Guest View-George Lindsay: Golf Is A Good Investment for the Town

The following is a letter that Mr. Lindsay sent to the Oro Valley Town Council and town manager in July. He also submitted it to LOVE as a Guest View.  While we do not agree with all of Mr. Lindsay's points, we do agree with some of them, and LOVE welcomes all points of view.
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Mayor and Council:

As more information becomes available, it appears the Mayor and Council should come to the conclusion that the purchase of the Community Center and golf courses were a good investment for the Town. As in the private industry, not all acquisitions are perfect but good management improves the operations and makes the adjustments to respond to the market place.

The Community Center provides a wide array of activities for Oro Valley residents, young and old, that would not be available under the prior ownership; the summer activity programs for the area’s youth, the fitness programs, pool and tennis programs, to name a few.

The golf courses are in the best shape in years as noted by numerous players and residents. Contrary to what we hear, play and revenues are up and the Town has budgeted for operational as well as deferred maintenance expenditures through bonds.

We seem to focus on the costs and overlook the benefits to the Town as a whole. The Community Center Fund is trending positive, as predicted, the Town can market itself as a “golf destination” which brings winter visitors and tax revenues, and our residents have access to a wide array of activities to improve their way of life.

Perhaps the Town should consider continuing their negotiations with the resort and the Pusch Ridge HOA’s for transfer of the 9 hole course for a “win-win” situation for everyone. Although the Town already has an abundance of trails (54.5 miles), allowing trail access to one or both courses during certain hours, as is the case in Sun City, can expand public use of the land, while retaining the property values and benefits of “green scape.” The Town can develop an ordinance to allow for enforcement of the land uses which it needs but currently does not have.

Information provided to the mayor and council cites a reduction in treated waste-water with the reduction in holes could result in the loss of operational revenues for the Water Utility, thereby necessitating rate increases for either treated waste water or potable water to keep reclaimed rate increases reasonable. Increasing everyone’s water rates will not go over well with residents.

Once all the costs as well as environmental and financial impacts are addressed, it appears that the true cost differential from status quo to linear parks will not be significant.

It appears that the Canada Hills Master Association including Carmel Pointe, Canada Hills Village 19 and others, Chamber of Commerce, the Tucson Realtors Association all support the Community Center and 36 holes of golf. Can they all be wrong?

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Ed Note: Mr. Lindsay owns a home overlooking the 18-hole Conquistador course.

Behind the Scenes...

LOVE has recently begun receiving letters from residents who live along the golf courses complaining about the content of the Watchdog Reports. Just prior to this, Mike Zinkin shared with us a portion of an email that he received from an Oro Valley resident informing him that his Watchdog Reports, “will no longer go unnoticed nor unchallenged” and that “a significant number of very talented individuals have come forward in that regard.”

While LOVE has no issue with presenting opposing sides (and we have done so many times as long as the letters are respectful), we believe it is best when an individual presents their views as an individual and not as part of a cabal that has been formed to gang up on one person. We also believe that if a writer has a personal stake in the topic being discussed, that they should disclose this information upfront rather than presenting themselves as an objective bystander.

We find these truths to be…
What we have seen in the majority of letters submitted to LOVE (and in many of the letters submitted to the Explorer as well) is that the letter writer makes no mention of having a personal stake in the issue. But a little investigating on our part always unearths these truths.

LOVE received a letter from George and Sheila Lindsay (the same letter that was published in the Explorer last week). Their letter asserted that the Town needs to keep the golf courses because “the El Conquistador has hosted at least 13 charitable tournaments so far this fiscal year” and that these fundraisers “help the community.” And while no one would argue with hosting charitable events, the Lindsay’s made no mention of the fact that they have a personal stake in this issue as they own a home along the golf course.

The elephant in the letter
While Edward Cooke, whose letter we published yesterday, did sign his name as being the “former president of the Canada Hills Master Association” he did not state what his current connection was to the golf courses…which is that his home is adjacent to one of them. His letter discussed loss of tax revenue, winter visitors no longer visiting Oro Valley for golf, and that restaurants, hotels, and OV Marketplace “will suffer greatly” and “people will lose their jobs” should the golf courses close.

The burden of proof for those assertions is on the writer. Is there any evidence that when golf courses closed in other cities/towns, that it led to businesses and hotels suffering greatly, which in turn, led to people losing their jobs?

It’s fine to have concerns about all of those things, but we found it suspicious that a person who owns a home along the golf course would just happen to not mention anything in his letter about concerns of loss of property value. It was the “elephant in the letter” that no one was supposed to notice.

The difference between Naranja Park and the Golf Courses
Mr. Cooke also asked why spending tax dollars on Naranja Park was any different from spending tax dollars on the golf courses. He wrote:

“Why is the O.V. Council spending money ($1.350M) on Naranja Park when the residents of O.V have voted the park down on numerous occasions? How many dollars does Naranja Park generate for the town? How much are we spending to maintain this park annually?”

Our response is that Naranja Park is free and available to every citizen of Oro Valley. This is not the case for the 18-hole dedicated golf course for the golf members. Residents have to pay a “daily fee” to use the golf courses if they are not a golf club member. Both Naranja Park and the Aquatic Center also host events that bring families and out-of-towners into Oro Valley where they stay at our hotels (bed tax revenue) and eat in our restaurants and shop in our stores (sales tax revenues). This is something that an 18-hole dedicated golf course does not do. There is a big difference between a public park and a private golf course.

Remember…Golf was at the bottom of the list
LOVE believes that the majority of the 43,000 Oro Valley residents think a town-owned golf course is a bad idea. That’s why they came out in great numbers to speak against it when it was first brought to the public’s attention in December 2014, and have continued speaking against it in numerous LOVE Guest Views and letters to the editor. It’s also why golf placed 33 out of 34 amenities that Oro Valley residents requested in the Town-sponsored Parks and Recreation Survey in June 2014.

 LOVE Editor

The "Golf Course War" Begins

The "golf course wars" are upon us
The Canada Hills Community Association Board of Directors is opposed to any change in the structure of the operations of the town owned country club. They sent a letter to their members dated April 8 stating their position. They stress a possible reduction in property values for their homes if there is any change. They also make a veiled threat of a law suit opposing any change.

This is not the first time we've heard these assertions, as they have been presented to council in hearings.

We think it is important to understand their position. They are our neighbors and they will be directly impacted by any decision regarding the courses. Thus, we are reprinting the contents of their letter in its entirety without further comment in this posting.
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Canada Hills presents their position: Property value will drop
"This communication is coming to you from the Board of Directors of your master Association, Canada Hills Community Association ("Canada Hills"). It is in regard to your property at 11520 N Scioto Ave Oro Valley, AZ 85737-7207, Account Number: 15-061.

As many of you are aware the Oro Valley Town Council ("Town Council") is currently deliberating on potentially closing or repurposing all or a portion of the golf courses associated witb_the_Orq__yalley Community Center.

A portion of this golf course is intertwined with Canada Hills. We, as the Canada Hills Board of Directors, are very concerned regarding the impact to Canada Hills and Oro Valley if the Town Council were to decide to close or re purpose any portion this portion of the golf course. In general, closure of golf courses devalues view lots by up to 20 per cent and nearby homes by 5 per cent. Studies of similar communities with a golf course closure suggest that a $300,000 home would lose between $15,000 to $60,000 in value.

This letter is to update you on our involvement and actions on this issue on behalf of the community. It is also intended to inspire you to communicate with your council members, whether you share the Board's view or not. This is a time to be sure your opinion is heard by your elected officials.

We presented our concerns at the February 2019 Town Council meeting. In our statement, included in this communication for your reference, we focused on the potential property devaluation in Canada Hills.

At the Canada Hills Annual Meeting held on March 13, 2019 many homeowners expressed their apprehension regarding this issue. The message from these homeowners was clear -they are very concerned regarding potential devaluation of their homes in Canada Hills.

We sought legal counsel to understand what actions we are authorized to perform by the Canada Hills Governing Documents. Based on this legal advice, we have decided that it is within our rights and duty to act to protect the Canada Hills property values within the limits specified in the Governing Documents.

Our first step is to share our perceptions with the members of Canada Hills in this letter. We are also working to retain an expert appraiser to estimate the likely decrease in home values and present the results and our demands to the Town Council. We, as representatives from the Canada Hills Board and Oro Valley homeowners, continue to attend Town Council meeting, are working to meet with the Town Council, and are restating our concerns on a regular basis.

While the impact to Canada Hills is potentially significant, it is our opinion that the Town Council has not fully addressed the impact this decision could have on all of Oro Valley. Things that could impact Oro Valleys financial future include:

• Loss of property tax revenue that is returned to the town's roads, schools, fire departments, libraries, etc. due to the significant devaluation of property on or near the golf courses. 
• The cost to Oro Valley of repurposing the land and its long-term maintenance, which could be significant. 
• Loss of Oro Valley Water Utility revenue if the golf courses does not purchase effluent (recycled) water. 
• The loss of Oro Valley tourism and tournaments that draw people to Oro Valley. This will result in a loss of revenue for Oro Valley in bed taxes and a reduction of city tax collected. 
• Potential monetary liability to Oro Valley from lawsuits resulting from this decision . 
• The opportunity of increasing t he net profit of the golf course by restoring golf fees to their previous levels and decreasing expenses by implementing delayed infrastructure and maintenance projects. i.e. Irrigation replacement.

To date we have not heard the Town Council address these basic financial issues.

It's also obvious that the look & feel of Oro Valley will be significantly different if the green space provided by the golf course is eliminated. Homeowners in Oro Valley should also anticipate t he reduction of amenities that we take for granted in Oro Valley, such as hotels and fine dining, that have a dependence on tourism.

There are thirteen hundred homes and two large apartment complexes in Canada Hills. Our residents make up approximately six percent of t he population of Oro Valley. Communicating your position to the Town Council can make a difference and will assure that Canada Hills is represented in this discussion. In order to make your work easier we have attached a copy of the contact information for your council members and town manager. These, and other resources, are available at http://www.canadahillscommunity.com/.

Regardless of whether you agree with our position or oppose it, please act today. We recommend communicating your opinions directly with your council members and attending the Town Council meetings to express your opinion immediately. The Town Council could choose to decide on this matter at any time.

We love living in Oro Valley. We are proud of Canada Hills and want to do everything within our power to influence the Town Council to do a t horough analysis of this topic and make an intelligent and informed decision. This issue will be on the agenda for Canada Hills Board Meetings for the foreseeable future. The time and location of Canada Hills Board Meetings are posted on http://www.canadahillscommunity.com/.

We encourage you to act today and let your voice be heard!"
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Source: Letter to resident of Canada Hills from the Canada Hills Community Association Board of Directors, April 8, 2019

Councilmember Solomon's unethical (and possibly illegal) actions being investigated by the AG's office, Special Investigations Division

Councilmember Steve Solomon now has a financial interest in maintaining the town-owned golf courses.
A few months ago, LOVE was made aware that Councilmember Solomon (through his development company, Canada Vistas LLC) had purchased property along the golf courses in Canada Hills on which he plans to build condominiums and/or townhomes. This means that he now has a financial interest in what happens to those golf courses.

We held off on reporting on this while we waited to see how Solomon would proceed when it came time to vote on FY 2018/19 budget; a budget that included $3.8 million dollars to be directed to improvements on the golf courses…golf courses adjacent to his new property.

Would Solomon do the honorable thing and recuse himself from any votes involving taxpayer money being directed towards the golf courses? Or would he speak in favor of the bond, and then vote in favor of the budget that included the $3.8 million for the golf course improvements?

During the June 6, 2018 budget vote, Solomon gave us the answer we’d been expecting. Solomon’s unethical behavior and possible conflict of interest were exposed by Mike Zinkin during last night’s council meeting during the Call to Audience. Below is Mike’s speech:

Mike Zinkin’s Call to Audience Speech
On May 16, 2018 I came before you regarding a rude communication between one of your Councilmen and a resident of the community. I requested that you require said Councilman to apologize. You failed to do so, sending a message to the citizens that you find his appalling behavior acceptable.

Tonight I come forward with an issue that is potentially illegal, and certainly unethical.

On his required financial disclosure statement, Councilman Solomon states that he and his wife control a business called Canada Vistas LLC. (Statement attached). On January 4, 2018, Mr. Solomon communicated with the controlling HOA of Canada Hills informing them of his purchase of property on the Canada Course and his desire to meet with both the Master HOA and the sub-HOA’s to discuss design and approval requirements. (Email attached).

On January 26, 2018, there was a communication confirming that this property was in escrow and it also mentioned development possibilities. (Email attached.)

On June 29, 2018, Mr. Solomon replied to a question that he indeed still owned the property and that it was in the early stages of development. (Email attached.)

Here’s where it gets interesting. A few weeks prior to the June 29th communication previously mentioned, at the June 6, 2018 Council meeting, during the FY 2018/19 budget discussions, Mr. Solomon spoke on the benefits of a bond, a bond that designated $3.8 million dollars to go towards improvements on the golf properties. The very same properties in which this Councilman has a financial interest. Mr. Solomon not only spoke in favor of this bond, he also voted in favor of the budget that included the subject bond.

Mr. Solomon could very well have rescued himself from this discussion and the vote. The budget and the bond would have still passed. However, he did not recuse himself.

This behavior could very well be in violation of ARS 38 501-511, Conflict of Interest. This is because Mr. Solomon voted to use public monies to improve lands on which he has a financial interest.

I will let the County Attorney and Attorney General rule on the legal aspects of his behavior. Regardless of their positions on the legality, his behavior demonstrates the highest form of unethical behavior.

I am asking that you censure Councilman Solomon for this behavior, and even ask for his resignation. This type of unethical behavior should not be tolerated in government, certainly not Oro Valley.

I will be sending each of you an email communication, complete with the evidence I have uncovered. It will also be sent to the media. If you again choose to do nothing, you will be sending yet another message to the voters that you condone his inappropriate, and in this case, unethical behavior.

[Click on each document to enlarge]

Maximizing profits should not be the rationale for rezoning land in Oro Valley

Below is an excerpt from the speech given by Oro Valley resident, Michael Sanderson, during the May 16th Town Council Public Hearing on the Capella rezoning. Yesterday, we published the speech that Diana Sanderson gave the same evening. We’re publishing these speeches to show our readers that the current Town Council does not listen to the citizens, no matter how well-researched and well-presented those citizens’ speeches might be.

Mr. Sanderson’s Speech
We live in the Canada Hills area. My wife and I sent a letter to each of you at the first of the week. I assume you have taken the time to read it. In the letter, we listed the specific variances proposed in the rezoning for the Capella PAD that are unacceptable to a significant number of Oro Valley residents. We have been meeting with these residents for the last three months.

We, unfortunately, do not have time this evening to discuss each variance, as we did in the letter. Very briefly – they center on the following requests by the Developer:

• In the residential areas: to create dense single-family housing by reducing the size of the lots and placing the homes closer together, beyond existing town code.

• In the multi-family housing: to reduce the open areas surrounding the structures, again, beyond town code.

• In the commercial zone at the NW corner of Naranja and La Cholla: to expand the size of the buildings from the existing code of 5000-9,000 sq. feet to 20,000 sq. feet.

• In the commercial zone at Lambert and La Cholla: to have a super big-box store of 125,000 square feet, more than twice the size allowed by current code – and bigger than any single store in Oro Valley except the Walmart Supercenter at Oro Valley Marketplace.

• In both commercial zones: They are also requesting that commercial buildings in both areas be five feet higher than allowed by code.

The Zoning Code is intended to maintain the character and quality of the town by imposing development standards and to reduce adverse impacts on neighboring property owners. Unfortunately this proposed plan seeks variances that would allow the developer to degrade the character and quality of Oro Valley and have an increased adverse impact on neighbors.

Three of us met with the applicant in an attempt to understand the need for the zoning variances. We, absolutely, appreciate him taking the time to meet with us and provide detailed responses to our questions. Clearly we do not agree with the basis for the variance requests.

Our interpretation of the responses was that they were based on the need to build as many single-family homes, multi-family dwellings, and provide as much commercial square footage as possible to maximize the profits for the current landowners and prospective buyers. This should not be the rationale for rezoning land in Oro Valley.

We support the amendments proposed by the Planning and Zoning commission at their April 3 meeting and approved by a 6-0 vote.

In addition, there must be the 5 conditions that we listed in the letter we submitted to each of you. These conditions for approval of the Capella PAD rezoning have been thoughtfully researched and considered by our group of concerned Oro Valley citizens. We expect you to add these conditions to the amendments unanimously approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. These combined conditions represent a reasonable compromise to allow this PAD to move forward.

This is your opportunity to demonstrate to the citizens of Oro Valley that you do listen to their concerns.

(Editor's Note:  The council did not listen.  They approved the rezoning with a unanimous 7-0 vote).

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For reference, below are the amendments passed 6-0 by P&Z during the April 3rd meeting.

Planning & Zoning Amended Motion:

1. All future site plans for each parcel will go through the Conceptual Site Plan process to be considered by the Planning and Zoning Commission as well as Town Council for further review.

2. Complete an updated Traffic Analysis for each development phase required by Town Code.

3. Parcel M is restricted to 1-story height within 300 feet of the west property boundary.

4. The plans for restrooms and playgrounds in recreation areas must be maintained.

Below are the additional conditions that the Sanderson’s requested in their letter to the mayor and council:

1. All single family homes in the PAD shall meet the requirements of R1-7 zoning regarding minimum lot area, lot width, yard setbacks, and building height; except that the minimum lot area in Parcel H, for homes not located along Lambert Lane, can be 6600 square feet, per the Special Area Policies adopted in 2015.

2. Multi-family residential buildings in the PAD shall meet the requirements of R-7 zoning regarding outdoor open space and outdoor private living space.

3. All businesses in the C-N commercial zone at the NW corner of Naranja and La Cholla shall meet the current C-N zoning requirements for business floor area limits, building height and allowable use.

4. All businesses in the C-1 commercial zones shall meet the current C-1 zoning requirements for business floor area limits, building height and allowable use.

5. A traffic control “island” or curbing shall be placed at the Canada Hills Drive intersection to not allow through traffic to cross La Cholla. (The proposed design will not be sufficient to “not permit eastbound or westbound through-traffic across La Cholla Boulevard” as stated in the current proposal).