Home Builders Back Off On Their Opposition To State Lands Initiative

The following article from the May 10 AZ Daily Star addresses the fact that Gov. Napolitano & the home builders have recrafted the $42.6 billion transit improvement initiative so no fees would come from new home development but will come entirely from a one cent additional sales tax.

What caught our eye in this article was the following comment:

The home builders also agreed not to oppose a second initiative sponsored by environmental groups to put 570,000 acres of state trust land forever off limits to development.

That trust land initiative is designed to protect 570,000 of the state's estimated 9.3 million acres of trust lands given to Arizona by the federal government when it became a state in 1912.

Current federal law and the state constitution require the state to sell or lease the property with most of the proceeds benefiting education.

This initiative would alter that to create exceptions for identified parcels around the state. A similar initiative failed narrowly in 2006 amid home builder opposition.

That is good news for those of us that believe Arroyo Grande should forever remain as open space.

One other thought---- Might it not be prudent for the OV Council to hold off on expending $500,000 in legal fees & consulting fees, especially now that the home builders do not oppose this initiative? Why spend that kind of money when the voters may approve this initiative in Nov. At the very least, wait until July when it is determined if there will be enough signatures to get this initiative on the ballot.

Read the Az Star article here.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/238324