Seems like some people never give up. This time its the Oro Valley Development and Infrastructure Department and the Planning and Zoning Commission. Tomorrow, they will begin what is now their annual push to add Mixed Use to the Oro Valley Zoning Code. We've written volumes on this.Apparently, this idea came up at the May 7th Planning and Zoning Commission meeting during a discussion of the Oro Valley Development and Infrastructure Department's activities for the next year. At that time: "Several Commissioners expressed a desire to encourage Town Council to reconsider the Mixed Use General Plan amendment, which currently has been tabled. The Commission discussed Form Based Codes as a tool to implement the Mixed Use category" (Source)
The Mixed Used cheerleaders simply don't give up. The last time council discussed it was last year. Now, the Planning and Zoning Commission wants to urge council to discuss it yet again.
Thus, we write about it yet again:
"This designation denotes areas wherein a range of land uses are planned as an integrated development. The MU designation is intended for residential, commercial, office and employment uses, creatively designed based on new urbanism principles. Such areas should be reflective of a village concept wherein there is an opportunity for residents to live, work and recreate within the same neighborhood. "(Source: January 2012 Oro Valley Development and Infrastructure Department information sheet).That is the concept. In practice, as we have pointed out, the objective is simply to allow multiple uses of a property without going through the process of subdividing the property and then rezoning portions of it. It is an end run around the zoning code and the general plan. It can easily result in a miss-mash of land use with one property.
As we have previously written: "Adding this zoning to the Oro Valley codes is a major, not a minor change to the general plan. Therefore, it is for the people, not the council, to make this change." This approval or denial would occur as part the 2015 general plan update process.
What do you think?
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1 comment:
There is confusion between the definitions for Mixed Use Neighborhood (MUN) and Mixed Use (MU) in Oro Valley.
MUN (Mixed Use Neighborhood)
On December 7, 2011 at the Town Council Regular Meeting, Agenda Item 6, there was a Public Hearing where Resolution 11-82 was passed by Council amending the General Plan.
This property was composed of 20 acres. The proposed Major General Plan (GP) Amendment (GPA) entailed amending the GP land use category from Neighborhood Commercial-Office (NCO) to High Density Residential (HDR) for 13 acres located in the rear of the property in proximity to the northeast corner of Linda Vista Blvd and Oracle Rd for the purpose of building an apartment complex of approximately 215-220 units (a.k.a. Ross Rulney Development)
The 7 acres fronting Oracle Road remained Commercial and 5 buildings were proposed to house restaurants, cleaners, other retail, etc.
In summary, this was splitting the 20 acre property into two zoning entities (NCO for 7 acres and HDR for 13 acres) into a Mixed Use Neighborhood (MUN) or segregated land uses adjacent to one another.
This is not MU (Mixed Use).
MU (Mixed Use)
On January 3, 2012 the Planning and Zoning Commission approved what they called a Minor General Plan Amendment to add a Mixed Use (MU) land use category to the General Plan (OV1111-006) The General Plan does not include a category which allows a mixture of land uses on one property. This was a generic proposal since no applicant or property was involved in this item.
This means a gas station, liquor store, or a medical marijuana store could be built and “integrated” next door within the same physical area as your residential home.
John Musolf
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