By Richard Dyer
Twitter: @RHDyer

City staff members should initiate a rezoning of 210 N. Ironwood Drive to General Commercial, the Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission decided recently.

The rezoning is needed to correct a map error for property north of Apache Trail and south of the Hope Women’s Center, for a new education center, City Planner Kelsey Schattnik said to the commission.

In 1985 the property was rezoned to straight Local Commercial District, she said.

“Then in 2014, the zoning maps should have assigned a General Commercial --- or B-1 --- zoning district to the entire property, but instead it was incorrectly assigned a split zoning of Recreational Vehicle Park and General Commercial,” Ms. Schattnik said.

“In order to kind of correct this map error, planning staff seeks the commission’s direction to proceed with the city-initiated rezoning of 210 N. Ironwood from Recreational Vehicle Park and General Commercial to General Commercial B-1,” she said.

The commission on May 26 voted unanimously to have city staff prepare documents to rezone the property. In attendance were Chair Theresa Nesser and Commissioners Michael McGraw, Shirley Ooley and Dave Hantzsche. Attending by phone was Vice Chair Peter Heck. Commissioner Steve Kridler was absent.

The incorrect zoning was brought to the attention of city staff when the property owner inquired about developing the western half of their property with an education center, Ms. Schattnik said in a memo to the commission.

“This rezoning will correct the 2014 zoning map error, as well as allow the west half of the property to be developed under commercial development standards,” she wrote.

Commissioner Ooley asked about the plans to construct an educational center on the west side of the property.

“Due to the nature of the nonprofit that owns the property, they have asked us not to disclose the name of the organization,” Ms. Schattnik said at the meeting. “But essentially this nonprofit, they’re wanting to --- on the western half of this property --- develop it with a building that provides educational services to the community.”

Commissioner Ooley sought additional information on the use.

“What kind of education?” she asked.

“I don’t think they’ve indicated what exactly,” Ms. Schattnik said.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.