Another Neighborhood Meeting…another proposal to build 500-600 new homes on 108 acres of undeveloped land. Another group of irritated residents asking what reasons they can provide that will convince the town to say "No."Current Entitlements vs. Requested Proposal
The land in question is located due west of the intersection of Rancho Vistoso Blvd and Moore Road, along the Honey Bee Wash and the Big Wash. To be fair, there are existing entitlements for development of this land. The designated land uses currently in the General Plan allow Open Space, Park, Resort/Golf Course and Medium Density Residential. This is what Vistoso Partners is entitled to develop.
However, they want to eliminate the Resort/Golf Course use and add High Density Residential to the mix. They are not entitled to that change unless the Town Council approves it. Council approval will also then be required to amend the 1987 Rancho Vistoso PAD zoning to match the revised General Plan.
Only a “smattering” of attendees were familiar with Oro Valley’s General Plan
Paul Oland of the WLB Group, representing Vistoso Partners, began his portion of the Neighborhood Meeting with the question, “How many of you are familiar with the General Plan document?” When only a few hands were raised, Oland acknowledged, “A smattering.”
That’s all? The General Plan was just approved by 70% of Oro Valley voters in the 2016 election. How many residents voted for it without knowing what was in it and now regret their decision? And why it is being changed so quickly? Could there be any connection to the development community’s generous campaign donations to all seven members of Council?
Reconfiguring the Parcels
Mr. Oland continued his presentation, referring to maps to explain the somewhat complicated parcel shuffle in Neighborhood 5. The golf course (designated as a place holder for Parcel 5-I when the school rejected that location for its middle school) will be eliminated and Parcels 5-M, 5-O, and 5-Q will be reconfigured since they no longer need to fit around the golf course envelope.
 |
| Proposed Land Use |
Flood Zone, Cultural Resources, and Wildlife Concerns
Portions of the site have been designated as Zone A by FEMA, meaning the area is subject to a one percent or greater annual chance of flooding in any given year. Zone A requires the mandatory purchase of flood insurance per FEMA.gov.
There are no known cultural resources on this land based on a 1986 survey. If any ground-disturbing activities reveal the presence of undiscovered human remains or funerary objects, construction will stop within the area of the remains.
When asked about a wildlife study, Mr. Oland responded that 50% of the Rancho Vistoso PAD was set aside for Open Space protection in 1987, which included the most sensitive areas and major wash/wildlife corridors.
One would suspect that wildlife movement would have changed during the past 30 years as a result of development. And in fact, an Arizona Game and Fish Department Environmental Online Review contained in the PAD Amendment Site Analysis requested further coordination to:
(1) provide project species specific recommendations for wildlife and plants predicted to be within the project vicinity, and
(2) address the needs of wildlife in regards to movement, connectivity, and access to habitat needs.
History of the School Site
The former school/current golf course site, Parcel 5-I, was reallocated to Parcel 5-R (behind Safeway) in 2009. It's important to understand why Amphi rejected the former site for a school. According to a 2008 Council Communication, Parcel 5-I is "located near the confluence of the Honey Bee and Big Washes, an environmentally sensitive area that has challenges for access and hydrology." Yet if this General Plan Amendment is approved, residential development will be allowed in this flood plain.
Part 2 will be published tomorrow and includes the Question and Answer portion of the meeting.
