involved properties that had been granted a CUP for an RV residence. “All the complaints we’ve had have been properties that have just completely unpermitted development on them,” McNelly said. “At least our evidence from complaints would be that properties that seek and get the CUP, are in fact, abiding by regulations and their conditions.” He added, “I think they probably are taking it to a dump station.”

Commissioners and staff noted practical limits to enforcement: while improper wastewater disposal is a code violation, staff said it is difficult to monitor every RV and verify compliance except when a complaint is filed. The applicants’ properties differ in utility access: one has electricity, the other does not, which staff flagged as part of site considerations for the Jan. 8 public hearings.

The planning and zoning commission did not take a vote during the study session; both items were presented as orientations for the Jan. 8 public hearing.

The commission’s next scheduled public hearing on the two CUPs is Wednesday, Jan. 8.","Coconino County staff reviewed two conditional-use permit (CUP) applications for use of recreational vehicles as permanent residences in the Valley area and answered commissioner questions about sanitation, utilities and enforcement. Public hearings are scheduled for Jan. 8.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners raise community concern over Horsemen’s Lodge land transfer and potential gaming development

Planning commissioners discuss leadership nominees and district-map changes after supervisor election

Staff outlines key changes and public-review schedule for Flagstaff Regional Plan and county comprehensive plan update

County staff brief commissioners on two conditional-use permit requests for RV residences in the Valley