Should You Be Involved In the 2015 General Plan Update?

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Should you care about the 2015 general plan update?

After all, isn't it just another state mandated requirement that the town has to do?

Does it really matter to you?

Those, are just some of the questions some of you are likely to ask when you hear about the 2015 general plan update, starting this September.  The town will be implementing its general plan update participation plan.

Many of you were not Oro Valley residents 8 years ago, when the last plan was adopted.  Some of you were residents at that time, but were simply not paying attention.  Some of you don't know what a general plan is.

All Arizona cities and towns are required by state law to have a general plan.  The nature of the general plan is defined by a state statute. (Arizona Title 9 Section 9-461.05)

"The general plan shall consist of a statement of community goals and development policies. It shall include maps, any necessary diagrams and text setting forth objectives, principles, standards and plan proposals. The plan shall include a number of elements, including a land use element."

The process and timing for updating the general plan is also defined by statute (Arizona Title 9 Section 461.06)  Section C of this statute requires significant public participation.

Public participation matters because the public must vote to approve or deny the plan.

Voter approval is not automatic.  Here's what happened in approving the 2005 plan: The voters rejected the plan.   We believe this was for 2 reasons: First, the zoning code "mixed use neighborhood" was included in that plan and the voters didn't like its lack of definition.  Second, there were also changes to land use maps of which voters did not approve.  The plan was reworked and approved by a second public vote.

The town most certainly wants to the plan accepted the first time it submitted for vote in November 2016..  Thus, it has created, under the leadership of Council Members Joe Hornat and Mike Zinkin, with the support of town staff and town boards and commissions, a very detailed public participation plan.

There will be 3 committees who will put together a draft of the plan.  We think that these committees will form in September. There is no published information on how and when the members of these committees will be determined.

The committees are:

• Development Commitee: This committee is responsible for sections pertaining to land use, community design, cost of development and transportation/circulation. 
• Environment Commitee: This committee is responsible for sections pertaining to open space and natural resources conservation, water resources and environmental planning. 
• Community Committee: This committee is responsible for sections pertaining to economic development, public facilities, services and safety, arts and culture, parks and recreation, archaeological and historic resources and housing.

The Oro Valley Development and Infrastructure Department will play a significant role in bringing the findings of each committee into a first draft of the plan.

The participation plan, however, goes far beyond the work of these committees. There will be many outreach programs, giving us all the opportunity to learn and share our views.  The process, itself, can be a way of bringing divergent views to consensus.

Should you be involved in the 2015 general plan update?  Yes.

Your involvement in the process matters because, though this is supposed to be an update to the plan, there could be changes you don't like.   Let your council members know of your interest in being involved now, while participation process is just beginning.
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