edward
06-16-2008, 10:26 PM
Cochise County
Ann May ASHA Cochise County Representative
Linear Park Update:
The final master plan has been made pubic, at an estimated cost of some $2 million dollars. The City of Sierra Vista noted that Plan A, which included equestrian access, "was the overall choice by a wide margin". Horse owners made their wishes well known to the city, since this project, under state law, will be maintained by a portion of city sales tax monies, which everyone pays and, therefore, many felt that everyone should have equal access to the park. The new plan incorporates Plan A, and portions of Plans B and C, giving some limited horse trailer parking at two gates to the middle and north of the park.
Cochise County Planning and Zoning Proposed Changed:
The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Department was in the process of updating and revising its regulations. Area residents attended the Board of Supervisors meeting on May 20th to express their unbridled displeasure at these changes. In a related article the following day, the Sierra Vista Herald described the residents as "...opposed to changes that the Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for approval (and) came with blood in their eyes". I thought this was putting it mildly; out of some 60 attendees, 23 requested to address the public and Board of Supervisors, calling the changes everything from a "communist manifesto designed to deny citizens the right to enjoy their privately owned property" to "taxation without representation", and just about everything in between. At the top of the complaint list was the proposed change to remove the word "commercial" from the definition of a livestock feedlot, thereby redefining a feedlot as anywhere food has to be brought in for livestock, with livestock being defined as goats, horses, etc. This would designate rural residents with as few as 4 acres and one horse as a feedlot. As one angry letter to the newspaper asked, "where in Arizona can one have even a single horse, or head of livestock, without having to bring in feed, unless one is lucky enough to own a very large ranch?"
I was also quoted in the newspaper as seeing increasing encroachments by county planning and zoning.
Also brought to the public's attention was the fact that the document with the proposed changes that the Board of Supervisors had in front of them at the meeting, was not the same document submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission for approval. It was asked how changes could come before a board vote without approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The commission, realizing the errors of their ways from early public rumblings, among other things, recommended the board not change the original definition of feedlot, and retain the word "commercial". The Board, instead of voting to accept the commissions’ recommendations of correctly reinstating the word "commercial" into the definition of a feedlot, voted to table the item and revisit it, and other issues at a later date. The public will be watching and waiting.
Ann May ASHA Cochise County Representative
Linear Park Update:
The final master plan has been made pubic, at an estimated cost of some $2 million dollars. The City of Sierra Vista noted that Plan A, which included equestrian access, "was the overall choice by a wide margin". Horse owners made their wishes well known to the city, since this project, under state law, will be maintained by a portion of city sales tax monies, which everyone pays and, therefore, many felt that everyone should have equal access to the park. The new plan incorporates Plan A, and portions of Plans B and C, giving some limited horse trailer parking at two gates to the middle and north of the park.
Cochise County Planning and Zoning Proposed Changed:
The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Department was in the process of updating and revising its regulations. Area residents attended the Board of Supervisors meeting on May 20th to express their unbridled displeasure at these changes. In a related article the following day, the Sierra Vista Herald described the residents as "...opposed to changes that the Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for approval (and) came with blood in their eyes". I thought this was putting it mildly; out of some 60 attendees, 23 requested to address the public and Board of Supervisors, calling the changes everything from a "communist manifesto designed to deny citizens the right to enjoy their privately owned property" to "taxation without representation", and just about everything in between. At the top of the complaint list was the proposed change to remove the word "commercial" from the definition of a livestock feedlot, thereby redefining a feedlot as anywhere food has to be brought in for livestock, with livestock being defined as goats, horses, etc. This would designate rural residents with as few as 4 acres and one horse as a feedlot. As one angry letter to the newspaper asked, "where in Arizona can one have even a single horse, or head of livestock, without having to bring in feed, unless one is lucky enough to own a very large ranch?"
I was also quoted in the newspaper as seeing increasing encroachments by county planning and zoning.
Also brought to the public's attention was the fact that the document with the proposed changes that the Board of Supervisors had in front of them at the meeting, was not the same document submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission for approval. It was asked how changes could come before a board vote without approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The commission, realizing the errors of their ways from early public rumblings, among other things, recommended the board not change the original definition of feedlot, and retain the word "commercial". The Board, instead of voting to accept the commissions’ recommendations of correctly reinstating the word "commercial" into the definition of a feedlot, voted to table the item and revisit it, and other issues at a later date. The public will be watching and waiting.