The Oro Valley Town Council is conducting a public hearing on the PAD Amendment for Parcel 7-1 at the Town Council meeting next Wednesday, November 16. Click here to read this agenda item.
Please note that the town no longer refers to this as a clarification of the word "may." No. This is an amendment to the Rancho Vistoso PAD that the Oro Valley Town Council is going to consider and vote upon.
This is an amendment upon which the seven members of Council will use their judgment to substitute for the judgment of the residents of Rancho Vistoso as codified in the Rancho Vistoso PAD.
The following is the amendment upon which the Council is going to vote:
"Multi-family residential development shall be permitted on the portion of Parcel 7-I west of the central wash. Commercial development shall be permitted on the portion of Parcel 7-I east of the central wash. Multi-family residential portions of the development shall be designed according to the PAD’s High Density Residential development standards. Commercial portions of the development shall be designed according to the PAD’s Community Commercial development standards. Pedestrian connectivity shall be provided between residential and commercial portions of the development. A minimum of twenty percent of the gross land area shall be provided as open space."(Source: ORDINANCE NO. (O)11-27, Attachment A)
Is this vote a "slam dunk" in favor of the Developer?
We were under the impression that changing this parcel to apartment use would require a 6 vote super majority of Council. Investigating this is why this item was tabled from a previous agenda. If so, it will never pass.
But....does this new approach, this new amendment, now only require a 4 vote majority? If so, it gives leeway for Developer Appointed Council Person Steve Solomon to vote no; to look "good to the voters" and still get this amendment approved.
There is some fear among residents that the approval of apartment use for the Rancho Vistoso parcel 7-1 is a slam dunk. We have been informed that Tucson Electric, the Developer, and members of the Town's Development Review Board were surveying the property this week, tagging trees for removal.
Is it possible that this is "playing out" as we were previously alerted that it might "play out": The Council looks like heroes by rejecting the General Plan Amendment for the Beztak request but approves the PAD wording clarification for Parcel 7-1?
We certainly hope that each Town Council member is "above" this sort of nonsense.
If not, then shame on those Council members who participate in this sham.
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