Outside the meeting room at Casas Church, local Save the Cactus activists greeted attendees and passed out flyers detailing their concerns with Oro Valley's unwanted and incompatible overreach into their community.Oro Valley Planning Manager, Bayer Vella, faced a room packed with passionate area residents who came to learn the reasoning behind the potential Tangerine North State Land General Plan Amendments and future Annexation.
Mr. Vella assured the group that this meeting would provide staff with a good listening opportunity for their concerns but that the land would be developed regardless of whether Oro Valley annexes it or not. He further advised attendees to say "ditto" during the open question segment rather than repeat someone else’s comments and to “Be kind and treat each other the way you want to be treated.”
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"The properties currently under consideration for annexation
by the Town of Oro Valley are the two State Land‐ owned sites
indicated on the map below, referred to as Tangerine North
(302 acres), and Tangerine South (550 acres)."
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Background
Oro Valley is 90% built out and is looking at annexation to grow the town. At the April 5, 2016, Planning and Zoning Commission Community Academy session, developers expressed an urgency in establishing lot supply during 2017 and 2018.
To that end, Tangerine South was added to the Town’s official Planning Boundary and designated as a Master Planned Community in the Town’s voter approved General Plan in 2016. While many residents were likely unaware that this was in the Plan, it was included with the expectation of annexation due to its commercial potential.
The possibility of also annexing Tangerine North arose during Tangerine South annexation conversations with the State Land Department. It is primarily suited for residential development due to limited frontage on Tangerine Road and is currently zoned to allow one residence per three acres under the current Pima County jurisdiction. Oro Valley, however, is recommending a land use designation of Master Planned Community as this will offer the most flexibility for development and increase the value of the property.
Who will purchase and develop the two properties?
Oro Valley will not assume ownership of these properties if they are annexed. Rather, the State Land Department will sell the land at public auction to the highest bidder. No purchaser or developer has been identified.
Why is Oro Valley interested in annexing these properties?
Oro Valley wants to manage growth and control the potential impacts of land near or within its boundaries to ensure quality developments and environmental resource conservation. Annexations however, must make fiscal sense and be approved by the Town Council.
The costs will outweigh the revenues
Tangerine North offers NO advantage in terms of a revenue stream for the Town as Oro Valley has no property tax. The cost to the Town (additional police, road maintenance, etc.) will outweigh the revenue derived from construction taxes and impact fees. Over time, a purely residential annexation loses money. There is also little chance that Tangerine North residents will increase our sales tax revenue by shopping or buying gas in Oro Valley since it will be more convenient for them to shop in Marana (unless Tangerine South is also annexed by Oro Valley and provides those commercial services).
Residents raised the following concerns:
- Desert conservation, wildlife and riparian areas – Oro Valley has lost a significant amount of credibility with recent land management. The motto, “It’s in our nature” is inaccurate. Their "Nature" is bladed every day by developers with Town Council's approval.
- Developers’ campaign donations and cozy relationship with Oro Valley Town Council. Residents fear that they “will work behind the scenes to get whatever they want.”
- A Master Planned Community is not compatible in this rural area with 3+ acre homesites/horse properties.
- Traffic and road conditions (Thornydale Road)
- Water resources
- Loss of property value
- Lack of fiscal analysis (Staff is unable to prepare this analysis until State and Oro Valley agree on land use.)
- Lack of representation - Neighborhood meetings are all about the process and checking off a box that meetings were held.
Given this extensive list of concerns, it was no surprise to hear the room echo with “dittos” when one person commented that he didn’t want to be part of Oro Valley or be surrounded by it. He said that they moved here to get away from the city and they do not want Oro Valley bringing the city to them.
A second Neighborhood Meeting is scheduled for August 21st at 6 PM in Council Chambers, 11,000 N LaCanada Drive
Learn more HERE or contact Michael Spaeth at mspaeth@orovalleyaz.gov or 520-229-4812.
Visit savethecactus for additional information on how you can help.
