Hector Conde's Analysis On Arroyo Grande Transportation Impact

One of Oro Valley's assets is having intelligent, knowledgeable & caring residents such as Hector Conde.

I believe we all know and are concerned about the "water issue," but please read Hector's recent analysis on the transportation impact, should Arroyo Grande be developed.
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Cost of state land plan for the Arroyo Grande Project.

Hector Conde 6/6/08

State land in the Arroyo Grande project can be estimated to be worth $1.7 million average per section (or square mile), according to the county assessor. Since this is an old valuation, let’s say that each section is worth $3 million, then sale of these 13 sections would bring $39 million. The project would eventually include 30 adjacent sections in Pinal County, adding another $90 million, for a $129 million sale in that case.

To start with, the cost of bringing in CAP water would be about $150 million to the infrastructure.

But the greatest expense would be road construction. A road from Oracle Junction, where the project ends, to Tucson, where the jobs are, would be approximately 30 miles.

A six-lane road costs about $8 million per mile per lane and with the cost of the land would become probably more than $359 million.

If the project extends into Pinal Co. the population would increase by 46,000 people at 1 du/ac (house per acre) or 154,000 at 4 du/ac. Just 46,000 people would generate 460,000 daily trips. That would increase the needed roads 3 fold. The roads to serve that population may not be feasible and could cost more than a billion dollars.

The idea of spending that money for a $129 million land sale baffles me. I hope somebody has done some calculations. Otherwise, I urge the State Land Department to stop and study the cost-benefits to the state and the taxpayers and reconsider.

Nine million acres of state land are available elsewhere. Nowhere do the statutes say state lands have to be sold at any schedule, or ever. The land will only increase in value. And state land sales do not increase the education budget, either.

Click here to read more of Hector's enlightened writings.

OV Marketplace: "Absolute Genius." You 'Gotta' Be Kidding!

Dr. Bob Oro, in addition to his dental practice, is a contributing writer to the Az Star.

We really have to wonder what the good dentist means when he writes (click here to read the article): "--- the absolute genius -- of the --- Oro Valley Marketplace."

We thought a recent comment on our posting, Wal-Mart: What's Up With The Roof Aesthetics ann Potential Light Pollution from a new blogger, "orovalley611" was worth repeating.

orovalley611 said...

"Just finished reading Dr. Bob Oro's comments in the recent Northwest (section Az Star.)
Massive words for a massive project heaped upon OV Marketplace. Makes one wonder if he is planning to relocate his practice to that location???"

Well, it just may be what's in "the eye of the beholder." Dr. Oro sees "genius" in the OV Marketplace. We see just another strip mall anchored by that ugly, massive, 24/7 Wal-Mart!