Next Thursday, Sept. 26, the Santa Cruz County Planning and Zoning Commission (SCCP&Z) will consider a request for a conditional use permit (CUP) to develop a dude ranch with a capacity for approximately 150 guests on a portion of the Babacomari Ranch located in Sonoita.
A conditional use permit approval is not a building permit. If successful in obtaining the CUP, the developers must then apply for building permits.
The 28,000-acre Babacomari Ranch, which stretches from Sonoita into Cochise County to the east, is the largest contiguous private land parcel in Arizona, according to the ranch’s website. The 65 descendants of Frank and Sallie Brophy, who bought the ranch in 1935, are hoping to lease a portion of the ranch located on the west side of SR83 in Sonoita to outside equity investors who would develop the property.
The application to the Commission states that “the owner envisions a Western-style vacation…that will immerse guests in the Western lifestyle that will include upscale lodging, food and beverage experiences, horseback riding, guided hiking, camping, yoga, wellness center (spa) services, weddings, celebrations, retreats, local area tours, and more.” The buildings would be located in the center of the 2,200 acre pasture and would be at least nine-tenths of a mile from any residential structures.
The family is engaged in talks with Russell True, the owner of several guest ranches, including the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Tombstone Monument Ranch in Tombstone, and Rancho De La Osa Guest Ranch in Sasabe, to have him operate the ranch in Sonoita. At this point no agreements have been signed, according to Jeff Hampton, the former president of the Arizona Land & Water Trust, who is helping the Brophy family with the project.
Hampton estimates that the proposed guest ranch will be three times bigger than the Circle Z Ranch in Patagonia, and will cost $40–60 million to build.
There are no architectural renderings of the facilities, but, according to Hampton, “current thinking” is that the buildings would all be single story. There would be two separate areas, one for families and one for adults, each with their own pools, as well as a wellness center, and possibly pickleball and tennis courts.
Hampton anticipates that there would be approximately 120 horses at the ranch. (According to Hampton, a guest ranch is required to have at least one horse per guest.) He said the ranch may also stock 100 head of cattle “for ambience.”
The SCC Planning and Development (P&D) staff recommendation to the Commission is to grant the conditional use permit, with certain provisos. The staff recommends that the ranch’s restaurant not be open to the public, and that no public weddings or parties on the property would be permitted. According to SCC Community Development Director Frank Dillon, “Staff informed the applicant that the amenities and services provided in the Guest Ranches are only intended for overnight guests.”
The staff report registers some concern about increased traffic on SR83 and the surrounding roads. “The scale of the project will lead to an increase in traffic,” it states. “A traffic report will be necessary during the Development Plan review, and approval from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) will also be required.”
Hampton does not believe that there would be much increase in traffic caused by guests arriving and departing, as most guests would be shuttled to and from the Tucson Airport in vans. Traffic could be impacted by the large number of staff necessary for the operation of the guest ranch, however. “We’re looking at 150-200 employees,” Hampton said.
The developers have not finalized plans for obtaining water. Hampton estimates that each guest would require 150-200 gallons of water per day. “We’re looking at three to four different water solutions,” he said.
The P&Z staff report states that “We do not require applicants to show proof of water for Conditional Use Permit. This would be required with the development review and if there is not sufficient water then the development will not be approved (however if the P&Z Commission sees it fit to require the applicant to provide a water study they may request it and table the item).”
The Brophy family see this plan as a way for them to preserve the ranch, which has been in their family for almost 90 years. They have placed nearly 6,000 acres under a conservation easement and there are plans to protect 10,000 more acres from development.
Two years ago, two members of the Brophy family wanted to be bought out of their share of the ranch. To raise the funds, the family had to sell off nearly 600 acres. Income from leasing the land for the proposed guest ranch would give the family an alternative to having to sell more parcels, according to Brophy family member Annie Gibson.
There is some community opposition to the guest ranch. The P&Z staff note in their report that they had received three letters against the plan, and there have been several negative posts on social media.
“I think the Babacomari Guest Ranch proposal is resulting in an incredibly nuanced situation,” Sonoita resident Aaron Gudenkauf, a member of the Sonoita/Elgin Planning and Preservation Committee, wrote to the PRT. “On the one hand, it is coming at a time when the community at large is concerned about over-development, residential and commercial projects, traffic concerns, and stewardship of our natural resources (water, land, etc.). But on the other hand, this property has been in the care of the same family since 1935 and their land management efforts include remediating overgrazing, implementing water erosion controls, and more. This project is being proposed by a group very familiar with our community. That doesn’t mean I don’t have concerns, but I am certainly willing to listen to the proposal and give thoughtful feedback.”
The family believes that the guest ranch would be a positive step that could ensure the future of the Babacomari Ranch.
“’It’s better than a housing development’ is the best argument [for developing the guest ranch],” Gibson said. “We could have several hundred houses. We’re trying to stop that. We are heavily invested in conservation. We have done so much to maintain the integrity of this landscape and culture. That’s a 90-year demonstrated history. So, these people who have blown into town in the last ten years, they don’t understand that.”
Gibson, who lives next to the proposed site for the guest ranch added, “Hey, folks, talk to me because this is all happening in my backyard, literally. I have more than a vested interest in how this plays out.”
The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 1pm at the County Complex in Nogales to consider the application for a Conditional Use Permit. The meeting is open to the public and can also be attended by zoom at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81166317702.