Mohave County Supervisors voted Monday to approve rezoning that will allow a couple to construct a garage on their Fort Mohave property before they build their home on the same site. The Board’s 5-0 vote of approval essentially overturned the denial recommendation of the county planning and zoning commission.
Development Services Director Tim Walsh explained that the 1.25 acre parcel south of Sundance Drive and east of Nicholas Drive carries an R-O/A zoning designation requiring that homes be built before auxiliary structures. He said rezoning the property to A-R would allow Delmar and Vicki Sanders to put the garage up first.
Mr. Sanders said that they intend to build a 2,200 sq. ft. home on the property in a few years. He said they currently wish to remain at their current Fort Mohave residence so his wife can comfortably continue her cancer treatments.
“What we have proposed to do is put on a garage for storage of our toys, like everybody has in Arizona, before building a residence,” Mrs. Sanders said, drawing rebuttal from opposing neighbors.
“Mr. Sanders wants to build a garage for his RV and his boats and it’s unequivocally unacceptable. It can adversely affect the property value,” said Bernie Etchebareen.
Neighbor Walter Edwards is also against the stand alone garage.
“That introduces all kinds of problems to me because once you get your foot in the door you build a garage and it turns into an auto repair shop and nobody lives there,” Edwards said. “Allowing this storage building to be placed there detracts from the neighborhood.”
Mr. Sanders said the metal garage is already designed and that color and trim features would make it more aesthetically pleasing than some shiny, gleaming structure. He said he and his wife are fine with the stipulation that they will not be able to place a mobile home on the property.
Also during Monday’s meeting, Board Chairman Hildy Angius said she was excited to announce progress with her ongoing involvement in an effort to establish a drug treatment and care facility for women in Bullhead City.
“I’m glad to report that Westcare did get the grant. It was for $600,000 and then another $200,000 grant for $200,000,” Angius said. “And today was the first day that the contractor went into that home to remodel it and it’s going to be fabulous.”
Angius said she was also thrilled to speak at Saturday’s World War I monument re-dedication ceremony attended by some 200 people at the Mohave County Courthouse in downtown Kingman.
“I considered it an honor and a privilege,” Angius said. “I said I was proud to live in a country that honors statues which are tangible reminders of our past.”
Supervisor Jean Bishop noted that it was a citizen led fundraising effort that helped restore the 91 year-old monument and replace a machine gun replica that disappeared long ago.
