There is a movement afoot to start a petition drive to gather 2,600 signatures to put an initiative on the ballot to “rezone the Pusch Ridge Course as open space and designate it as a discontinued golf facility.”
The Town Manager is aware of this petition because I have been communicating with the Town Clerk about the logistics of such a project. There is nothing that goes on within the Town Clerk’s office (or any other department) of which Town Manager, Mary Jacobs is not knowledgeable.
A resolution for the La Canada course is on tonight’s agenda
While the Citizens’ Initiative was being drafted, I was in contact with a few Council members trying to persuade them to agendize the actions required to rezone and discontinue golf at the Pusch Ridge course. They opted not to do so.
However, on the Consent Agenda for tonight’s meeting is a resolution “authorizing and approving the addendum to the El Conquistador and Golf Courses Purchase and Sales Agreement.” Since this item is on the Consent Agenda, this means that if it is not removed and placed on the regular agenda, there will be no discussion.
The agenda item (attached) was submitted by the Town Clerk and requests authorization to approve an addendum to the sales agreement that resulted in the Town owning the golf courses. Although tonight’s resolution applies to the La Canada course, note that the text of the Council Packet states:
“In 2021, HSL opted not to exercise its right to operate/lease the Pusch Ridge course after the Town declared it a discontinued course, effectively extinguishing their option in the Agreement".
This begs the following questions:
If the Council discontinued the use of the Pusch Ridge course over a year ago, and HSL opted not to lease it:
• Why did the Pusch Ridge course reopen in November?
• Why did the Town waste millions of gallons of potable (drinking) water on this course? (including 10,382,000 gallons in November 2021)
• Why is the Town wasting thousands of dollars in maintaining this property as a golf facility?
Closure of the Pusch Ridge course will not adversely affect property values
For those residents who live around the Pusch Ridge course, let me put you at ease. Your property values will not be adversely affected because the Town is required to maintain that property in a manner compatible with a resort property.
The part of the agreement that will remain in place states:
“provided the Resort Owner does not elect to enter into a Discontinued Facility Lease for all or any portion of such Discontinued Facility, the Town shall comply with all Laws, rules and regulations with respect to such open space and/or recreational amenity, and shall maintain, repair, and landscape such open space: and/or recreational amenity in a manner that controls dust, removes litter and debris, and landscapes and maintains the open space or recreational amenity in a manner compatible with the operation of the Resort as a first class resort property.”
Did the Town Council forget or were they never aware?
It appears that my energies, as well as others, to close that course have been unnecessary because, although the Council apparently forgot or did not realize it, Pusch Ridge is no longer a golf course; it is open space. Hopefully, at the close of the meeting tonight, the appropriate changes will have been made and we can start saving water and money.
Thank you to the Town Clerk for bringing this to everyone’s attention.
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Mike Zinkin and his wife have lived in Oro Valley since 1998. He served on the Oro Valley Development Review Board from 2005-2009, the Board of Adjustment from 2011-2012, and the Town Council from 2012-2016. He was named a Fellow for the National League of Cities. He was a member of the NLC Steering Committee for Community and Economic Development and a member of the Arizona League of Cities Budget and Economic Development Committee. He was an Air Traffic Controller for 30 years. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree in history and government from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from California State University, Northridge.
