Who Might Desco Southwest LLC Be Looking Out For?

The following item is on the OV Council agenda for April 15.

AGENDA ITEM
4. PUBLIC HEARING - ORDINANCE NO. (O)09 - 03 OV9-04-02 REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF A REZONING BY THE PLANNING CENTER REPRESENTING DESCO SOUTHWEST, LLC, TO CHANGE THE DESIGNATION OF THE EXISTING WASH ON THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE MILLER RANCH DEVELOPMENT FROM SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R1-144) TO PARKS AND OPEN SPACE (POS), LOCATED ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LA CANADA DRIVE AND TANGERINE ROAD (Continued from 3-25-09)

Explanation: Desco Southwest LLC, represented by The Planning Center is requesting approval of a rezoning change.

Desco requested their General Plan Amendment for this parcel in the old Miller Ranch property be dropped. However, they are going ahead with the rezoning change.

At face value, it appears Desco is looking out for the residents in the area. However, a well informed OV resident thinks otherwise.

Here is his take on this agenda item:

"The primary reason for the request is avoid the larger setbacks required when a commercial district is adjacent to a residential district. The wash is presently zoned within the residential R1-144 district. The applicant wishes to separate the wash from the residential district in order to reduce the setback requirements. Their rationale is that by reducing the set back they will be able to build more square footage. The construction could be as close to the wash as 15 to 20 feet. It is likely that the applicant will offer a compromise of a setback more than 20 feet but less than the original requirement. In my opinion, this rezoning request is an end run around reasonable and necessary setback requirements to protect environmentally sensitive space, such as a wash."

If you have any concerns on this rezoning issue, attend the April 16 Council meeting and have your voice heard.

Oro Valley 2010 Budget Recommended To Be At $120M

The April 8 Explorer reports that Oro Valley Town Manager David Andrews has completed the proposed 2010 town budget at $120 million, down from the $203 million of last year.

Most of the talk about this budget concerns unfortunate layoffs, due to the state of the economy.

One area most contentious, is the recommendation of letting 6 police officers go.

Listening to the radio ads & newspaper ads from the police union, one would come to the conclusion that the Town Manager & some on the Town Council are responsible for this action.

That is not the case. Doing what is necessary, in these difficult times, Mr. Andrews stated, "Police Chief Danny Sharp came back and recommended (cutting) the Community Action Team."

Six officers make up the team, a group that combats drugs and violent crimes, according to town officials.

Those officers likely would take on standard beat work, while six officers with less seniority would face layoff.

It's not something that anyone wants to do, it's something that is deemed necessary by the town that finds itself in the same financial condition as municipalities across the country.

Read The Explorer article here.
http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2009/04/09/news/doc49dcec7326a99622923372.txt