They're Back: Oro Valley Town Council to Consider Approving RV Display At The Oro Valley Marketplace

This Wednesday, the Oro Valley Town Council will consider allowing La Mesa RV to display approximately 100-150 recreational vehicles at the Oro Valley Marketplace. The dates of the display are November 21-24.

The fact that council is going to hear this matter is, we think, a direct result of our work and the work of resident Don Bristow.

Last April and May, we reported the RV display by La Mesa at the Oro Valley Marketplace. We noted, at that time, what we perceived to be the one sided nature of the transaction.  La Mesa gets a significant benefit; the town where the RV is delivered gets the sales tax benefit; Vestar of Tempe, the property owner gets a benefit (possibly via a fee from La Mesa), and Oro Valley gets a whopping $370.

In our May 8 guest view posting, Oro Valley Don Bristow observed: "Neither the Rancho Vistoso PAD or Oro Valley's Zoning Codes permitted uses allow this usage."   Don also spoke before council on this. You can view Don's remarks in that posting.

Bristow was right!  La Mesa (Yuma) must now seek council approval because: "The Oro Valley Marketplace is zoned under the Rancho Vistoso Planned Area Development (PAD) which requires Town Council approval for the 'Sales, rental and display of automobiles.'" (Source)

The nature of the latest display request is no different than in the past.

• "The planned location of the event is the property north of the Red Lobster restaurant... The duration of the sales event is eight days, which includes two days of set-up before and two days of clean up following the event." 
• For this privilege, the town will receive $370 for a special use permit.
• The town will not receive sales tax revenue from the sale of an RV.  Town staff has confirmed that "...the Town does not receive direct sales tax revenues from the RV sales themselves since consumers take possession of the vehicles outside of the Town limits."

"It is also expected that this four-day special event will increase consumer activity directly benefitting the retailers and restaurants in the area, resulting in increased sales taxes to the Town from these sources," notes the staff report.

In a letter to the town, La Mesa Marketing Manager Steve Love of San Diego writes: "La Mesa RV's events will primarily attract people from an upper income bracket that either have previously owned an RV and are ready to trade to a larger one or are at this time looking to downsize. These events do not attract unruly crowds or create noise nuisances to the area or neighborhood nor is there an unusually large amount of traffic generated. As the sun begins to set, our attendees will be making their way home and our event will be winding down for the day."

According to event organizers: The "Event will probably attract up to 500 people per day. Show hours daily are 9 am to dusk 6:30pm, approximately."
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You Be The Council!

Do you think that the council should approve or deny this request?
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