Postponement
The Town of Oro Valley postponed the town council public hearing on the proposed rezoning that would enable a sports facility operated by the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene (OVCN). The hearing was scheduled for March 1. The postponement was posted last Friday afternoon. The town has not set a new hearing date. No reason given... Just speculation
We do not know the reason for the postponement. There have been several ideas "floated" which are worth sharing:
Is OVCN "tweaking" its request?
OVCN has invested two and a half years working on this rezoning request. They believe that they are entitled by law to build this facility. We reported this past Friday that Pastor Collins was resolute in reporting to the congregation that OVCN was going to press forward. It seems odd that they would simply give up at this point. Perhaps OVCN wants more time to assess how to cobble together the five council votes needed for approval of their request.
Is OVCN "strategizing for litigation"?
Perhaps OVCN thinks that the petition will not get the required five approving council votes. Could they be taking some time to strategize how to use the hearings to provide a legal support to support a law suit. OVCN believes that they are legally entitled to do what they want with the property because of their attorney's interpretation of the law regarding property use of a religious organization. The town's planning and zoning staff used this legal interpretation to reluctantly recommend approval of the rezoning request to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Nonetheless, the commission denied the petition on a very close vote.
Is the Town of Oro Valley working to broker a deal?
The idea has been floated that the town may become involved in trying to create a deal between all parties. Perhaps a land swap could occur where all parties would benefit. There is precedent for this. The town, led by Mayor Winfield and Vice Mayor Barrett, was instrumental in the final negotiations to create the Vistoso Nature Preserve.
Will OVCN scale back its request?
OVCN has stated in unequivocal terms that they will not change the request. Have they requested the postponement in order to reshape their plans? Perhaps they could build an indoor sports facility that meets town building code. At the same time, the town and OVCN could create an arrangement for OVCN to use the fields at Naranja Park. That may not be an ideal situation for OVCN but it does enable them to offer a significant sports program.
