Vote: approved

Item Text

7. SHADOW COUNTRY POLICE SHOOTING RANGE (Supervisorial District: 5) Case #: SU250043 Applicant and Owner: Sara GilBride, Prefling Engineering / Shadow Country, LLC Request: Special Use Permit (SUP) for a shooting range in the Rural-190 zoning district Site Location: Generally located 1¼ miles southeast of the southeast corner of Vekol Valley Rd. and I-8 Frwy. in the Vekol Valley area Commission Recommendation: On 9/10/26, the Commission voted 7-0 (motion by Commissioner Whitney D3, seconded by Commissioner Rochwalik D3) to adopt a motion recommending the Board of Supervisors approve SU260043 subject to conditions ‘a’ – ‘p’: a. Development of the site shall be in substantial conformance with the Site Plan entitled “Shooting Range“, consisting of two full-size sheets, dated July 20, 2026, and stamped received July 20, 2026, except as modified by the following conditions. Staff may determine slight refinements to remain in substantial conformance with the approved site plan. Minor and major amendments to the site plan will be determined in accordance with Chapter 3 of the Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance. b. Development of the site shall be in substantial conformance with the Narrative Report entitled “Shadow County Police Sniper Range”, consisting of seven pages, dated July 20, 2026, and stamped received July 20, 2026, except as modified by the following conditions. c. This facility shall not be for public use. Any other uses of the site shall require a major Special Use Permit amendment that must be approved by the Board of Supervisors. d. All training sessions on this site shall not exceed 19 individuals and shall not exceed 70 training session days per year. e. Operating hours shall be limited to 6:00 am to midnight. f. Any outdoor lighting, excluding flashlights, shall be shielded so that the light is directed downward below the horizontal plane of the fixture and light shall not trespass onto adjacent properties. g. There shall be no munitions and/or firearms stored on site. h. The assembly area and firing line areas of the site shall not be visually screened. i. The parking area shall be surfaced with compact ABC materials, except for any accessible parking spaces. j. This Special Use Permit shall be valid for 30 years and shall expire on October 21, 2056, or upon termination of the use for a period of 90 days or more, whichever occurs first. All site improvements associated with this Special Use Permit must be removed within 90 days of such expiration or termination of use. k. All firearms shooting shall be conducted within the designated firing line area, and the shooting of firearms shall be fired toward the berm in the south portion of the designated firing line area as illustrated on the site plan. l. No ammunition, rounds, casings, or debris of any kind generated by the shooting activities shall exit any property boundaries. m. The following Planning Engineering conditions shall apply: 1. Site access easements must be dedicated and recorded prior to building permit issuance. 2. The property owner is responsible for the maintenance of the berm located in the south part of the firing line area since this berm exceeds the County’s cut/fill standards. Safety of the shooting berm’s condition and vicinity shall be the responsibility of the property owner, which includes insurances that any errant bullets shall not leave the site. Berm height and compaction must facilitate the safety of the patrons of this facility. 3. Building permit and flood use permit must be required for any grading within the floodplain of the site. 4. Engineering review of planning and/or zoning cases are for conceptual design only. All development and engineering design shall be in conformance with Section 905 of the Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance; Drainage Policies and Standards; Floodplain Regulations for Maricopa County; MCDOT Roadway Design Manual; and current engineering policies, standards and best practices at the time of application for construction. 5. Based on the conceptual design nature of the information submitted, changes to the site layout may be necessitated by the final engineering design of the site’s drainage infrastructure. 6. Maricopa County does not provide water, sewer, fire or emergency services. It’s the responsibility of the applicant/property owner to coordinate and secure water, fire, and sewer services for this site. 7. Sealed final Grading and Drainage (site infrastructure) Plans with sealed final Drainage Report must be submitted with application for any building permits for this site. n. The following Maricopa County Environmental Services Department (MCESD) the following condition shall apply: 1. The use of portable restrooms is allowed due to the remote nature of the site and intermittent use of the site subject to the following: a. The portable restrooms shall be brought in, and removed from, the site for each training event. b. Each training event must not exceed more than 19 individuals at any one time. c. Training events must not exceed more than 70 days per year. d. If at any time these conditions cannot be met, or the use of the property changes, then permanent restrooms with plumbing fixtures and septic system to treat wastewater must be obtained. o. Noncompliance with any of the conditions assigned to the approval of this Special Use Permit by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors may be grounds for revocation in accordance with the requirements and procedures as set forth in the Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance. p. The granting of this change in use of the property has been at the request of the applicant, with the consent of the landowner. The granting of this approval allows the property to enjoy uses in excess of those permitted by the zoning existing on the date of application, subject to conditions. In the event of the failure to comply with any condition, and at the time of expiration of the Special Use Permit, the property may be considered for revocation to the zoning that existed on the date of application. It is, therefore, stipulated and agreed that either revocation due to the failure to comply with any conditions, or the expiration of the Special Use Permit, does not reduce any rights that existed on the date of application to use, divide, sell or possess the property and that there would be no diminution in value of the property from the value it held on the date of application due to such revocation or expiration of the Special Use Permit. The Special Use Permit enhances the value of the property above its value as of the date the Special Use Permit is granted and reverting to the prior zoning results in the same value of the property as if the Special Use Permit had never been granted. (C-44-27-039-X-00)