Monday we wrote about Vistoso resident demands that Council Member Steve Solomon be excluded from council actions regarding the town's potential purchase of the defunct Vistoso Golf Course. Yesterday, we posted an email to council supporting this contention. Today, we post a second email from a different residents. This email highlights the distrust of some in Council Member Solomon and in the group Preserve Vistoso.
We have removed identifying information regarding the writer in order to promote harmony in the community. This email was sent to council after the council's decision to seek a land purchase.
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Hello Town Council Members,
We are writing to follow up on the Town Council meeting conducted on 11/18/20, specifically agenda item #2 – DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CLOSED VISTOSO GOLF COURSE PROPERTY. We were in attendance and unfortunately our request to speak during the meeting (from our land line) must have not been detected by TOV [Town of Oro Valley] staff. Thus, we are writing to provide our input.
[We] have lived in Vistoso Highlands ... [for] years. We would like to begin by sincerely thanking those Council members who have persevered to uphold the Rancho Vistoso resident’s unwavering choice to purchase the former Vistoso Golf Course (the 202 acres at FMV as green space, in perpetuity). The ONLY parties required to negotiate and finalize this agreement are the Town of Oro Valley, Romspen and The Conservation Fund (TCF). All other non-essential parties MUST stand down. Otherwise, the success of this action will be put at risk.
Personal Experience:
Hello Town Council Members,
We are writing to follow up on the Town Council meeting conducted on 11/18/20, specifically agenda item #2 – DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CLOSED VISTOSO GOLF COURSE PROPERTY. We were in attendance and unfortunately our request to speak during the meeting (from our land line) must have not been detected by TOV [Town of Oro Valley] staff. Thus, we are writing to provide our input.
[We] have lived in Vistoso Highlands ... [for] years. We would like to begin by sincerely thanking those Council members who have persevered to uphold the Rancho Vistoso resident’s unwavering choice to purchase the former Vistoso Golf Course (the 202 acres at FMV as green space, in perpetuity). The ONLY parties required to negotiate and finalize this agreement are the Town of Oro Valley, Romspen and The Conservation Fund (TCF). All other non-essential parties MUST stand down. Otherwise, the success of this action will be put at risk.
Personal Experience:
- [We] attended a Preserve Vistoso (PV) sponsored Zoom call on July 7, 2020 in support of The Conservation Fund (TCF) with the goal to participate in the pledge drive. As follow up to this PV Zoom call, we received the attached PV Survey (note 2 attachments – one is the original email dated July 17, 2020. The survey is also separately attached for ease of reference). In summary, we were requested to make significant monetary pledges while the questionnaire clearly is driving to support partial development. Thus interpreted -- we were requested to make a considerable financial pledge to have the property developed behind us – 6th and 7th holes? Imagine how my [We] felt?
- As of the 11/18/20 Town Council Meeting, Michael Bilodeau, PV President, still continues to deny and spread the false narrative that TCF was not yet involved as of July 17, 2020. This somehow is being used to justify the distribution of the attached survey/questionnaire. This is a blatant misrepresentation - TCF was involved and is the reason we participated in the PV Zoom call. Also, please note, the Pledge form distributed on July 17th clearly reflects TCF (this further contradicts/refutes Michael Bilodeau’s claim TCF was not yet involved). [Insert follows below]
- We would like to add that whether TCF was involved or not, PV is a 501(c)(3) and was participating in behavior to the detriment of certain members of the community without full disclosure that partial development was in fact their true mission. The bigger question is “with whom was PV with working regarding the potential development of the parcels on the 6th and 7th holes”? My husband and I attempted to ascertain the motive and facts behind the PV survey. We feel we need to impart the “information/rumors” we subsequently learned which implicate a sitting member of council. The “rumors” indicate there was a targeted 6-acre parcel in this area for development that may have influenced Romspen’s decision to decline the TCF FMV [fair market value] offer for all 202 acres. While these are rumors, we believe where there is smoke there is fire.
- Thus, to date, we are still withholding our pledge commitment. Our pledge will only be made to TCF.
- Councilman Solomon needs to consider “recusing himself” from further involvement in this matter.
- Councilman Solomon’s comments during the Town Council meeting were alarming and clearly revealed questionable motives (particularly development) with respect to some portion of the property. Is this related to the specific portion highlighted by the PV survey (holes 6 and 7 – including the targeted “6-acre parcel”)? Clearly, he has been working with PV for some time. It was very disconcerting to hear he had already formed and met with his “hand selected committee” that could resolve this matter in 30-60 days. When pressed by residents for his strategy and plan, he had none.
- [We] were very uncomfortable when Councilman Solomon’s motion was discussed. Did his motion set the stage for the compromise and development of the targeted 6-acre parcel? Please note he referred to “his hand selected committee that would include himself, PV leadership and Romspen” and that they could resolve this issue quickly with a handshake and resolution within in 30 – 60 days. Please note he indicated they had already been meeting which further supported the quick resolution.
- Again, could this have possibly been a reason that Romspen declined the TCF FMV deal/offer?
- As stated above, we request Councilman Solomon recuse himself from further involvement in this matter.
We would like to request (if possible) that the Town of Oro Valley communicate directly with the Rancho Vistoso residents with respect to information and updates regarding status and future actions of the golf course resolution. This approach will provide the required transparency needed to ensure that all information is fully distributed/communicated to all residents. This will avoid residents having to rely on Preserve Vistoso, an organization that clearly has “some” explaining to do.
Respectfully,"
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Publisher note: The group Preserve Vistoso asserts that it has always operated to ensure that the Vistoso property remains open space. Please read our November 24th posting regarding Preserve Vistoso's explanation of their activities. The group asserts that their goal has always been to create a permanent conservation easement on the property.
