Bits and Pieces

Council to consider HOA agreements to help support town golf operations next Wednesday
"In October 2019, the Town Council approved a motion that provided certain conditions and parameters by which the Town would continue to operate and invest in the Town's golf courses. One of the provisions stated:

'The Canada Hills HOA will contribute up to $100k annually to reduce the tax support necessary for the 36 hole option to include the Conquistador and Canada courses. This will be for a 10 year period limited to 10% of the town’s audited figures for the previous year’s tax support needs. The Villages of La Canada will contribute $25k per year under the same conditions as the Canada Hills HOA. Payments will be made quarterly, beginning July 1, 2020.'"

The Town Manager and Town Attorney negotiated with the representatives of the two HOA's, resulting in the agreement attached. The agreement provides for a 10-year period with contributions of the $100,000 and $25,000 specified in the motion, but removing the limitations the motion established to no more than 10% of the town's audited figures for the previous year's tax support needs, and instead securing the full contribution for five years with an opportunity to renegotiate additional contributions in year 5 of the agreement.

The agreement further stipulates the Town's commitment to abide by the other provisions of the Council's motions on October 2 and November 6, 2019. It further provides for the possibility of extending the irrigation investment in the courses one additional year due to the pandemic, should that be necessary." (source)
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Council to discuss annexation strategy next Wednesday
The Oro Valley Town Council will discuss an annexation strategy in special session next Wednesday.
The strategy has annexation targets as detailed in the graphic at right. (source) Read our LOVE March 23 article on annexation here.
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Candidates participate in Jim Horne's Town Hall
The five candidates for Oro Valley's three council seats participated in a Zoom.us town hall last evening. Oro Valley resident Jim Horne, author of the Jim Horne's Oro Valley Podcast, was the moderator. The purpose of the town hall was for each candidate to discuss their candidacy with the public. There was no debate or cross discussion. Watch the town hall here.
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Council to discuss "Primary Employer Incentive Program" next Wednesday
"The purpose of the Primary Employer Incentive Program is to help enable long-term financial sustainability in Oro Valley through the creation of new primary job opportunities and the generation of new capital investments in the Town. In accordance with the economic development goals embodied in the voter-approved General Plan, the Town Council's Strategic Leadership Plan and the Council approved Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, this program is proposed to assist Oro Valley in its efforts to attract high quality primary job opportunities and new capital investment to the community. If approved by Council, the Town of Oro Valley may offer different incentives such as fee reductions or reimbursement of other eligible expenses, depending on the nature of the project. Reimbursement amounts will be restricted to the amount of construction sales tax and related fees collected by the Town in association with the project.

These incentive reimbursements will help offset qualifying expenditures by the primary employer such as required new public infrastructure improvements, which could include partial offsets to impact fees, employee relocation and qualified job training programs, exterior building aesthetics and renovation expenses. The program aims to encourage the retention and expansion of existing primary employers. Additionally, the program will help attract new primary employers to the Town." (source)
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Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Oro Valley’s Trojan Horse. Part 2.

On Monday, LOVE published a synopsis of the 19-page CEDS Report. Today we are providing a list of the 90 people whom the Town interviewed for that report.

The Usual Suspects and “Stakeholders”
The report includes “the input of over ninety (90) interviews with key leaders, executives and other officials representing business and industry, education and workforce, government and strategic economic development allies.” The report refers to these people as “stakeholders.” One wonders why no “ordinary” Oro Valley citizen was interviewed. Are the citizens not considered stakeholders in their own town?

The short list of those interviewed includes:

Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association (SAHBA), Meritage Homes, Diamond Ventures, WLB Group, Mattamy Homes, HSL Properties, Venture West, Oro Valley Hospital, Simpleview, Honeywell, Amphi Schools, Tucson Chamber of Commerce, Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, City of Tucson.

The list goes on for 3 pages and there wasn’t one ordinary Oro Valley citizen.

The point is that many of these entities have been wanting to control Oro Valley’s growth for years and now Jacobs and Johnston have opened the door for them to do just that.

Below is the complete list of individuals interviewed (along with their positions in the community). Other than for Mayor Winfield, Vice-Mayor Barrett, and Councilmembers Nicolson and Jones-Ivey, do you see anyone on this list who is interested in citizen input?

CLICK TO ENLARGE

No Comprende
What Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Johnston don’t seem to understand is that the model for retail has changed with the advent of the internet. Other than for Wal-Mart and Costco, people frequently shop online. Citizens still need local drug stores, grocery stores, hair salons, and some automotive, but look at retail in Oro Valley. All the sporting goods stores have closed – Dick’s, Big 5, Sports Authority. We need to fill all that empty retail space before we start bulldozing the desert to build more retail.

Oro Valley should be focusing on employment centers, not commercial centers. Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Johnston need to read the General Plan and listen to Citizens when they speak up. They need to stop going out on their own and pushing their own ideas…Main Streets, 36 holes of golf, and now with this CED Report, an easier way for developers to bypass citizens’ wishes.

CEDS. Clearly Egregious Destructive Scenario
Something sinister is going on here. Oro Valley was incorporated in 1974 because citizens wanted a community that was designed by citizen input…the very thing that has been removed in this document. We can only hope that the new mayor and council see through this smokescreen and keep the Trojan Horse out of Oro Valley.

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Oro Valley’s Trojan Horse. Part 1.

Say Hello to CEDS and Good-bye to Oro Valley’s Uniqueness
The Town of Oro Valley, under the leadership of its Town Manager, Mary Jacobs, and her Community and Economic Development Manager, J.J. Johnston, have published a 19-page document that proposes to eradicate all the uniqueness that is left in Oro Valley.

The cover of the document shows the sunset behind a saguaro and a view of the foothills. After reading the contents of this report, a more fitting cover would be a picture of bladed desert and smiles on the faces of all the builders and developers.

This document is divided into two different strategies. Half of the document develops a strategy for attracting business, attracting primary employers, a market strategy, and attracting talent. This is all commendable and worthwhile, but then comes…

The Trojan Horse
The document then goes into modifying codes and ways to improve planning efficiencies. This part of the CEDS confirms why the people elected a new mayor and council majority in 2018. It appears that Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Johnston have not altered their thinking as a result of the election. They utilize half of this document to combine economic development with land development! It makes one wonder if the ousted Hiremath regime is running a shadow government.

From Page 11 of the CEDS report:

“…the Town does not have a reputation of moving at the ‘speed of business.’”

The report uses the EEZ Town Code (Economic Expansion Zone) as an example of how all commercial and employment center development could be accelerated. The EEZ code was established to make development easier in Innovation Park by reducing the time required to establish a new business or expand an existing business. This streamlined review process allows the developer to bypass the public participation process (no Neighborhood Meetings for neighbors to voice their concerns) and no Planning and Zoning Commission review.

The code originally allowed for a developer to come in and explain their proposal during an Open House. The proposal would then fast-track from Open House to a Town Council vote. However, there were stipulations that included that the developer could not request a change to the existing zoning, AND there could be no houses within 600 feet of the proposal. It was under this code that Securaplane and Tucson Orthopedic were built. The Hiremath regime later amended the code to delete the 600 foot requirement.

The current EEZ Code is only pertinent in dedicated Tech Parks.

The CEDS report suggests that ALL commercial and employment development should follow the example of the EEZ.

“Resident input is important, but it should be noted that most communities apply the same administrative review process to commercially-zoned properties as the Town has introduced in the EEZ zone.”

Can you imagine the establishment of Oro Valley Marketplace without citizen input? Citizens did not want the storefronts facing Oracle and Tangerine. Vestar reversed the layout and placed the storefronts towards the interior. Citizens also fought and won their argument against illuminated signs facing Oracle and Tangerine in order to preserve the beauty of those scenic corridors.  Mr. Johnston and Ms. Jacobs, please take note: Oro Valley is not like most communities and we would like to remain that way.

(Note:  In another slap in the face to citizens, in March 2015, Hiremath, Hornat, Snider, and Waters broke that 9-year long agreement, allowing Vestar to add illuminated signs along Oracle and Tangerine).

The CEDS report praises Tucson’s fast-track building permits:

“The City of Tucson tapped into the Intergovernmental Agreement it had executed with Pima County to utilize the resources of the County’s building plan review team for the recently approved Amazon building. Pima County was able to complete its full review and position the City of Tucson to issue a building permit within one week. That’s the kind of speed of business major prospects expect in a highly competitive environment.”

Our Town officials need to read the General Plan. We are neither Tucson nor Pima County and we should not be lowering our standards to theirs. We do not want to follow their example. It was their poor examples that motivated us to incorporate in the first place.

The CEDS report criticizes Oro Valley’s landscaping requirements:

“Examples of other cost impacts to commercial developments include such things as excessive landscaping requirements, the amount of open space dedication required, architectural design requirements, some public infrastructure requirements, and the 1% public art requirement.”

Oro Valley’s landscape requirements, architectural standards, and open space requirements are what separate us from the “average” community. Public art is a mainstay in Oro Valley and has always been a ground rule for commercial development. Just because SAHBA (Southern Arizona Home Builders Association) and the Pima Metro Alliance would rather pocket the 1% is not a reason to eliminate it. Public art is another reason that Oro Valley is unique.

The CEDS report criticizes our sign codes:

“A number of interviewees also identified restrictions in the Town’s sign code as inhibiting awareness of drive-by traffic for successful retail enterprises, particularly along the 55 mph Oracle Road corridor.”

You can read the entire CEDS Report HERE

Part 2 will be published on Wednesday and includes the list of the 90 business and industry leaders and government officials who were interviewed for the CEDS report.