Show Low approves Thunder Raceway RV Resort with traffic revocation trigger

Council Approves Downtown RV Resort With Traffic Trigger—Can Revoke Permit if Staging and Gridlock Worsen

Show Low's city council voted unanimously on August 2 to approve the Thunder Raceway RV Resort conditional use permit, but not before adding a ninth condition that gave residents and council members a tool neither had during the initial Planning & Zoning review: a potential exit valve. If traffic monitoring after construction begins reveals significant adverse impacts on Owens, Central, or surrounding neighborhoods—such as RVs staging in residential streets or backups extending beyond acceptable limits—staff can trigger a 30-day cure period, after which the council can revoke the permit.

The vote came after two and a half hours of public testimony, 15 speakers overwhelmingly opposed to the 150-site resort on the 20.55-acre downtown commercial property at 100 East Owens / 201 South Central (APN 210-13-001-F), and intense council discussion about whether conditional regulation could mitigate traffic, dust, drainage, property-value, and noise impacts that residents had documented over decades of living adjacent to a congested intersection already struggling with seasonal tourism.

Key Speeches

"Our goal isn't to produce an eyesore. Our goal isn't to overwhelm the space. Our goal is to produce a product that is enjoyed by our visitors in a safe and ethical manner and is enjoyed by our community members in a safe and ethical manner." — Jason Speer, applicant/developer, addressing council

"The commission understood that this is a large parcel in town and this is a pretty substantial proposed development and so we understand that it's going to generate a lot of interest. The commission feels that it is important to think about how we choose as a city to grow and to develop and to do that in a smart and thoughtful way." — Zachary Bartles, Planning & Zoning Commission Chair

"I know if we vote yes for it, in my mind I'm protecting from that happening—hotels, big box stores, other conditional uses that could go in there that we'd have zero ability to regulate. This project gives us teeth." — Brandt Clark, explaining why conditional use framework was preferable to denial

"If thus, if the staging is occurring in neighborhoods, if there is backed up from down Central over to the deuce and all the way down to Lucano's, we could bring that before the council at that point and we could revoke the conditional use permit." — Councilman Brennan Ray (inferred from context), articulating the revocation-trigger mechanism

Timeline

Planning & Zoning Commission review (July 25, 2023): The commission heard approximately two hours of discussion and public input. Six commissioners were present; Chair Bartles was absent. The commission voted 6-0 to approve the conditional use permit subject to eight staff-recommended conditions plus eight additional conditions imposed by the commission, including a 21-day maximum occupancy limit, two-vehicle / eight-person maximums per RV spot, a traffic buddy study (later clarified as traffic impact study), detention pond development in phase one, phased sidewalk/trail construction on Central Avenue in 50-50 splits between phases one and two, an asphalt or concrete trail option instead of attached sidewalk, and bonded assurances for infrastructure completion.

Appeal filed (July 26 & 31, 2023): Bill and Jan Skibby filed notice of appeal on July 26; a supplement was filed July 31.

City Council hearing (August 2, 2023):

• Applicant presentation: Jason Speer and Mike Fish presented the resort concept—150 sites, 40 × 50 ft. (2,000 sq. ft. per site, exceeding the 1,400 sq. ft. city requirement), full hookups, 21-day maximum stay, two-vehicle/eight-person limit, 70–75 USD per night projected rate, extensive landscaping and screening on north and east sides, 300+ feet of open space along Central Avenue reserved for community use (trails, dog park), and phased development with phase one and phase two projected to be operational by spring 2024.

• Staff presentation: City Planner Katie Bechtel Cotter outlined the property's rezoning history (residential R1-15 in the 1970s, commercial C2 in 1993), the notice and posting process (over 60 letters sent to property owners within 300 feet; 34 to Timber Ridge, 8 to Westwood, 3 to Pine Haven), the Planning & Zoning record, and the appeal process.

• Public comment: 15 speakers addressed council over approximately 90 minutes. All but one speaker opposed the location, citing: traffic congestion (Owens and Central already at capacity, seasonal tourism already tripling since speakers' arrival); concerns about unattended children accessing the site (Head Start, Nicholas Homestead Sprouts preschool nearby); property-value depreciation (Norm Grunenburg cited personal loss from 350,000 USD to 58,000 USD after Thousand Trails RV park opened in his prior neighborhood); drainage and flooding from inadequate stormwater management and gravel interior roads; noise and dust from four-wheelers, side-by-sides, and motorcycles; air quality; archaeological and environmental concerns (Bill Skibby and Russell Amina referenced suspected diesel and battery contamination buried beneath the lumber mill site, requiring core sampling before development); concerns about RV staging in residential neighborhoods due to insufficient on-site staging area relative to peak arrival/departure; questions about vehicle length limits, age requirements, and maintenance standards to prevent an influx of poor-quality rigs; and discrepancy between Planning & Zoning Chair Bartles' expressed reservations and the commission's unanimous 6-0 vote (Curtis Forno and others noted two commissioners had voiced skepticism during the July 25 meeting).

• Council discussion: Brandt Clark (John Leech Jr. presiding) posed the central question: if the city denies the conditional use permit, what prevents a hotel, apartment complex, or big-box store (all permitted uses under C2 zoning, requiring no council review) from being built instead? City Manager Katie Bechtel Cotter confirmed that hotels, motels, apartments (up to 10 units), bowling alleys, grocery stores, and retail use are permitted outright without a conditional use permit or Planning & Zoning hearing. Jon Adams asked about density comparisons; Cotter confirmed a motel could house far more people than 150 RV sites and that apartments could similarly exceed the project's occupancy. This observation—that denial might invite a more impactful project—shifted the debate from binary yes/no to conditional regulation.

  Brandt Clark then raised the interior road paving standard, noting city code prohibits gravel or cinders but allows recycled asphalt. Concerns about drainage and erosion (Greg Hope and others cited recent silt migration from the site onto McNeil Avenue during storms; recycled asphalt is porous and mitigates runoff but creates dust and potholes) led staff to suggest that the engineer's drainage analysis should drive the choice between recycled asphalt and costlier paved options. Speer agreed to meet city code but deferred specifics to the engineering phase.

  Brandt Clark (who had observed the July 25 Planning & Zoning meeting multiple times) raised the most pivotal issue: traffic impact study timing. He expressed concern that the study would not be completed until after construction began, potentially delaying identification of needed turn lanes or road widening. City Engineer Shane (last name unclear from transcript) explained that the traffic impact study is submitted with building permit applications, concurrent with final site plan development, and that trip-count projections and road-capacity analysis follow standard engineering practice to determine if left-turn lanes, right-turn lanes, or other improvements are warranted.

  Councilman Brennan Ray (identified in context as proposing the revocation trigger) articulated the breakthrough: if the council cannot require the study pre-construction, it can condition the permit on post-occupancy monitoring and tie ongoing compliance to the permit's continued validity. He proposed language allowing staff to review traffic impacts on an ongoing basis and, if significant adverse effects are documented (staging in neighborhoods, backups on Owens or Central), give the developer 30 days to cure (e.g., reduce occupancy, expand on-site staging, add shifts) or face council revocation. This gave the council an enforcement tool for future conditions without changing land-use law.

  Speer and Mike Fish, speaking from the audience, both affirmed they could work with that framework. Fish emphasized the project is debt-financed, allowing the operators to sustain quality standards even if profits fell short, reducing the incentive to lower standards or occupancy limits to stay profitable.

• Vote: Unanimous approval (all council members voting yes). Bryce Judd briefly explained his vote, noting that the council is "obligated to City statutes" and sometimes must "set your personal views aside and do what the law permits."

Opposition

Number of speakers: 15, with only one implicit supporter (Mike Fish).

Main concerns:

1. Traffic congestion: Owens and Central already gridlocked during summer and holidays; adding 150 RVs (even staggered 21-day stays) will create bottlenecks, neighborhood cut-through traffic, and staging in Timber Ridge and Pine Haven; left-hand turns from Owens into the park and from Central are hazardous for large RVs; comparison to Fool Hollow Lake overflow (backups extending to Old Linden Road on peak weekends).

2. Property values: Documented depreciation (Norm Grunenburg's personal experience: 350,000 USD → 58,000 USD after Thousand Trails opened nearby); ongoing concerns from residents owning homes in Timber Ridge, Pine Haven, Westwood, and Sierra Pines adjacent to the site.

3. Noise and dust: Interior roads (if gravel) will generate dust from vehicles and ATVs/motorcycles; diesel engines and generators (even 21-day transient occupancy) will produce noise; preschools and Calvary Baptist Church (Sunday departures cited as particularly problematic) are within earshot.

4. Drainage and environmental: Recycled asphalt roads migrate silt and gravel onto paved streets during storms (recent evidence from McNeil Avenue); suspected buried diesel fuel, batteries, and other hazardous waste from the lumber mill era (not officially tested); water infiltration into gravel will leach contaminants into the water table; detention pond planned for phase one but full buildout requires all three phases.

5. Downtown character and alternative locations: RV resort does not fit downtown Show Low; existing parks on national forest land or farther out (e.g., Fool Hollow) are appropriate venues; the property should be retained as open space, ballfield, or community gathering area; if an RV resort is needed, site it outside town, sparing downtown traffic and preserving commercial/civic character.

6. Uncontrolled use by transient visitors: ATVs, side-by-sides, and motorcycles will stage in neighborhoods and operate unlicensed; Head Start and preschools nearby expose young children to high-traffic corridor; concern that even if ordinances prohibit it, enforcement is lax (reference to police living nearby but not addressing violations).

7. Inadequate controls and performance-tracking: No vehicle-age or condition standards articulated (concern that older, poorly maintained RVs will be permitted); phased staging areas (phase 2) insufficient for peak Friday arrivals; question of who monitors compliance and with what enforcement; 21-day stays do not prevent Saturday/Sunday turnover crises.

8. Planning and Zoning Commission credibility: Two commissioners expressed reservations during the July 25 meeting, yet voted 6-0 for approval, raising questions about whether concerns were adequately weighed or conditions were seen as sufficient.

Most compelling arguments:

• Russell Amina's observation that opposition "is growing faster... crossed political social family cultural boundaries," suggesting organic, broad-based community consensus rather than NIMBYism.
• Norm Grunenburg's lived experience: a private RV park (Thousand Trails) initially presented as upscale but deteriorated after ownership/management change, leading to property depreciation and quality-of-life loss.
• Bill Skibby and Russell Amina's evidence (via canvassing) of buried diesel and battery contamination from the lumber mill, contradicting the absence of any stated environmental assessment.
• Sid Carlisle's point that the property, if zoned commercial, should attract businesses that lure families and skilled workers (healthcare, professional services) rather than transient leisure users who contribute little to permanent tax base and community continuity.
• Greg Hope and John Owings' documentation of current traffic via lived experience: Central Avenue noise levels comparable to a four-lane highway at close range; avoiding the four-way stop on Central/Owens because of delays.

Organized groups: Bill and Jan Skibby (appellants) and a citizen petition drive (Russell Amina mentioned rapid growth, implying organized signature collection).

Support

Implicit support appeared only from Mike Fish (co-developer/general partner) and applicant Jason Speer. No unaffiliated citizens spoke in favor, though Jon Adams noted the racetrack's reopening and Deuce of Clubs' entertainment value in a brief, sympathetic aside during the liquor-license agenda item earlier in the meeting.

Speer's arguments:

• Resort model (not park) with 40 × 50 ft. sites (exceeding standards) prevents congestion.
• 21-day stay limits and 70–75 USD nightly rate will self-select for responsible visitors and discourage long-term encampment or low-income transience.
• Full hookups eliminate generator use and associated noise/air quality issues.
• Extensive screening, landscaping, and fencing on north and east sides plus 300+ feet of community-accessible open space (trails, dog parks) along Central mitigate visual impact and provide public benefit.
• Comparison to Fool Hollow Lake (state park, year-long wait list, well-maintained) as the model for quality and density.
• Multi-state operator experience (close to 200 federal, state, and local campgrounds across five states) demonstrates management competence.
• Debt-free financing ensures financial resilience and reduces pressure to compromise quality for profitability.

Fish's argument:

• Resort-standard living environment and shareholder-funded equity insulate the project from pressure to lower standards.

Project Details

• Case number: CUP 602-04-261
• Applicant / developer: Jason Speer and Mike Fish (general partners); multiple investors named.
• Attorney: None named in transcript.
• Location / address: 100 East Owens / 201 South Central Avenue, Show Low, Arizona.
• APN: 210-13-001-F (20.55 acres).
• Current zoning → Proposed zoning: C2 (General Commercial) to C2; no zone change; conditional use permit sought.
• Density / units / square footage: 150 RV sites (give or take); 40 × 50 ft. (2,000 sq. ft.) per site; city code requires minimum 1,400 sq. ft.; full hookups; 21-day maximum occupancy; two vehicles/eight people per site.
• Changes from previous version (if reconsideration): N/A (first council review; Planning & Zoning approved with 8 staff-recommended conditions + 8 additional conditions; appeal triggered council hearing).

Vote Breakdown

• Final: 7-0 (unanimous approval with amended conditions).
• Yes: John Leech Jr.., Vice Mayor Connie Kakavas, Councilmember Jon Adams, Councilmember Derik Whipple, Councilmember Brandt Clark, Councilmember Bryce Judd. (Councilmember Gentry Hatch was excused.)
• No: None.
• Abstentions / absences: Councilmember Gentry Hatch (excused at start of meeting).

Outcome & Next Steps

Decision: Conditional use permit approved unanimously with all eight Planning & Zoning conditions plus a ninth condition authored by Councilman Brennan Ray:

The applicant must comply with all staff recommendations and the eight conditions from Planning & Zoning. The ninth condition, to be drafted in final language by city staff and legal counsel, mandates that ongoing traffic monitoring on Owens and Central avenues occur and that if the project causes "significant adverse impact" (to be defined in coordination with the developer and staff) through staging of RVs in neighborhoods or backups on public roads, the staff will issue a notice to cure (estimated 30-day window) and, if not resolved, bring the matter before the city council for possible revocation of the conditional use permit.

Conditions requiring action before building permit:

1. Applicant must submit traffic impact study (completed by engineer; based on preliminary site plan and trip-count projections) with building permit application; city engineer reviews and determines if turn lanes or other improvements are warranted.
2. Soil testing and hazmat assessment must be conducted per federal and state law (applicant responsible for compliance; condition ties CUP to state environmental requirements).
3. Grading and drainage plan prepared by registered civil engineer; detention pond developed in phase one for the entire development.
4. Interior roads must meet city code (no gravel or cinders; recycled asphalt or better, per engineer's drainage analysis); entryway and parking areas to be paved.
5. Sidewalk/trail improvements along Central Avenue: 50% in phase one, 50% in phase two (Meandering asphalt or concrete trail option considered instead of attached sidewalk).
6. Central Avenue entrance to be constructed by latest phase two building permit.
7. Phased bonded assurances (100% of public infrastructure costs) required to ensure completion of each phase and associated improvements.
8. Interior site design and landscaping per commission specifications (three-sided fencing on north and east; six-foot solid fence along north and east boundary; landscaping and screening along east side).
9. NEW (Condition 9, Council-added revocation trigger): Traffic impact and ongoing neighborhood-use monitoring; if significant adverse impacts documented, staff issues 30-day cure notice and, if unresolved, brings matter before council for revocation review.

Applicant obligations going forward:

• Hire engineer and traffic consultant for impact study and phasing plan.
• Conduct environmental/soil testing.
• Design interior roads, drainage, and phasing in coordination with city staff.
• Submit final site plan and building permit application to city (subject to further public review/input at design stage).
• Phase one: construct entry, parking, detention pond, phase-one roadways and utilities, and landscaping/screening.
• Phase two (estimated 100 days after phase one completion): construct additional RV sites, second parking/staging area, phase-two Central Avenue improvements, entrance from Central.
• Phase three: additional sites and phase-three improvements (notably, if not pursued, phase-one and phase-two improvements must be sufficient to stand alone).

Timeline for next phase: If approved by council (which occurred), applicant and staff will enter the project-development phase to prepare construction documents, traffic study, and engineering plans. Typical timeline for engineering and permitting (not specified in transcript) could range from months to a year or more, depending on complexity and engineer availability. Public will have opportunity to comment during design-review phase and final building-permit review.

Continuance: None; matter is resolved at the council level. No further appeal or hearing scheduled unless the applicant fails to meet conditions or traffic monitoring triggers a revocation review.

Controversies & Context

Historic land use and environmental liability: The property housed a lumber mill for decades (likely from the early 20th century through mid-20th century). Jon Adams and others who worked there or grew up in Show Low referenced vast quantities of sawdust, equipment, and evidence of diesel spills and battery dumping. Bill Skibby and Russell Amina produced testimony from lifelong residents (unavailable to attend) who witnessed dumping of diesel fuel and batteries into holes dug by backhoes, subsequently covered over during Central Avenue grading. No environmental assessment or Phase 1 site survey was mentioned in the staff presentation; the city's first condition requires compliance with federal and state environmental law, implying that if contamination is found during development, the applicant must remediate it—but no pre-development testing was mandated.

Zoning and property rights: City Manager Bechtel Cotter emphasized that the property is already zoned C2 (commercial) and that the applicant has a "property right" to develop it under that zoning. If the council denies the conditional use permit, the property remains zoned commercial, and the applicant or a subsequent owner can develop any of the permitted uses (hotel, motel, apartments up to 10 units, bowling alley, grocery store, retail, plumbing supplies dealer, etc.) without returning to Planning & Zoning or Council. This legal constraint explained why the council, despite clear opposition, felt constrained to approve the CUP—denial might invite a more impactful project with fewer regulatory safeguards.

Credibility and Planning & Zoning process: Multiple council members and one appellate speaker noted that Planning & Zoning Chair Zachary Bartles and at least one other commissioner had expressed reservations during the July 25 hearing, yet the vote was 6-0. Bartles did not recuse himself or vote against. Curtis Forno expressed surprise and disappointment at the discrepancy. Bartles' council address attempted to clarify that the commission saw the conditional use framework as a means to add conditions that would address concerns, rather than outright denial, and that he was highlighting the commission's reasoning for transparency with council—not expressing a dissenting view. This explanation was received without further challenge.

Community mobilization and petition: Russell Amina reported a citizen petition drive that exceeded expectations, with signatures continuing to pour in even after the deadline. Opposition transcended "political social family cultural boundaries," suggesting organic grassroots concern rather than organized NIMBY opposition, though the core group (Timber Ridge, Pine Haven, Westwood residents) formed the appellants and most outspoken voices.

State and federal preemption: No mention of Arizona state preemption on local zoning or federal Clean Air Act implications. Environmental liability and remediation are subject to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and EPA jurisdiction, but compliance is the applicant's responsibility, not the city's.

Fiscal incentive: No discussion of fiscal impact (tax revenue, utility fees, or economic development). Jon Adams noted that RV visitors might dine at local restaurants and patronize Deuce of Clubs, but no formal fiscal analysis was presented.

Comparable projects: Fool Hollow Lake State Park (year-long wait list, well-maintained, 14-day federal stay limit, comparable or denser sites) and Sholo Lake (21-day stay limit, full hookups, host-managed) were cited as standards. Thousand Trails (private, now closed or relocated) was cited by Norm Grunenburg as a cautionary tale of deterioration and property-value loss.

Duration

• This item (CUP 602-04-261): Approximately 2.5–3 hours (applicant presentation, staff presentation, extensive public comment, council discussion, and vote).
• Total meeting: Approximately 3.5 hours (consent calendar, liquor license, grant funding, CUP, airport hangar contract cancellation, and summary current events).

Other Notable Items

Beer & Wine Liquor License for Deuce of Clubs Thunder Raceway (CUP 7): Approved unanimously. Teresa June Morris, Charles Bradley Whitfield, and Tara Renee Chambers applied for a number-7 beer and wine bar license on behalf of Deuce of Clubs Thunder Raceway. Police background checks found no issues. Jon Adams expressed enthusiasm for the racetrack's reopening and entertainment value. No public comment. Vote: unanimous approval.

Grant Funding for Business Incubator & Commercial Kitchen Feasibility Study: Approved unanimously. City accepted $25,000 federal grant from the Utilities Grant Funding Program for Coal Impact Communities, plus $5,000 city contribution (fiscal 2024 economic-development budget), totaling $30,000 for a feasibility study on a business incubator and commercial kitchen. This was part of a five-year economic development plan (2024–2028) approved on April 18. Vote: unanimous approval.

Airport Hangar Infrastructure Improvements Contract Cancellation: Council voted unanimously to cancel the contract with Mid-State Asphalt, which was the sole bidder for the project and subsequently notified the city it could not fulfill the contract. The project will be resubmitted for bid. This project, awarded June 6, 2023, involved grading, paving, taxi lanes, water/sewer/electrical services, and a lift station to expand hangar capacity at Show Low Regional Airport. Vote: unanimous approval of cancellation.