Oro Valley Is Not Approaching "Buildout"

There has been for some time now the idea floated by town staff that Oro Valley is approaching "buildout." It is often referred to as some "dreaded event"; as if something dreadful will happen if the town stops growing. Understanding this, town council defined a strategic objective last February to "Develop a buildout analysis that projects short and long-term impacts to Town service levels and provides potential mitigation options." According to Town Manager Jacobs, that analysis will not be available until the winter of 2023.

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"Buildout" is a vague term

The town has not defined what it means when it says that Oro Valley is approaching buildout. We say this because the town has 20,300 acres of buildable land of its 27,000 acre size. As of last April, 10,900 acres were "built-out". 10,400 acres were "Vacant". That's 20,300 acres of buildable land. 

Certainly, a town that has almost half of its available building land designated as "vacant" is not approaching any building saturation point.  So, to what is the town referring when it says that Oro Valley is approaching buildout?

It is unplanned vacant land to which the town refers when it says that Oro Valley is reaching buildout...but that is is only 15% of total vacant land available for growth

85% of the 10,400 acres of vacant land have an approved plat or development plan. The remaining vacant land is designated by the town as "unplanned."  This land  is mostly located the periphery of the town [see panel]. 

We think that it is this land, the vacant "unplanned land," to which the town is referring with it says that town is reaching “buildout.” 

That is an unfair definition because it fails to recognize that other other 8.900 acres are either being built or will be built also.

Permitting activity remains strong... Lots of construction remains

By no means is the town approaching "buildout." Construction remains strong in Oro Valley and it will be such for along time. In November, for example,  "220 total permits were issued . . . compared to 160 permits issued in October. Year-to-date, 2,380 total permits have been issued since the beginning of the year compared to 2,290 issued during the same period in 2020." (Source: Town Manager Executive Report To Council, December 2021)

Town annexation strategy would increase available land for homes via the "Tangerine 880"

The town's annexation strategy will increase land for growth. The major source of a near team increase land for homes is the 880 acres of state land ("Tangerine South"and "Tangerine North"). That is a "near term target". This land is located on the Northwest tip of Oro Valley. It would extend Oro Valley's reach to Thornydale. 

The town vetted the Tangerine North annexation to the community in 2017-2018. It was met with resident opposition. Read one report on this here. Both the North and South Tangerine annexations remains open. If not heard by this council, it will certainly be heard by the next council.

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The Solomon Chronicles. Part 2. Voting Record 2016-2018

With the Town Council election on the horizon, LOVE will be presenting a series of articles entitled, “The Solomon Chronicles,” highlighting the abysmal record of Councilmember Steve Solomon who is running for re-election. This weekly series will highlight his 4-year record of incivility and his interdependent relationship with local developers. This series was written by a LOVE contributor and contains a synopsis of previous LOVE articles plus new information.
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Today’s article presents excerpts from Councilmember Solomon’s voting record from November 2016 to April 2018 and focuses on his repeated catering to developers.

Solomon thumbed his nose at the citizens on his first night in office
November 16, 2016. Solomon was sworn into office. That very same night, he voted to approve a Major General Plan Amendment to amend the Land Use Map at Rancho Vistoso Blvd. and Vistoso Highlands Drive (17 acres) FROM Neighborhood Commercial/Office TO Medium Density Residential.

Why was this important? Solomon’s vote was noteworthy because it came just 8 days after the new 2016 General Plan had been approved by Oro Valley voters! Think about that. A plan that was 3 years in the making (September 2013 – September 2016), a plan written and approved by the people of Oro Valley to reflect OUR community values, was altered by Steve Solomon (and the rest of the former Hiremath council) during their very first meeting. On his very first night in office, Solomon’s first order of business was to thumb his nose at the citizens. This would be a harbinger of what was to come.

Apparently, all those Oro Valley voices coming together to present a clear vision of what we wanted for our town was of no value or importance to Steve Solomon.

Approved the grading of rolling hills
November 16, 2016. Yes, we’re still on the same night and he wasn’t done yet. Remember the beautiful rolling hills that were once present on the east side of First Avenue? Town Code does not allow grading of hills by more than 6 feet. Solomon voted to allow a portion of those hills to be graded down 12-15 feet to accommodate the residential development known as Sanctuary at Silverhawke.

Approved a storage facility at the historic Steam Pump Ranch
March 15, 2017. Solomon voted to allow a 107,544 square foot, 3-story storage facility containing approx. 750 storage units at the historic Steam Pump Village despite residents speaking against it during the Public Hearing. Residents pointed out that it was not consistent with the vision, guiding principles, goals and policies of the General Plan. One of those residents pointed out that even the Town Staff found that it met ONLY ONE of the 10 goals in the General Plan.

Additionally, this area was slated to be part of the Main Streets district which was to include areas for shopping and dining along the CDO wash…another reason that a 3-story storage facility was not appropriate for this area.

Tangerine North Annexation, Shannon 80, and Big Wash General Plan Amendments
December 6, 2017. Despite a huge resident turnout at this council meeting and strong vocal opposition from residents, Solomon voted to approve ALL of the following:

• Tangerine North Annexation. Solomon voted to approve a General Plan Amendment to extend the Oro Valley planning area boundary to include 302 acres currently zoned for 3.3 acre residential on the north side of Tangerine (between Coyote Crossing and Thornydale) and to give it a new designation of Master Planned Community. In other words, say goodbye to 3.3 acre minimum lot sizes.

• Shannon 80. Solomon voted to approve a General Plan Amendment to change the land use on 76 acres on the east side of Shannon Road FROM Rural low density residential TO Low density residential-1. He then voted to approve the rezoning from R1-144 to R1-36. However, due to ESLO criteria, the minimum lot size actually allowed is just 8,750 square feet! This is totally incompatible with existing homes in that area which are custom homes on lot sizes of 144,000 sf and larger (3.3 acres and up).

• Big Wash. Solomon voted to approve a General Plan Amendment to change land use and zoning designations for 108 acres of undeveloped land in a FLOODPLAIN located along Honeybee Wash and Big Wash to allow 408 homes on lot sizes of 7,200 sf lots and 5,400 sf lots on mass-graded sites.

Saguaros Viejos
April 4, 2018. Despite this parcel (west side of La Cholla between Glover and Naranja) already having been rezoned from R1-144 (144,000 sf) down to R1-20 (20,000 sf) just two years earlier, Solomon voted to approve yet another rezoning down to even smaller lots of R1-7 (7,000 sf).

This pristine desert parcel (85 acres), originally zoned for 3.3 acre rural residential lots with no mass grading, will now be built as 7,000 sf lots with mass grading and cookie-cutter 2-story homes. This is not compatible with the surrounding homes, including custom homes on 3.3 acre lots and semi-custom homes with an average lot size of 18,500 sf. Numerous residents spoke in opposition to this rezoning.

Solomon’s legacy – 588 acres of pristine desert irreparably transformed
This is just a small sample from Solomon’s first 18 months in office! It reveals that his loyalty is not to the people, but rather to wealthy land speculators and developers. For anyone who still doesn’t know this, Steve Solomon is also a developer. He is the owner of Canada Vistas, a real estate development/homebuilding business.

NOTE: Councilmember Bill Rodman who is also running for re-election also voted to approve all of the above general plan amendments and rezonings. Do you want to re-elect these two incumbents and give them another 4-year long license to continue rezoning what little land is left of our once beautiful Oro Valley desert landscape?

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The Solomon Chronicles: Part 3. “Who funded Solomon’s 2016 Town Council campaign?” will be published next Wednesday.

Guest View: Diane Peters ~ The “Art” of Time Management

As you begin reading this article, you might ask yourself…what does this have to do with Oro Valley? Bear with me for a moment and it will become clear.

Have you ever been on the Internet, perhaps Facebook, and you've clicked on a video that is of interest to you? Maybe it was a heartwarming video of a soldier being reunited with his dog that he hasn’t seen in a year. Maybe it was a stunningly beautiful nature video. That’s what you chose to watch…and then BAM!!!...your video is interrupted with a commercial for dental implants or car insurance. You’re annoyed, yes? The commercial might last only 30 seconds, but 30 seconds seems like an eternity when you’re not interested in the topic and you’re waiting to see something else.

And this brings me to the “Youth Art Program by the Arts and Culture Ambassadors” that I and many others have been forced to sit through during council meetings when we are there to listen to and perhaps speak on an agenda item that is of importance to us.

The only “art” I want to see at a Town Council meeting is the “Art of Time Management.”

It’s not that I don’t appreciate art. I love art. One of my favorite past-times is visiting art museums and art galleries. But when I’m in an art gallery, I don’t want to discuss town business or politics. And when I’m at a Town Council meeting, I don’t want to sit through a Youth Art presentation. I decided to speak on this issue because the Youth Arts Presentation was just on the council agenda four months in a row (Oct-Nov-Dec-Jan).

Town business should be the #1 priority
We have approximately 17 town council meetings per year. These meetings should be for critical town business, not for art shows. It’s a disservice to the residents who are waiting to speak on an issue of importance to them (usually a development proposal) to have to first sit though these presentations which usually last anywhere from 8 to 13 minutes. I remember one marathon presentation that went on for over 30 minutes, at which point I got up and walked out, missing the agenda item that prompted me to attend the meeting in the first place.

Another meeting where the inclusion of the Youth Art Program was particularly annoying was the December 6, 2017 meeting. The room was packed that night due to the agenda containing FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS on contentious development proposals. These included:

• General Plan amendment regarding the 302 acre Tangerine North Annexation
• General Plan amendment and rezoning for a 131 acre residential development in Big Wash
• General Plan amendment for a 76 acre residential development on Shannon Road
• General Plan amendment to change a 15 acre property from office park to residential

The town had to know that this meeting would be a standing room only crowd, packed with residents who were opposed to these development proposals, and that this meeting would last for hours. The room was packed and the meeting lasted 4 hours and 34 minutes, not ending until 10:30 PM. This was not the appropriate time to include a Youth Art presentation on the agenda.

On that particular evening, (former) Mayor Hiremath asked those who were there for the above agenda items to give up their seats to the parents and kids because the room was over capacity. [You can watch the full video clip above.  A partial transcript of his speech is below.]

HIREMATH: “Because it’s such a packed house…would people who are not here for the Youth Art presentation please relinquish your seat and just kind of wait outside so the parents and kids can get a seat?...We have an ask from the Fire Marshall because we’re over capacity.”

A time and a place for everything
My point is that people come to town meetings to listen to and speak on important issues. Therefore, Youth Art would be better celebrated in a place where parents and friends could appreciate it. I’d like to suggest that Youth Art be displayed at the library where people can enjoy it on their own time.

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Diane Peters has lived in Oro Valley since 2003, moving here to escape the humidity of the East Coast. She’s been involved in OV politics and development issues since 2006. In 2014, she organized a citizens group, Citizen Advocates of the Oro Valley General Plan, who over a 9-month period, successfully negotiated a controversial 200-acre development project. In her past life, she worked in medical research at various University Hospitals in New England. Her interests include reading, writing, nature photography, travel, art galleries, museums, and politics.

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Town Council Chambers
11,000 La Canada Drive

4:00 PM ~ Golf Study Session
Open to the Public

Presentations by Town Manager, Mary Jacobs and Troon President, Rob DeMore. Also a possible discussion by the mayor and council regarding the future of the Community Center and golf courses.

6:00 PM ~Town Council Regular Session

Pay special attention to:

Consent Agenda, Item E

Resolution…with regard to the approximate 934 acres of State Land (Tangerine South and Tangerine North) the Town intends to pursue annexation, and does not have nor does it intend to adopt, regulations requiring the fencing of open range livestock grazing or prohibiting mining on State Land annexed into the Town.”

The Town claims that this is “a standard formality related to livestock grazing and mining” and that the “Town Staff does not anticipate either of these activities to actually occur on these two parcels.”

You can view the agenda HERE

Guest View: Love Contributor ~ Mayor Hiremath omits important details on the Tangerine State Trust Land annexation

An article in the January 3rd Explorer, “Recent Oro Valley land changes to remain in place” discussed the attempt by the Political Action Committee, Keep OV Green, to take the General Plan Amendments passed during the December 6th town council meeting to the voters via a referendum.

One of those amendments was the Tangerine North General Plan Amendment (annexation of 321 acres of State Trust Land north of Tangerine -- between Moore Road and Tangerine).

The Explorer article contained the following comment regarding that annexation:

“Hiremath wasn’t even sure why Keep OV Green chose that property to focus on, because developers may not choose to be annexed into Oro Valley. Pima County and Marana also have the property in their respective general plans.”

Mayor Hiremath’s comment omits important details about prior Council actions for the Tangerine 550. (550 acres at the NW corner of Tangerine and Thornydale). Oro Valley has a serious interest in this land, which now seems to be why the land north of Tangerine is important. Both these parcels of land will be designated as one large Master Planned Community (approximately 871 acres).

The Paper Trail

August 28, 2012: Councilmember Hornat met with the Arizona State Land Department concerning the 550 acres of State Land at Tangerine and Thornydale. (This is evidenced in the letter below from the State Land Commissioner, dated February 27, 2013).

October 2012: The Town of Oro Valley approached the City of Marana with an “Annexation Request” regarding the Tangerine 550. (This is evidenced in the letter below from the City of Marana dated October 1, 2012).

February 2013: State Land Commissioner, Vanessa Hickman, sent a letter to Councilmember Hornat, dated February 27, 2013, outlining three specific items required in order for Oro Valley to move forward with the annexation. Those items are:

1) A no-objection letter from the Town of Marana
2) A waiver of town ordinance requirement for fencing of open range livestock grazing
3) An agreement not to enact or apply ordinances or regulations prohibiting mining on the State Land

Mayor Hiremath is not being fully transparent nor is this as innocent as the mayor would like us to believe. Although Marana has this land in their General Plan, it is false to say that they remain in the picture. I have recently followed-up with the City of Marana and they still support the decision in their letter of 10/1/12 to allow Oro Valley to annex the property.

Letter from the Town of Marana

Letter from the State Land Commissioner

LOVE Contributor ~ Community Opposes Oro Valley’s Future Annexation of State Land (Tangerine North)

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.”

 "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)."

He then proceeded to clarify various misconceptions related to the potential annexation of the two State-owned properties referred to as Tangerine North (302 acres) and Tangerine South (550 acres.) The meeting primarily focused on the proposed Plan Amendments for Tangerine North.

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.