Oro Valley Considering Three General Plan Amendments

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There is nothing more unsettling than a general plan amendment.  Its unsettling because a handful of people, some of whom the voters elected, change the land use of property that voters agreed upon in 2005.  Proposed general plan amendments are something on which we keep our eye.

There are three proposed general plan amendments in process.  There are neighborhood meetings conducted before these amendments are ever discussed by the Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commission for a vote and then to town council, where a super-majority of members, five must approve it before it the amendment becomes effective.

The three proposed general plan amendments are:

• The Olson Property located on the north side of Moore Road between Yellow Orchid Drive and Mystic View Place
• The Miller Ranch, which is a 37 acre property located at the northwest corner of Tangerine and La Canada Drive ; and
• Vistoso Highlands, which is an 18 acre property located on the northwest corner of Rancho Vistoso Boulevard and Vistoso Highlands Drive 

Oro Valley Development and Infrastructure Department conducts the neighborhood meetings.  The meeting on the Olson property was held this past Thursday.  The neighborhood meetings for the other two properties are listed in the "Upcoming Events" section in the right column of the blog.

The owners of these properties are requesting changes to accommodate greater residential housing density: 

• Olson Property, from Low-Density Residential (LDR) to medium density residential. 
• Miller Ranch, change the land use designation for a portion of the site (approximately 17.3 acres) from Rural Low Density Residential (RLD) and Low Density Residential (LDR) to Medium Density Residential (MDR) 
• Vistoso Highlands,  from Commercial (C-1) to a Residential use 

You may or may not agree that these changes are appropriate.  Regardless, you have the opportunity to express your thinking at the neighborhood meetings, to the Planning and Zoning Commission when it holds two public hearings on the amendment, and to the Town Council, when it holds its public hearing on the amendment.  In other words, a "word to the wise is sufficient." The word?  Be there if you care!

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