Friday, January 23, 2015

Bits and Pieces: Hornat's Hook, an Oro Valley "Skyscraper" and More (Updated 6-24-15)


It Was Hornat and Friends Who Put Themselves "On The Hook"

Wednesday, Council Member Joe Hornat said that he was sorry that there was not going to be a vote on the Oro Valley purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club. He said this at the end of the call to audience portion of this past Wednesday's council meeting. Joe said he was sorry because a public vote would have "taken us off the hook."

We wish to remind Council Member Hornat that is he and his Majority-4 colleagues who put themselves on the hook. What Hornat should have done was to use the common sense he prides himself in having and he wouldn't be on the hook at all.  Nor would the people of Oro Valley.

Council Approves Oro Valley's Second 5 Story Building

The Majority-4 of the Oro Valley Town Council voted to approve Oro Valley's first  5 story building. The minority 3 voted against it. The building will be behind the Home Depot on the southern piece of what is called the Rooney Ranch North property. The facility will be part of what is called Nakomy Sky Senior Living Campus. According to the town staff report on the property:

"A significant portion of this building will be naturally shielded from view from 1st Avenue by a hillside area, but the building will be significantly visible from Oracle Road and the CDO Bridge."

This is the second 5 story building that has been approved for Oro Valley. The first 5 story building to be approved has not been built. It is a hotel on the Rooney Ranch property at 1st and Oracle. The location of the hotel is further east than the new aproval, up the hillside in an adjacent parcel within the same Rooney Ranch property. This was approved in the Planned Area Development that included a Main Street design for the lower portion where the CVS is located now.

Winner announced for Shop OV Holiday Campaign $500 grand prize

Oro Valley, Arizona (January 20, 2015) - Oro Valley resident, Rebecca Taber is the winner of a random drawing for a $500 OV Dollars gift card sponsored by the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce as part of the Shop Oro Valley Holiday Campaign. Taber's receipt was one of 909 that were submitted during the nine-week campaign, for a total of more than $58,000 dollars spent at 108 Oro Valley businesses. (Source: Town Of Oro Valley Press Release)

Four teenagers arrested for burglary in Oro Valley

Oro Valley, Arizona (January 19, 2015) - On January 18, 2015 at approximately 2:40 a.m. Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD) responded to the Walgreens at Lambert and La Canada in reference to a burglary alarm. Officers arrived on scene within a few minutes and observed a male leaving the business and running towards the rear of the business. After a short foot pursuit he was taken into custody. Officers found the front door glass smashed in and several packs of cigarettes and alcohol on the ground of the Walgreens. (Source: Town Of Oro Valley Press Release)

Children's Museum To Possibly Open In Spring

TucsonNewsNow reports that the Tucson Children's Museum will open its Oro Valley doors this spring. The 3,000 square foot facility will be located in the Steam Pump Village Shopping Center.

Oro Valley Schedules Special February To Educate Public About El Conquistador Country Club and Community Center

Oro Valley Schedules February Open Houses To Discuss Community Center

Oro Valley, Arizona (January 23, 2015) - The Town of Oro Valley is planning a series of open house meetings in February to discuss the acquisition of the El Conquistador Country Cub and plans to convert it into a community and recreation center. Town officials want to provide information to the public and hear directly from residents.

The first of those meetings will be held Monday, February 2, 2015 at 6 p.m. in the El Conquistador Country Club Sunset Meeting Room, 10555 N. La CaƱada Drive.

Town Officials and a representative from Troon Golf will be on hand to present information and field questions from those in attendance.

Residents who are unable to attend this meeting can attend a future meeting or submit their questions and comments to Oro Valley Constituent Services online or by calling 229-4711.
(Source: Town Of Oro Valley Press Release)

14 comments:

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Memo to Councilmember Hornat: any time you vote for or against an issue it becomes part of your public record. Even if the petition had gone through, your vote still puts you on the hook. Being elected and holding office comes with a tremendous responsibility and never be treated lightly. The open meeting law is in place to try and ensure open and transparent government, the legal reason attorneys don't allow Councils to comment on Call to the audience is because the item wasn't on the agenda; the political reason is to keep the council from saying something stupid and having to walk it back. Well that didn't happen Wednesday night!

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Councilman Hornat's comment "taken us off the hook." sounds like he may have some regrets on approving the purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club. Are other council members having similar thoughts? Could it be the Council is feeling the citizen's negative response to the way the proposition was completed? Time will tell.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Maybe they finally read the contract!

Richard Furash, MBA said...

I was thinking the same thing, but then I realized he could have meant it the other way too. They are so head strong in this, that they think a vote would go in their favor. And if it went to a vote we could no longer blame them for this purchase. Either way, if this is what he thinks, why can't he help get this to a town vote?

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Your words to God's ears!!!!

Richard Furash, MBA said...

In the order presented.....


slontou...If you really look at every one of your sentences, a learned person could reply with the following: "You statend the known and obvious." It reminds me of the GIECO commercial...."Everyone Knows That". DUH!!!!


Did you have a point to make or just get something printed on a blog page?????


Flyboy....Ch*t, I believe all of the members of the council wanted the petitions to be valid. It would have once again allowed the smarter people of Oro Valley to vote down the intelligence challenged ones just as was done in the Oro Valley Marketplace vote. You do remember that one.... don't you??? Bring on a vote!!!!!


AZsheep...What contract?????


Nombe....You want to get out of this burb...I'll buy your place for FMV.


Just Me...I don't think they are "head strong". I think they truly believe this is a viable business opportunity. They may, just may, be correct. Wouldn't that be something to chat about. Hope you are around for that conversation.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Exactly where do you think I will be for "that conversation"? I don't expect to drop dead anytime soon, and my house isn't for sale so I will be around for that conversation.

We (all of us, including you and council members) don't really know if this is a good deal or not. From everything that has been published and been put out there by all news sources it doesn't look good at all. But if the purchase goes through, only time will tell and unfortunately the residents could end up paying a very high price for a bad deal. I hope you are around to see what happens then.

I agree, let a vote happen. See what all residents think. Now wouldn't that be something to chat about, how the residents spoke up and won. Hope you are around for that conversation too.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Just me....In the December edition of Golf Digest (that 'bible' magazine for the golfing industry, golf courses bottomed out several months ago and are now attractive buys, even for the Chinese. It's available on line.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Ch*t....Sadly it won't settle the issue. You and VC and Fear and Nombe and Furash and most every other poster on this blog are still bitching about AZ Marketplace. Speaking of the Marketplace, you never did respond to my challenge. I'll just assume you could never find the statement you tried to pin on me.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

So much for a good try. Is there anything in the world we can agree on??????? I doubt it.



Factually it was the citizens who were signing the petitions that brought up OV Marketplace. It is interesting to note that their comments and concerns on both issues were very similar.


The statement I commented on that brings you great concen came from your Explorer Letter. Check back in the late December issues.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

I am aware of that article. I actually pay attention to both sides of this argument. But thank you for recommending it.
I will choose to stick with the facts as they are printed in black and white as they pertain to this particular transaction.
As for the Chinese being so eager to buy up golf courses because they have hit rock bottom, well then maybe they can buy this one. They have endless amounts of money for the upkeep and think of the money they will bring into the town. The possibilities are endless for this option. The town wouldn't have to worry about what they would do the property. The wealth they could bring here. I could go on, but I wont bore you. I'm sure you have thought of everything too.
Again, we all seem to agree that a VOTE should happen. So let's go, get it done.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Unfortunately it up to the court system now which will cost both partied far more than it should. With as many problems with the petitions are have surfaced it will be interesting to see what a judge does. IF it was simply a matter of putting a wrong number in a box there would be a far better chance that there would be a ruling in favor of the plaintiff. We'll see and move forward.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

What do you mean, "What contract?" For someone who claims to know everything about this deal, you're now admitting that you're not aware of the contract? The details of the contract were published on this blog recently. I suggest you read it.

Or perhaps you're well-aware of it and it's so detrimental to the town that you're trying to pretend it doesn't exist?

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Yes, we're still bitching about OVM. Our entire town was negatively affected by a lying greedy developer. FYI: You're still bitching about things that happened years ago.