2015 General Plan Process "In Process"

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All eyes are focused on this year the November elections. Yes. We agree that this year's elections are important.

For those of us who live in Oro Valley, the November 2014 election will be directly important.  This is because you will be voting on the 2015 General Plan, on three Council Member seats, and the Mayoral seat.

The General Plan is directly important to you.  It sets guidelines in place for ten years regarding how the town will be developed.   It takes considerable time and considerable input to develop and approve a general plan.  The town developed the 2005 General Plan through a combination of town Planning and Zoning leadership, council and mayoral leadership, and significant citizen input.  The plan was initially rejected by the voters. Then, later approved with changes.

The process for creating the 2015 General Plan is being developed by the town's planning staff.  Here's a brief glimpse into how the public will be included in the plan's development:

"Public outreach is a central consideration in renewing the Town Of Oro Valley General Plan. In fact, the first step entails developing a formal Public Participation Plan. Staff is currently drafting multiple proposals with various public outreach strategies and associated budgets. Public participation strategies will ultimately be reviewed by the Planning & Zoning Commission and approved by the Town Council before being implemented." (Source: Update From Misti Nowak, Communications Administrator, Town Of Oro Valley)

Here are some suggestions we have for the process of developing the plan.

The 2015 General Plan should be developed using a formalized, organized, published process and timetable. The plan should be created from an organization that includes committees comprised of volunteer citizens, town employees, and third parties who have a vested interest in what happens to Oro Valley. The activity should report to the town council. It's progress should be reviewed by them. They should provide updates on the status of the process on a routine basis.

The process of developing the 2015 General Plan is not yet finalized.  Feel free to communicate your thoughts on the process both here on the blog and directly to the town planning staff and town council members.
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