Former Planning and Zoning Commissioner, Frank Pitts, discusses what transpired during his time on the P&Z Commission and why he does not trust the Town Council to do what’s best for Oro Valley residents.I joined the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2014 after the Town Council began discussing the rezoning of Desert Springs, an approximately 100-acre parcel located on the east side of Oracle Road at Tangerine. Catalina State Park is without a doubt the jewel and essence of what makes Oro Valley special. I was raised at Pusch Ridge Stables, adjoining the State park. Riding a horse and buggy with my father was our special time together both as a child and even today as two “old men.”
During the rezoning discussions in 2013, we were driving horse and buggy around the State park and I looked up at the land that the Town Council was considering rezoning from R-144, 3.3 acre lots to medium density residential. I thought to myself…houses overlooking the State park will rob the park of its essence and its serenity. The escape from civilization for a brief moment to get in touch with Mother Nature and rekindle our basic human needs with the outdoors is vital to our health and happiness. The park’s serenity helps keep us grounded.
They wanted a Yes-man. They got an independent thinker.
As a near life-long Oro Valley Resident, I knew it was time to do more than talk. I reached out to all the Town Councilmembers and explained to them that Catalina State Park is the Jewel of Oro Valley. Councilmember Mike Zinkin was the only councilmember who replied to my email and lent an ear. Mike said he would vote against rezoning it if it ever came back up but he also explained that “The Majority 4” (currently seeking reelection) would most likely approve the rezoning. I knew I needed to do more to help save Oro Valley from becoming just another “any town USA” so I applied to be a Planning and Zoning Commissioner.
I met Councilmember Joe Hornat and Planning and Zoning Chair Don Cox for the first time during the P&Z interview process. Cox asked what I thought of the direction of Oro Valley. I knew this was a do-or-die moment into the Good Ole Boys Club. So I ate my pride for the moment and said that I thought it looked great and I wanted to help keep improving it.
The rezoning of the property overlooking Catalina State Park also came up and Hornat explained how he would like to see the ridge over the park lined with quality homes. I gritted my teeth and smiled. Cox and Hornat both gleamed with pride over their Oro Valley open space reduction plan and the fact that they thought I was a Yes-man. They selected me for a position on the commission. After my first P&Z meeting, they realized that I was not a Yes-man.
Planning and Zoning should be called, “No planning. Just rezoning.”
As I sat through multiple P&Z meetings where they discussed nothing about planning but only rezoning, I realized there was a mission to get as many roof tops built in Oro Valley as possible to reach the magic 50,000 residents that the Town needed in order to receive additional federal funding. More retail business would also come to OV if we had a stronger consumer base. More federal money and more business tax dollars allow for a bigger OV bureaucracy. More houses lower Oro Valley's standard of living, reduce current home values, schools suffer, parks suffer, roads become congested, taxes increase, crime increases and the overall standard of living is reduced. As population increases, simple peacefulness is gone.
I voted NO for almost every single rezoning request because I knew that increasing bureaucracy was bad, and increasing bureaucracy at the demise of Oro Valley's Jewel (it's natural beauty) was illogical. Rezonings were approved time and time again when it was obvious in these meetings that most residents (and even our neighbors bordering Oro Valley) were opposed. The P&Z Commission didn't take the residents concerns seriously and the Town Council didn't take the residents concerns seriously.
As the outcry got worse, the council and staff figured out a way to divide and conquer the residents by changing the format of the public rezoning information meetings. These meetings were now broken-up into multiple discussion groups, thereby weakening the unified voice of the citizens.
What is the driving force behind all these rezonings?
After witnessing rezoning after rezoning without any long-term planning, I began to wonder why the council was on such a mission to change the delicate face of our little town in the desert. Money? Seeking higher public office? Fame? None of these reasons are serving their constituents.
Why I do not trust the current Oro Valley Town Council to look out for our best interest.
• Don Cox has been reappointed to the P&Z Commission for almost 15 years. Cox’s repeated reappointments are not a sign of a healthy democracy. Cox currently runs a PAC supporting the incumbents (and has done so in the past).
• 95% of the incumbents campaign funds are from Developers, Land Owners and Special Interest groups like HSL Properties from whom the Town purchased the country club and golf courses.
• Rezoning land should only be done if it benefits the common good of the community, NOT for the benefit of the individual landowner who knew the zoning restrictions when he/she purchased the land.
• Several volunteer committees were recently eliminated such as the Conceptual Design Review Board (CDRB). This Board assured that new developments were up to Oro Valley’s stringent codes. This is one less set of eyes looking out for the best interest of Oro Valley and merely allows for more steamrolled developments pushed through without opposition.
• I attempted to improve the public meeting process. I asked the council to create a web-site for residents to become informed about rezonings with a message board for questions. I asked them to advertise in the Explorer to inform more residents. I asked them to post more signs around the property of the proposed rezoning. I asked that they allow more time for residents to educate themselves prior to the council vote. I asked for a survey to be handed out at the end of each meeting giving the residents one last say. A watered down survey was initially adopted but I’m not sure if it’s still being used today. However, none of my other suggestions were considered.
This council is not transparent nor do they intend to be. Save what’s left of Oro Valley and remove the incumbents from office.
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Frank Pitts grew up in Tucson, moving to Oro Valley in 1977. He graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1991 and has been employed as an airline pilot for 18 years. He was an Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commissioner from 2014-2016.
