Cochise County commission recommends rezoning of SunSites parcels to RU‑4 with ban on manufactured homes

The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend that the Board of Supervisors rezone about 10 acres in SunSites Unit 2 from SR‑43 to RU‑4, adding a special condition to prohibit manufactured and rehabilitated mobile homes on any portion of the rezoned acreage.

The recommendation — for tax parcels listed by staff as 117‑06‑063, 117‑06‑064, 117‑06‑066, 117‑06‑067, 117‑07‑004, 117‑07‑005, 117‑07‑006, 117‑07‑007 and 117‑07‑078 — was forwarded after staff presented the application RZ25‑01 and the applicant, Paul Prince, explained he wanted RU‑4 to build a larger accessory building that the SR‑174 designation does not allow.

Staff planner Adam Taylor said the request was an applicant‑initiated rezoning from SR‑43 to RU‑4 that would permit a site‑built dwelling under the county’s owner‑builder program and would reduce the number of allowed principal dwellings compared with other districts. Taylor also noted the county has an active code compliance case on the property for unpermitted structures and an occupied recreational vehicle, and that compliance with applicable county, state or federal laws would be required prior to issuance of an opt‑out permit.

Neighbors and nearby property owners spoke against the rezoning. AJ Hudson, a nearby resident, said the area’s appeal “is the consistency of site‑built homes” and urged the commission to protect neighborhood character. Shell Shields, who identified an address in Pierce, disputed the applicant’s statement that SR‑174 would not allow owner‑builder construction and said she used SR‑174 herself to build in 2016. Kevin Todd, who lives near the applicant’s property, asked the county to expand notice radii and to consider creating a zoning option that would allow larger accessory buildings without opening the door to manufactured housing.

Applicant Paul Prince told the commission he intends to build a roughly 600‑square‑foot primary residence in the future and wants a single multipurpose shop/horse shelter rather than multiple outbuildings; he said he is not interested in placing a mobile home on the property and that he currently resides in an RV while preparing to build.

Commission discussion acknowledged repeated rezoning requests in the SunSites area and raised questions about whether SR‑174 could be modified countywide to allow larger accessory buildings. Commissioner Montgomery asked whether a variance process would allow larger accessory structures; Taylor said variances are possible but require proof of hardship and are typically used to adjust numerical standards such as square footage, setbacks or height.

The commission first moved to recommend approval without conditions, then amended the recommendation to include a special condition that would prohibit manufactured homes and rehabilitated mobile homes on any portion of the rezoned 10 acres. The amended recommendation passed by roll call; the record shows at least six commissioners voting yes and two voting no. The item will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final action.

The public hearing record includes letters and multiple in‑person comments in opposition; staff noted they mailed 34 notices to 22 unique property owners within 300 feet as part of the rezoning notification process. Taylor concluded his presentation saying the request “complies with applicable factors” listed in Section 2.63 of the county zoning regulations but acknowledged opposition from nearby owners.

The commission’s recommendation does not itself change zoning; final authority rests with the Board of Supervisors. The county’s public notice referenced ARS §38‑431.01(H) for the call‑to‑the‑public procedures heard at the meeting.