The Town Council took up the critical issue of the Arroyo Grande General Plan Amendment before a standing room of concerned citizens from Oro Valley & Catalina.Included in the full house crowd were reporters from KVOA TV, The Az Star & The Explorer.
After hearing the presentation from the Planning Director, a multitude of citizens from both Oro Valley & Catalina, the representative from The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, the representative from the State Lands and the representative from the Pima County Supervisor's office, and much discussion, the council voted 5-1 to approve the very important Arroyo Grande GPA.
Paula Abbott felt there were enough unanswered questions to not approve the amendment.
Speakers gave impassioned pleas for both sides of the issue. Many speakers were concerned that questions of water availability, infrastructure costs, traffic congestion and wildlife corridor needed more specific answers.
On the other side of the issue were those that felt, regardless of everything else, it would be in the best interests of Oro Valley to take this first step, and approve the General Plan Amendment.
Ultimately, the vast majority of the council agreed.
If you were watching the streaming video at home, it appears there was a problem during the time when the speakers from the audience were addressing the issue, but it was rectified as Sarah More, The Planning Director responded to council member's questions. Streaming video is fine as of Nov 20AM
2 comments:
I was there and I also read the amendment before the meeting. It certainly looked like Paula was not prepared (as usual). Instead of being prepared and knowing that most all concerns were addressed by this amendment, like water and roads, wildlife, etc (a very thorough document), Paula had to drag this portion of the meeting into a three hour marathon. Line by line we saw that this document covered all the issues and protects the rights of the current citizens.
It has been noted and noted in last night’s meeting that the State Land Department has never in the history of their conducting the sale of trust land had real requirements put on how the land will be used. Without this amendment, that land could very easily end up in other hands, and had NOTHING to protect it. This means if sold to the highest bidder, there would be no new regulation to control sprawl, use of water, or protect wildlife. Even our Senator-elect Al Melvin has already stated, in Phoenix, that he wants to put a nuclear power plant in this same location.
Is this what Paula wants? Or does she want control to go to Huckleberry and the Don Diamond-controlled county?
Although I still have some doubts
relative to certain applications
and resolutions of matters such as traffic creation and it's usual unsolvability, I must agree with 'endthehandouts' that last night's result is most probably the best we can hope for at this time. I do give credit to Paula for standing on principles, however, one must realize that there are factors involved here that principles alone CANNOT address and resolve.
The State owns the land! The State wants to sell the land! The State wants money! The State will utilize all of it's resources to get that money! If we try to shove too much down the throat of the State, the State WILL find another way! So, I feel it was in the best interest of Oro Valley that certain aspects were mitigated and, though I, like some others, would have preferred letting that parcel remain pristine, that just wasn't and isn't going to happen unless some type of solid legal action is administered and, if initiated, it had better be a solid case!
Paula, through many of of your dissents, I have stood with you and have applauded your determination; last night, however, you seemed to a bit out of 'kilter'. I agree that it would be nice to be dealing more with certainties but that seems not to be the way of life at this juncture and until such time as we return to such ethic we must do the best we can even if it might not be good enough.
I am of the opinion that this situation has, IN FACT, been worked almost to the bone and has been afforded the much due dilligence it has deserved in the effort and by the many persons who have been involved with it for
such time. There is so much more to be done and kinks to be ironed; the wrinkles can be overcome.
As 'endthehandouts', has in essence, affirmed - we kind of know what we got and if we let go of it, well.........
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