BISBEE — It’s not often the Cochise County Board of Supervisors ignores a unanimous decision of the county Planning and Zoning Commission.

But on Tuesday morning, the supervisors unanimously voted to approve a rezoning request in Elfrida that the commission members had not supported.

Robert Burk, a retiree from Phoenix, wants to buy a 5.3-acre portion of a 14.77-acre parcel at the intersection of Highway 191 and Whispering Pines Lane so he can build a vehicle repair shop.

Before purchasing it outright, he requested the zoning be changed from TR-18 (residential lot with a minimum size of 18,000 square feet) to general business.

When the matter came before the planning commission, the members determined that to recommend approval of the rezoning would be granting permission to “leap frog” commercial development when other land and structures exist along Highway 191.

The supervisors listened to the only opponents, John and Jackie King, whose home would directly face the 5,000-square-foot, 15-foot-high shop. They asked the supervisors to consider what they would lose if the rezoning was approved.

They also worried about a future buyer and future development since Burk was “not a young man.”

A few people from the Elfrida area spoke in favor of the shop, citing the need for jobs and a good auto repair shop that could handle late-year models, something the current town mechanic could not do. The county also was given a petition with more than 100 signatures in support of Burk’s request.

After hearing from both sides, the supervisors asked planning staff members to meet with the Kings and Burk in the county conference room and see if they could come up with a compromise.

Within 30 minutes, they did just that. After some discussion, the Kings decided they could live with the shop if it was kept to the three or so acres that lie on Whispering Pines Lane and leave the back two acres that adjoins their property as TR-18. Burk also will be required to erect a 10-foot privacy fence. With those issues resolved, the supervisors voted unanimously to approve a conditional rezoning to general business.

The supervisors also approved a rezoning request with conditions for four acres owned by Country Estates Baptist Church on Highway 92 near Ramsey Road in Hereford.

The church wants to put up a traditional lighted church sign. In order to put up the size needed, a rezoning from TR-36 (residential on a minimum lot size of 36,000-square feet) to general business was required. The congregation also plans to build a new larger sanctuary at some point in the future.

In order to facilitate the building of a fence to protect what’s left of the Newell Cantonment, also known as Camp Newell or Camp Naco, the supervisors approved a resolution to abandon several right of ways held by the county.

No fee for the land, which was valued by the County Assessor’s Office at $14,438, will be charged to Huachuca City, the owners of the historic site. The supervisors felt the effort to restore the site as a tourist destination would help Huachuca City, Naco and the county.

The supervisors also authorized the Highway and Floodplain Department to represent the county at a public auction to bid for royalties on the gravel to be excavated from the Hereford Pit and to negotiate an agreement with state land to obtain 20.7 acres of additional land for gravel and material excavation, stockpiling and storage at the facility on Hereford Road.

The county held a lease agreement with the Arizona State Land Department for 30 years, but let the lease expire two years ago. The new lease will be in effect for 10 years and can be extended for another 10 years if State Land agrees.

The county will now be facing other potential bidders on the royalty cost of the material excavated at the July 9 auction.

In other business, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday:

• Approved the sale of two surplus county trucks, a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV with 147,966 miles and a 2003 Chevrolet 2500 pickup with 160,128 miles, to the Whetstone Fire District for the total of $6,000. • Approved a one-year contract with Contech Construction Products to provide drainage pipe for county projects at a cost of $85,473, the same price that was in effect in 2007.

• Approved a recommendation for the transfer of a Class 9 liquor license for the Sierra Vista Food Mart on Seventh Street.

• Approved a $2,000 sponsorship for the upcoming solar forum that will be held on June 21 in Douglas.

• Approved the abandonment of a portion of Texas Avenue in the Bowie Improvement District so owner Neal Muylaert can combine two parcels he owns into one.

• Adopted resolutions that set weight limits on certain county bridges. Turkey Creek Road bridge at milepost 5.98 will have a 16-ton weight limit and the bridge at milepost 7.49 was set at 32 tons. The weight limit for the Geronimo Trail bridge at milepost 16.86 has been set at 7 tons.

• Adopted a resolution that establishes a no-parking zone on Kachina Trail.