Town Council "Continues" Town Centre PAD Amendment Hearing

Last night, the Oro Valley Town Council continued the Town Centre PAD amendment we wrote about yesterday. The vote was 4-3. The Hiremath-3 (Pena, Rodman, and Solomon) voted against continuing the item because they felt that the amendment should be approved as is.

Council member Pena believed that the amendment was consistent with the general plan. Council Member Rodman felt that process of getting the project to the hearing stage had resulted in great compromise on the part of residents, town staff and the developer. Solomon felt that the council to follow the unanimous decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission that approved this plan.

To that, Mayor Winfield observed. "I am not a rubber stamp Mayor."

Mayor Winfield, Vice Mayor Barrett and council members Nicolson and Joyce-Ivey voted in favor of continuation. Each raised concerns regarding the property. The issues included:

• How does this project fit in with the plans of the other PAD's in Town Centre?
• Is 5 feet between homes appropriate? 
• Some hillsides will be graded by 20 feet.
• Noise will be a problem for the houses built close to Oracle
• Traffic will increase at the intersection
• Water use could impact the residents of neighboring developments
• Erosion may be a problem

"It is a good project," noted Mayor Winfield. "It can be a better project."

The developer, after hearing these and other concerns, told council that he preferred a continuation versus an "up or down" vote.

The proposed PAD amendment will be heard at the April 3 council meeting.

If changes proposed to mitigate the issues raised are significant, then the project will return to the public hearing phase. It will then be reheard by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Whether the changes are significant will be determined by town planner, Bayer Vella.
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"Scan, Bag and Go" Comes To Oro Valley

If you don't like waiting in line at the grocery store to checkout, if you don't like to "slide and scan" your groceries at self-checkout, if you prefer to do your own bagging, then the Fry's grocery store in Rooney Ranch has something for you.

It's called: "Scan, Bag and Go." and, believe us, it's the fastest way to get in and out of the grocery store. And by the way, did we also tell you that it's fun? Did we you tell you that you can save money doing it?

The "Scan, Bag and Go" concept is so

simple that we wonder why it wasn't done long ago.

Here's how it works.

You scan each item you put in your grocery cart and you put that item in your tote. Then, when you've completed your trip, you go to the self checkout area. There, you point the little device you've been using to scan your items at a bar code just above the self-checkout screen. You press the "scan" button and your scans are downloaded to the self checkout machine. The payment process is the same as always. That's it! Essentially, you are  using your idle time while shopping to check yourself out.

You can use the self checkout unit regardless of the number of items you purchased since you've already scanned everything in and bagged everything before you got there.

The first three times you use "Scan, Bag and Go" you get five dollars off each order of $35 more.

Yes. They pay you to play with a scan device.

Now that's hard to beat.
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ed note: The Rancho Vistoso Safeway removed self-checkout several years ago.

Bits and Pieces

Zinkin Agrees: Town Does Not Pay Officers For Commute Time

"On 2/11/15 Mayor Hiremath, Vice Mayor Waters, and I met with the Town employees. As a result , I learned many things. However there is one item that I need to correct ASAP.

In the Power Point over the police department overtime, I stated that the Town spends approximately $113,000 to individuals for commuting to and from work. I assumed this to be the case because the PD Procedures state the an officer that drives a marked vehicle shall check in when they leave for work, and checkout when they return home.

I thought the "checking in" was the same as starting the pay clock. I was not correct. The reason for checking in has to due with Town liability, not pay. Police time clock does not start at that time. The $113,000 figure was not correct. I apologize for giving the impression that we were paying for officers."

Mike Zinkin
Oro Valley Town Council Member
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Baloons Being Added To A-Frame Signs In Oro Valley?

Item 4 on next week's Oro Valley Tow Council meeting agenda is allowing balloons on signs and more illuminated window signs.

"Area businesses have requested illuminated window signs and the use of balloons in a variety of applications, including:

• Allow regular size balloons during grand openings 
• Inflatable balloons (i.e. restaurant mascots, inflatable tire for tire store, etc.) 
• Allow balloons to be affixed to approved A-frame signs 
• Allow balloons along street frontages"

As one reader wrote us: "Apparently A-Frames are not very effective, when there is a need to add on balloons to gain attention. How much more driver distraction do we need in parking lots and busy street? All the current relaxed codes for business signage and merchants still can't bring customers in?"
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Long Realty Reports Oro Valley Shows Tepid Oro Valley Housing Market

"In the Oro Valley area, January 2015 active inventory was 334, an 8% decrease from January 2014. There were 43 closings in January 2015, a 12% decrease from January 2014. Months of Inventory was 7.8, up from 7.4 in January 2014. Median price of sold homes was $254,000 for the month of January 2015, up 3% from January 2014. The Oro Valley area had 72 new properties under contract in January 2015, up 9% from January 2014." (Source: Long Realty)
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February 18 Coffee with a Cop at Fry's La Cañada and Lambert

The Oro Valley Police Department is excited to announce its February Coffee with a Cop event. It will be on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 from 8-10 a.m. at the Starbucks located inside Fry's at La Cañada and Lambert...The goal of this program is to break down barriers between the public and police officers. The majority of contacts law enforcement has with the public is during emergencies, traffic stops or emotional situations. Those situations are not always the most effective time for relationship building with the community. Coffee with a Cop allows a relaxed, one-on-one interaction between the community and local police officers (Source: Oro Valley Press Release)
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California Company Coming To Oro Valley

According to a TREO press release, LCMS Laboratories Inc is coming to Tucson. The company is expected to create up to 40 high quality jobs. "The new laboratory, located at 10831 N. Mavinee Drive, Suite 105 near Innovation Park, in Oro Valley, will provide clinical diagnostics, contract research organization (CRO) support and diagnostic test development."

"'We are very pleased that LCMS Laboratories has decided to expand in Oro Valley," said Satish Hiremath, mayor of Oro Valley. "Oro Valley has become a hub for bio-science, diagnostics and high-tech industries, with companies like Ventana Medical Systems, Sanofi and Securaplane. LCMS Laboratories will help strengthen the town's reputation for these industries and enrich our community with its talented, diverse workforce."'

(Source: TREO Press Release)
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Bye-Bye Radio Shack

Oro Valley's Radio Shack in Rooney Ranch Center will be closing. It is one of thousands of Radio Shack that will be closed. Radio Shack, which filed for bankruptcy last week, will become part of another company. There will be a liquidation sale.
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