LOVE Contributor ~ Community Opposes Oro Valley’s Future Annexation of State Land (Tangerine North)

Outside the meeting room at Casas Church, local Save the Cactus activists greeted attendees and passed out flyers detailing their concerns with Oro Valley's unwanted and incompatible overreach into their community.

Oro Valley Planning Manager, Bayer Vella, faced a room packed with passionate area residents who came to learn the reasoning behind the potential Tangerine North State Land General Plan Amendments and future Annexation.

Mr. Vella assured the group that this meeting would provide staff with a good listening opportunity for their concerns but that the land would be developed regardless of whether Oro Valley annexes it or not. He further advised attendees to say "ditto" during the open question segment rather than repeat someone else’s comments and to “Be kind and treat each other the way you want to be treated.”

 "The properties currently under consideration for annexation

by the Town of Oro Valley are the two State Land‐ owned sites

indicated on the map below, referred to as Tangerine North

(302 acres), and Tangerine South (550 acres)."

He then proceeded to clarify various misconceptions related to the potential annexation of the two State-owned properties referred to as Tangerine North (302 acres) and Tangerine South (550 acres.) The meeting primarily focused on the proposed Plan Amendments for Tangerine North.

Background
Oro Valley is 90% built out and is looking at annexation to grow the town. At the April 5, 2016, Planning and Zoning Commission Community Academy session, developers expressed an urgency in establishing lot supply during 2017 and 2018.

To that end, Tangerine South was added to the Town’s official Planning Boundary and designated as a Master Planned Community in the Town’s voter approved General Plan in 2016. While many residents were likely unaware that this was in the Plan, it was included with the expectation of annexation due to its commercial potential.

The possibility of also annexing Tangerine North arose during Tangerine South annexation conversations with the State Land Department. It is primarily suited for residential development due to limited frontage on Tangerine Road and is currently zoned to allow one residence per three acres under the current Pima County jurisdiction. Oro Valley, however, is recommending a land use designation of Master Planned Community as this will offer the most flexibility for development and increase the value of the property.

Who will purchase and develop the two properties?
Oro Valley will not assume ownership of these properties if they are annexed. Rather, the State Land Department will sell the land at public auction to the highest bidder. No purchaser or developer has been identified.

Why is Oro Valley interested in annexing these properties?
Oro Valley wants to manage growth and control the potential impacts of land near or within its boundaries to ensure quality developments and environmental resource conservation. Annexations however, must make fiscal sense and be approved by the Town Council.

The costs will outweigh the revenues
Tangerine North offers NO advantage in terms of a revenue stream for the Town as Oro Valley has no property tax. The cost to the Town (additional police, road maintenance, etc.) will outweigh the revenue derived from construction taxes and impact fees. Over time, a purely residential annexation loses money. There is also little chance that Tangerine North residents will increase our sales tax revenue by shopping or buying gas in Oro Valley since it will be more convenient for them to shop in Marana (unless Tangerine South is also annexed by Oro Valley and provides those commercial services).

Residents raised the following concerns:

• Desert conservation, wildlife and riparian areas – Oro Valley has lost a significant amount of credibility with recent land management. The motto, “It’s in our nature” is inaccurate. Their "Nature" is bladed every day by developers with Town Council's approval.
• Developers’ campaign donations and cozy relationship with Oro Valley Town Council. Residents fear that they “will work behind the scenes to get whatever they want.”
• A Master Planned Community is not compatible in this rural area with 3+ acre homesites/horse properties.
• Traffic and road conditions (Thornydale Road)
• Water resources
• Loss of property value
• Lack of fiscal analysis (Staff is unable to prepare this analysis until State and Oro Valley agree on land use.)
• Lack of representation - Neighborhood meetings are all about the process and checking off a box that meetings were held.

Given this extensive list of concerns, it was no surprise to hear the room echo with “dittos” when one person commented that he didn’t want to be part of Oro Valley or be surrounded by it. He said that they moved here to get away from the city and they do not want Oro Valley bringing the city to them.

A second Neighborhood Meeting is scheduled for August 21st at 6 PM in Council Chambers, 11,000 N LaCanada Drive

Learn more HERE or contact Michael Spaeth at mspaeth@orovalleyaz.gov or 520-229-4812.

Visit savethecactus for additional information on how you can help.

Guest View: Love Contributor ~ Mayor Hiremath omits important details on the Tangerine State Trust Land annexation

An article in the January 3rd Explorer, “Recent Oro Valley land changes to remain in place” discussed the attempt by the Political Action Committee, Keep OV Green, to take the General Plan Amendments passed during the December 6th town council meeting to the voters via a referendum.

One of those amendments was the Tangerine North General Plan Amendment (annexation of 321 acres of State Trust Land north of Tangerine -- between Moore Road and Tangerine).

The Explorer article contained the following comment regarding that annexation:

“Hiremath wasn’t even sure why Keep OV Green chose that property to focus on, because developers may not choose to be annexed into Oro Valley. Pima County and Marana also have the property in their respective general plans.”

Mayor Hiremath’s comment omits important details about prior Council actions for the Tangerine 550. (550 acres at the NW corner of Tangerine and Thornydale). Oro Valley has a serious interest in this land, which now seems to be why the land north of Tangerine is important. Both these parcels of land will be designated as one large Master Planned Community (approximately 871 acres).

The Paper Trail

August 28, 2012: Councilmember Hornat met with the Arizona State Land Department concerning the 550 acres of State Land at Tangerine and Thornydale. (This is evidenced in the letter below from the State Land Commissioner, dated February 27, 2013).

October 2012: The Town of Oro Valley approached the City of Marana with an “Annexation Request” regarding the Tangerine 550. (This is evidenced in the letter below from the City of Marana dated October 1, 2012).

February 2013: State Land Commissioner, Vanessa Hickman, sent a letter to Councilmember Hornat, dated February 27, 2013, outlining three specific items required in order for Oro Valley to move forward with the annexation. Those items are:

1) A no-objection letter from the Town of Marana
2) A waiver of town ordinance requirement for fencing of open range livestock grazing
3) An agreement not to enact or apply ordinances or regulations prohibiting mining on the State Land

Mayor Hiremath is not being fully transparent nor is this as innocent as the mayor would like us to believe. Although Marana has this land in their General Plan, it is false to say that they remain in the picture. I have recently followed-up with the City of Marana and they still support the decision in their letter of 10/1/12 to allow Oro Valley to annex the property.

Letter from the Town of Marana

Letter from the State Land Commissioner

Oro Valley Is Not Approaching "Buildout"

There has been for some time now the idea floated by town staff that Oro Valley is approaching "buildout." It is often referred to as some "dreaded event"; as if something dreadful will happen if the town stops growing. Understanding this, town council defined a strategic objective last February to "Develop a buildout analysis that projects short and long-term impacts to Town service levels and provides potential mitigation options." According to Town Manager Jacobs, that analysis will not be available until the winter of 2023.

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"Buildout" is a vague term

The town has not defined what it means when it says that Oro Valley is approaching buildout. We say this because the town has 20,300 acres of buildable land of its 27,000 acre size. As of last April, 10,900 acres were "built-out". 10,400 acres were "Vacant". That's 20,300 acres of buildable land. 

Certainly, a town that has almost half of its available building land designated as "vacant" is not approaching any building saturation point.  So, to what is the town referring when it says that Oro Valley is approaching buildout?

It is unplanned vacant land to which the town refers when it says that Oro Valley is reaching buildout...but that is is only 15% of total vacant land available for growth

85% of the 10,400 acres of vacant land have an approved plat or development plan. The remaining vacant land is designated by the town as "unplanned."  This land  is mostly located the periphery of the town [see panel]. 

We think that it is this land, the vacant "unplanned land," to which the town is referring with it says that town is reaching “buildout.” 

That is an unfair definition because it fails to recognize that other other 8.900 acres are either being built or will be built also.

Permitting activity remains strong... Lots of construction remains

By no means is the town approaching "buildout." Construction remains strong in Oro Valley and it will be such for along time. In November, for example,  "220 total permits were issued . . . compared to 160 permits issued in October. Year-to-date, 2,380 total permits have been issued since the beginning of the year compared to 2,290 issued during the same period in 2020." (Source: Town Manager Executive Report To Council, December 2021)

Town annexation strategy would increase available land for homes via the "Tangerine 880"

The town's annexation strategy will increase land for growth. The major source of a near team increase land for homes is the 880 acres of state land ("Tangerine South"and "Tangerine North"). That is a "near term target". This land is located on the Northwest tip of Oro Valley. It would extend Oro Valley's reach to Thornydale. 

The town vetted the Tangerine North annexation to the community in 2017-2018. It was met with resident opposition. Read one report on this here. Both the North and South Tangerine annexations remains open. If not heard by this council, it will certainly be heard by the next council.

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The Solomon Chronicles. Part 2. Voting Record 2016-2018

With the Town Council election on the horizon, LOVE will be presenting a series of articles entitled, “The Solomon Chronicles,” highlighting the abysmal record of Councilmember Steve Solomon who is running for re-election. This weekly series will highlight his 4-year record of incivility and his interdependent relationship with local developers. This series was written by a LOVE contributor and contains a synopsis of previous LOVE articles plus new information.
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Today’s article presents excerpts from Councilmember Solomon’s voting record from November 2016 to April 2018 and focuses on his repeated catering to developers.

Solomon thumbed his nose at the citizens on his first night in office
November 16, 2016. Solomon was sworn into office. That very same night, he voted to approve a Major General Plan Amendment to amend the Land Use Map at Rancho Vistoso Blvd. and Vistoso Highlands Drive (17 acres) FROM Neighborhood Commercial/Office TO Medium Density Residential.

Why was this important? Solomon’s vote was noteworthy because it came just 8 days after the new 2016 General Plan had been approved by Oro Valley voters! Think about that. A plan that was 3 years in the making (September 2013 – September 2016), a plan written and approved by the people of Oro Valley to reflect OUR community values, was altered by Steve Solomon (and the rest of the former Hiremath council) during their very first meeting. On his very first night in office, Solomon’s first order of business was to thumb his nose at the citizens. This would be a harbinger of what was to come.

Apparently, all those Oro Valley voices coming together to present a clear vision of what we wanted for our town was of no value or importance to Steve Solomon.

Approved the grading of rolling hills
November 16, 2016. Yes, we’re still on the same night and he wasn’t done yet. Remember the beautiful rolling hills that were once present on the east side of First Avenue? Town Code does not allow grading of hills by more than 6 feet. Solomon voted to allow a portion of those hills to be graded down 12-15 feet to accommodate the residential development known as Sanctuary at Silverhawke.

Approved a storage facility at the historic Steam Pump Ranch
March 15, 2017. Solomon voted to allow a 107,544 square foot, 3-story storage facility containing approx. 750 storage units at the historic Steam Pump Village despite residents speaking against it during the Public Hearing. Residents pointed out that it was not consistent with the vision, guiding principles, goals and policies of the General Plan. One of those residents pointed out that even the Town Staff found that it met ONLY ONE of the 10 goals in the General Plan.

Additionally, this area was slated to be part of the Main Streets district which was to include areas for shopping and dining along the CDO wash…another reason that a 3-story storage facility was not appropriate for this area.

Tangerine North Annexation, Shannon 80, and Big Wash General Plan Amendments
December 6, 2017. Despite a huge resident turnout at this council meeting and strong vocal opposition from residents, Solomon voted to approve ALL of the following:

• Tangerine North Annexation. Solomon voted to approve a General Plan Amendment to extend the Oro Valley planning area boundary to include 302 acres currently zoned for 3.3 acre residential on the north side of Tangerine (between Coyote Crossing and Thornydale) and to give it a new designation of Master Planned Community. In other words, say goodbye to 3.3 acre minimum lot sizes.

• Shannon 80. Solomon voted to approve a General Plan Amendment to change the land use on 76 acres on the east side of Shannon Road FROM Rural low density residential TO Low density residential-1. He then voted to approve the rezoning from R1-144 to R1-36. However, due to ESLO criteria, the minimum lot size actually allowed is just 8,750 square feet! This is totally incompatible with existing homes in that area which are custom homes on lot sizes of 144,000 sf and larger (3.3 acres and up).

• Big Wash. Solomon voted to approve a General Plan Amendment to change land use and zoning designations for 108 acres of undeveloped land in a FLOODPLAIN located along Honeybee Wash and Big Wash to allow 408 homes on lot sizes of 7,200 sf lots and 5,400 sf lots on mass-graded sites.

Saguaros Viejos
April 4, 2018. Despite this parcel (west side of La Cholla between Glover and Naranja) already having been rezoned from R1-144 (144,000 sf) down to R1-20 (20,000 sf) just two years earlier, Solomon voted to approve yet another rezoning down to even smaller lots of R1-7 (7,000 sf).

This pristine desert parcel (85 acres), originally zoned for 3.3 acre rural residential lots with no mass grading, will now be built as 7,000 sf lots with mass grading and cookie-cutter 2-story homes. This is not compatible with the surrounding homes, including custom homes on 3.3 acre lots and semi-custom homes with an average lot size of 18,500 sf. Numerous residents spoke in opposition to this rezoning.

Solomon’s legacy – 588 acres of pristine desert irreparably transformed
This is just a small sample from Solomon’s first 18 months in office! It reveals that his loyalty is not to the people, but rather to wealthy land speculators and developers. For anyone who still doesn’t know this, Steve Solomon is also a developer. He is the owner of Canada Vistas, a real estate development/homebuilding business.

NOTE: Councilmember Bill Rodman who is also running for re-election also voted to approve all of the above general plan amendments and rezonings. Do you want to re-elect these two incumbents and give them another 4-year long license to continue rezoning what little land is left of our once beautiful Oro Valley desert landscape?

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The Solomon Chronicles: Part 3. “Who funded Solomon’s 2016 Town Council campaign?” will be published next Wednesday.

Mayoral Candidate Danny Sharp: “We Need More Rooftops”

Mayoral Candidates Danny Sharp and current Mayor Joe Winfield have different approaches to “Development”

This was noted at the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum of June 28. 

Sharp advocates for the “rooftop strategy”. Winfield does not

Danny Sharp stated at the Forum that Oro Valley needs to bring in on-site retail business in order to grow sales tax revenues.  According to Sharp: “We have to bring in more retail. We don’t have the retail because we need to bring in more rooftops.”

Winfield believes that the General Plan should guide whether variances and general plan amendments should be approved. The Winfield Council abided by the General plan during the past four years. Winfield promised to do so when he ran in 2018 and he did so. Only one general plan amendment was submitted and it was rejected because it did not fit the concept for that area.

The “rooftops strategy” is a revisit to the Hiremath Years

The “rooftops strategy” is a revisit to the Mayor Satish Hiremath years (2010-2018) of leadership. It was his strategy. Hiremath was eager to grow rooftops because he felt it would attract retail business and increase the town’s sales tax revenue. His council, which included current council candidate Bill Rodman and current Council Member Steve Solomon, approved a slew of general plan amendments, converting land into high density residential zoning. His council was so eager to increase rooftops that they approved several general plan amendments before the citizen vote that approved the 2016 “Your Voice, Our Future” general plan was ratified by the Secretary of State.

The “rooftops strategy” added to congestion but did not foster retail business success

As LOVE reported, the Hiremath Council left Oro Valley with a large pipeline of residences to build. As a result, the town’s population has and will continue to grow substantially.  Still, onsite retail struggles in this town before, during and now after the Pandemic. One merely needs to look at the vacancies at the Oro Valley Marketplace and the need for complete revisioning as an example of the failure of this strategy. Indeed, one could reasonably question the feasibility of the “rooftop strategy” in today’s retail world, a world where on-line retailing, a lack of personnel, and huge supply chain issues are plaguing brick and mortar retailers. 

We believe it was the rejection of the “rooftops strategy” that propelled Winfield, Barrett, Jones-Ivey and Nicholson to win the 2018 election, defeating Hiremath and his team. Voters were tired of the congestion that the rooftop strategy has caused.

Sharp will be more aggressive in pursuing growth.

For example, Sharp would have approved the Oro Valley Marketplace revisioning as presented 

Sharp blames Winfield for not approving the Oro Valley Marketplace revisioning as presented to council.

Sharp stated at the Forum: “When people propose projects we need to be sensitive to the fact that this costs them money. We need to be sensitive…We should have told Town West years ago that what they were proposing would not be approved and that they needed to come up with something that fits within the town’s framework.”

What was presented to council was vetted by town staff in detail, vetted at neighborhood meetings, vetted by the Planning and Zoning Commission, and vetted at a public hearing before council. This is the town’s process. There was no opportunity for the Council to tell Town West anything because the council can only discuss the project together in public at a hearing after this process has been completed. 

After all this, however, what was presented to council-15 exceptions to code, 75 foot tall buildings, and minimal road setbacks- was “not in character” with the town. Still, the council wanted to shape this project because the Oro Valley Marketplace is a commercial disaster; so they continued the application as opposed to rejecting it.

We believe that it is reasonable to conclude that Sharp would have approved the project as presented because the developer had invested so much into it and because the project had gone through a long process.

Sharp does agree with Winfield in one area. According to Sharp, speaking at the forum: “If [a developer] brings in something that is not in character with the town, we need to find a compromise to get to ‘Yes.’”That is exactly what Winfield did. In June, Town West, the owner of the Marketplace, presented a new plan that is more in line with existing codes and the character of the town . It is a revised plan that both Sharp and Winfield said they would support.

 "The properties currently under consideration for annexation

by the Town of Oro Valley are the two State Land‐ owned sites

indicated on the map below, referred to as Tangerine North

(302 acres), and Tangerine South (550 acres)."

Sharp will vigorously pursue the annexation of the Tangerine State Lands

Both Sharp and Winfield agree that town should annex the Tangerine Road State Lands. This is 852 acres, split into two portions (panel left). Sharp asserts that it should have happened long ago because he worked on it with State Lands when he was interim town manager (June 2016 to September 2017). 

However, as stated by Winfield and as reported in LOVE, the State discontinued conversation with the town in July of 2019 because State Lands was short of staff. They were to continue discussions in November of that year but failed to do so. Sharp would seek to restart these discussions immediately. The town’s annexation plan calls for seeking this annexation in the near term.

…Though not all residents want this annexation

It is not at all clear that residents want the town to annex these lands and open them for development. Annexation and development of these lands met significant opposition from residents when presented at neighborhood meetings.

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"550" State Land Annexation Back on the Table (Part 1)

Council talks State Lands… again
The Oro Valley Town Council discussed the 852 acres of State Trust Land west of town. Discussion of annexing this property has been dormant for years because the State Land Department was understaffed. In addition, no council identified a compelling reason to pursue annexation on the state’s terms, since there was no lasting economic benefit to the Town. There was also significant community opposition when the idea was last publicly vetted. (Past LOVE coverage.)

Consultant says: Things have changed
Consultant Mark Longacre of WLB Group, an LJA Engineering company, told the Council that recent changes at the Arizona State Land Department make it worthwhile for Oro Valley to take another look at annexing the 550 acres south of Tangerine Road. Longacre’s firm was retained by the Town specifically to research background information, refresh prior work from about eight years ago, and participate in the October 15 study session—nothing beyond that.

 "The properties currently under consideration for annexation

by the Town of Oro Valley are the two State Land‐ owned sites

indicated on the map below, referred to as Tangerine North

(302 acres), and Tangerine South (550 acres)."

Towns now have more say in permitted uses
In the past, consultants worked directly for the State Land Department, which controlled planning and zoning of State Trust Land it intended to sell. Longacre told the council that the process has shifted in favor the the annexing community. The State now prefers that consultants work directly for the local jurisdiction—in this case, the Town of Oro Valley—to guide entitlement and planning. The State remains involved in an advisory role. Longacre called this a “culture shift” that gives local governments more control over how the land is planned and developed, making it a reasonable time for the Town to reconsider annexation.

Winfield puts on the brakes: What is the change, really—and will it last?
Mayor Joe Winfield questioned the legitimacy and permanence of the State Land Department’s new approach. He asked whether the change is grounded in formal legislation or is simply an internal administrative decision. If it’s merely administrative, a future administration could reverse it, leaving the Town exposed after investing time and money. He noted Oro Valley has seen similar setbacks before, such as the Arroyo Grande effort.

Consultant: administrative—and untested
Longacre confirmed the new process was introduced under the current governor’s administration, not by statute, and he did not know whether it is formally documented or codified. He agreed that this uncertainty poses a risk and suggested seeking written assurances or an agreement from the State Land Department to ensure continuity regardless of future political changes.

No track record yet
Several Council members expressed concern that neither Longacre nor the State Land Department has experience with the new jurisdiction-led entitlement model. With no track record to guide the process, the Town would be navigating an untested system with uncertain outcomes and possible procedural conflicts between the Town and the State.  Longacre admitted that his firm have no direct experience with the new process and have not yet seen it in practice, though he claimed to just beginning a similar engagement with another jurisdiction and does not know whether the approach will endure over time.

Tomorrow
Needless to say, council members had many questions regarding the annexation and its feasibility.  More on their concerns tomorrow.

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Guest View: Jim Tripp ~ The Rest of the Iceberg. Part 1: Fear Mongering by Solomon and Rodman

One June 17th, LOVE published a Guest View by Jim Tripp entitled, “The Tip of the Iceberg.” It included a wealth of previously unknown information on the proposed annexation of State Land at Tangerine and Thornydale including the blatant conflict of interest of two people involved in the project. If you missed it, you can read it HERE

We now present “The Rest of the Iceberg”


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What’s the rest of the iceberg?

Fear Mongering
Take a look at this video of Rodman and this video of Solomon warning the Oro Valley Town Council to rezone the Trust Land at Tangerine and Thornydale to the State’s satisfaction, or suffer the consequences at the hands of the town of Marana.

Rodman video at 31 seconds in:

“We should consider the fact that if we don’t do it, Marana will.  I mean, we’ve heard those words directly.”

Note his stress on the word directly.

Solomon video at 5 seconds in:

“This land will be developed, and the odds are if it’s developed outside of Oro Valley, it’s gonna be at a higher intensity, with less restrictions than what Oro Valley would have, and all that development is going to have an impact on Oro Valley...”

What facts does Solomon have to back up this opinion?

No Need to Fear: Marana Can’t Deliver Water
In a nutshell, I had two lengthy phone conversations with Marana Town Mayor Ed Honea to fact-check Marana’s interest in the Tangerine and Thornydale annexation. Honea said that Marana has no interest whatsoever in the land because Marana cannot deliver an adequate water supply. In contrast, Oro Valley can easily deliver water via two, 12” potable water mains. Honea told Satish Hiremath long ago that Oro Valley was welcome to annex the State Land.

Please visit this facebook post of mine to learn more.

Marana Town Finance Director, Yiannis Kalaitzidis, approached me as I was leaving a Marana Town meeting. He asked what had prompted me to ask a question related to K-12 population projections for Marana. I said that it was in connection with the proposed annexation at Tangerine & Thornydale. During the course of the conversation, he reiterated what Ed Honea had said: only Oro Valley can deliver water to the annex, and if Oro Valley doesn’t annex, it will be decades before Marana can get enough water there to make development economically possible.

So who are the powerful people in Marana who have said directly that Marana will snap up the land and intensely develop it, if Oro Valley doesn’t?

Please visit this facebook post as well.

No Need to Fear: Mayor Honea Respects the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan
During the May 14, 2019 study session on the Marana 2040 General Plan, Mayor Honea fought hard for “low density 2-RAC” (no more than 2 residences per acre) in environmentally sensitive areas like Tangerine from I-10 to Twin Peaks. In defense of continuing the extensive use of “2-RAC” from the 2010 General Plan, rather than pitching it in the 2040 Plan, Honea said:

“When we developed the low density 2-RAC, we had buy-in from the Sonoran Desert Conservation Group, Carolyn Campbell, [and others]; they helped approve that. And you know why, when we developed everything along Twin Peaks, and we did 2-RAC, and we didn’t have the environmental community down our necks, is because they were involved in the process, for the 2-RAC...when you take that away, I can assure you, they will be back.”

You can watch it HERE (Time mark 51:23 on the video)

The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan was a landmark achievement for Northwest Tucson. When was the last time you heard an Oro Valley Mayor or Council Person worry about the consequences of not honoring that plan? Does anyone in Oro Valley remember that plan? It was never mentioned in any of the meetings I’ve been to in Oro Valley. Ed Honea remembers, and he got the message the first time: don’t antagonize Dove Mountain area citizens with high intensity development.

Dove Mountain Marana citizens are environmentally conscious. In Sky Ranch and at The Preserve, we are fiercely protective of the low-density nature preserves on which we live. We love watching the bobcats, javelinas, coyotes, hawks, and owls that patrol the open spaces beyond our backyards, and we will fight to protect them.

Supply and Demand: Marana Has Plenty of Annex Opportunities Other Than This One
Figure 4, page 2-7 (below) of the current Marana 2040 General Plan shows an ocean of grey shaded land, especially adjacent to I-10 in the North. That’s all vacant and undeveloped land. Marana will have no need, for many decades to come, to force high intensity development at Tangerine and Thornydale.

You can view the Marana 2040 General Plan HERE

Oro Valley has the only game in town when it comes to annexation of the State Trust Land at Tangerine and Thornydale. There is no reason to fear competition from Marana.

Part 2 will be published next Monday.
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Jim Tripp has a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Oregon State University. Prior to retirement, he was employed as a Federal Regulations Analyst for Wisconsin Power and Light and as a Research Scientist at UC Santa Cruz and Berkeley National Labs. He has over 30 scientific publications to his credit.

Guest View: Diane Peters ~ The “Art” of Time Management

As you begin reading this article, you might ask yourself…what does this have to do with Oro Valley? Bear with me for a moment and it will become clear.

Have you ever been on the Internet, perhaps Facebook, and you've clicked on a video that is of interest to you? Maybe it was a heartwarming video of a soldier being reunited with his dog that he hasn’t seen in a year. Maybe it was a stunningly beautiful nature video. That’s what you chose to watch…and then BAM!!!...your video is interrupted with a commercial for dental implants or car insurance. You’re annoyed, yes? The commercial might last only 30 seconds, but 30 seconds seems like an eternity when you’re not interested in the topic and you’re waiting to see something else.

And this brings me to the “Youth Art Program by the Arts and Culture Ambassadors” that I and many others have been forced to sit through during council meetings when we are there to listen to and perhaps speak on an agenda item that is of importance to us.

The only “art” I want to see at a Town Council meeting is the “Art of Time Management.”

It’s not that I don’t appreciate art. I love art. One of my favorite past-times is visiting art museums and art galleries. But when I’m in an art gallery, I don’t want to discuss town business or politics. And when I’m at a Town Council meeting, I don’t want to sit through a Youth Art presentation. I decided to speak on this issue because the Youth Arts Presentation was just on the council agenda four months in a row (Oct-Nov-Dec-Jan).

Town business should be the #1 priority
We have approximately 17 town council meetings per year. These meetings should be for critical town business, not for art shows. It’s a disservice to the residents who are waiting to speak on an issue of importance to them (usually a development proposal) to have to first sit though these presentations which usually last anywhere from 8 to 13 minutes. I remember one marathon presentation that went on for over 30 minutes, at which point I got up and walked out, missing the agenda item that prompted me to attend the meeting in the first place.

Another meeting where the inclusion of the Youth Art Program was particularly annoying was the December 6, 2017 meeting. The room was packed that night due to the agenda containing FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS on contentious development proposals. These included:

• General Plan amendment regarding the 302 acre Tangerine North Annexation
• General Plan amendment and rezoning for a 131 acre residential development in Big Wash
• General Plan amendment for a 76 acre residential development on Shannon Road
• General Plan amendment to change a 15 acre property from office park to residential

The town had to know that this meeting would be a standing room only crowd, packed with residents who were opposed to these development proposals, and that this meeting would last for hours. The room was packed and the meeting lasted 4 hours and 34 minutes, not ending until 10:30 PM. This was not the appropriate time to include a Youth Art presentation on the agenda.

On that particular evening, (former) Mayor Hiremath asked those who were there for the above agenda items to give up their seats to the parents and kids because the room was over capacity. [You can watch the full video clip above.  A partial transcript of his speech is below.]

HIREMATH: “Because it’s such a packed house…would people who are not here for the Youth Art presentation please relinquish your seat and just kind of wait outside so the parents and kids can get a seat?...We have an ask from the Fire Marshall because we’re over capacity.”

A time and a place for everything
My point is that people come to town meetings to listen to and speak on important issues. Therefore, Youth Art would be better celebrated in a place where parents and friends could appreciate it. I’d like to suggest that Youth Art be displayed at the library where people can enjoy it on their own time.

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Diane Peters has lived in Oro Valley since 2003, moving here to escape the humidity of the East Coast. She’s been involved in OV politics and development issues since 2006. In 2014, she organized a citizens group, Citizen Advocates of the Oro Valley General Plan, who over a 9-month period, successfully negotiated a controversial 200-acre development project. In her past life, she worked in medical research at various University Hospitals in New England. Her interests include reading, writing, nature photography, travel, art galleries, museums, and politics.

Guest View: Alyssa Page ~ More desert destruction on the horizon

The Town of Oro Valley is moving forward with extraordinary urgency regarding the State Trust Land (885 acres of pristine Sonoran Desert) that lies at the northwestern edge of Oro Valley. The reason for the urgency is a mystery, but here is what we know so far.

On August 28th, Primary Election Day, the Town of Oro Valley residents voted to replace the incumbent mayor and council with Joseph Winfield (mayor) and Joyce Jones-Ivey, Josh Nicolson and Melanie Barrett (town council). The newly elected officials ran on the platform of responsible development and improving compromise and balance between residents and developer interests.

The very next morning, August 29th, the Town staff were out pounding their notorious yellow “Public Meeting” signs into the ground announcing two neighborhood “public meetings” on September 13th and 20th regarding the State Land annexation.

Proposed Rezoning Area
(Source: Town of Oro Valley)

Why have the meetings within one week of each other? The typical purpose and timeline of neighborhood meetings is to gather information from the first meeting, then make alterations based on resident input which is then presented at the second meeting. Most neighborhood meetings are weeks apart or even a month or more apart. Seven days is highly unusual, and hardly allows for any changes or compromise.

Here is the potential real problem
Once two neighborhood meetings have been held, the minimum requirement has been met. At this point, the proposal moves forward to Planning and Zoning and then to the Town Council for approval.

Where is the real community outreach and compromise with the people who live around this area?

Real public input should include the following
After the two neighborhood meetings, there should be smaller group meetings with neighbors in each unique area; north, south, east, and west of the property. If that sounds like a lot of little meetings, that’s how many different and diverse neighborhoods there are around these 885 acres. All of these people will be affected by this rezoning and annexation. Therefore, each of these surrounding neighborhoods needs to be listened to individually. These meetings should all happen after the September 20th meeting after which we should gather together again for one or even two large neighborhood meetings, to finalize the compromises. That would be real public input and involvement.

Other concerning and mysterious details
In the original Tangerine State Land Rezoning and Annexation documents posted on orovalleyaz.gov the following dates were listed.

Meeting Dates-
1. First neighborhood meeting – September 13,
2. Second neighborhood meeting – September 20, 2018
3. Planning and Zoning Commission Hearing – October 8, 2018*
4. Town Council hearing – October 24, 2018*
(*Tentative and subject to change)

However, by Friday, August 31st, the Planning and Zoning and Town Council hearing dates were removed and replaced with “To be Determined.”

Is the staff and council’s intent to push this rezoning and future annexation through prior to the new council being sworn in in November?

What is being presented on September 13th
High-density Condo, Apartment (up to five stories high) and Townhome parcels. Upwards of 1500+ units and potentially over 1500+ single family homes on small 5500 sq ft lots. In all there will be 3000+ units, plus additional commercial sites all on 885 acres.

This is the largest rezoning and annexation in Oro Valley in over a decade. Let’s get this deal done right and not rush into rezoning deals that Oro Valley and her residents will later regret and resent.

Please come to both neighborhood meetings on September 13th and 20th. Your presence is needed.

Click HERE to read the Town notice of the two meetings.
Click HERE to read the project fact sheet.
Click HERE to read Tim Stellar's article in the Arizona Daily Star.  Read what Mayor Hiremath and Mayor-elect Joe Winfield have to say about this rezoning.
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Alyssa Page is a wife, mother, writer, photographer and community activist. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BFA in Photographic Design and a minor in Communications.

From You, Our Readers

We receive and read messages sent to us by our readers. We thought that some of what they write could be of interest to all. So, from time to time, we will share them with you.  Here are some recent readers submissions (without identification of the writer).
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Former Oro Valley resident says county annexation will cost the town
"After the public meeting 8/2/17 with Oro Valley town staff about the possible General Plan Amendment to annex 321 acres of State Trust Land north of Tangerine, I believe Oro Valley residents need to know that Oro Valley Town Council continues to march down the road of fiscal irresponsibility.

Mr. Vella [ Town Of Oro Valley Planning Manager and Planning and Zoning Administrator] explained that this land north of Tangerine WILL COST Oro Valley money as it has no commercial opportunity. 

So why is the town even considering it?  Other than it being additional State Trust Land the town intends to annex and develop (adding to the Tangerine 550). 

It baffles me as to why this town council wants to continue to destroy Arizona's natural beauty, continue to cost the citizens of Oro Valley money, and leave nothing to their legacy other than track homes and concrete. Add this to the golf course debacle. How much money are the residents of Oro Valley willing to allow this town council to squander?

To protest the General Plan Amendment please email your dissent to: Michael Spaeth mspaeth@orovalleyaz.gov Case #: OV1701699

(I am a previous resident of Oro Valley 2007-2015)"
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Reader astounded that bulk of town council election funding is from developers
"Hi, I was reading in your blog that the Oro Valley town council had 80 percent of their campaign paid by developers?

Do you have the link to an article or the FOAI on that?"

Yes. Developers are the primary source of funding for Oro Valley's council. Our reports on this are accurate. We sourced the information from candidate election reports. We have been writing about this "ad nauseum" since the first term election of the majority 4. Use the blog's search box to search to learn about Oro Valley's election funding.
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Clarification to a reader on our revised "Guest View Policies"
Our guest view policies changed in July to accommodate anonymous postings for guest views. We felt that change is appropriate, given the current political climate of attacking people for what they say. Apparently a reader did not read our new policy. The person wrote us:

"Besides posting more misinformation on this blog today, you have proven yourself to be a hypocrite. In addition, you must identify yourself in the blog posting. No pseudonyms allowed. So.... who is this Nombe fool? "

This same individual who wrote this message to us sends us at least one email a week complaining about our blog and attacking it. Here's another sample of an email to us:

"So on the save the cactus site. Which cactus did you want to save? Because if you wanted to save them all, it would be save the cacti. Right?"

and then there's this one:

"Didn't we vote Mike [Zinkin] out of office? And..... if we eliminate golf, what will happen in its place? Solutions, not bitching! Can't you move to another city?"

No. "We" didn't vote Mike Zinkin out. But you probably did.

In all of these messages, the writer seems to think that only one individual is writing our posts. Au contraire. We currently have four staff writers, one editor, and we have received Guest View submissions from nine individuals in just in the past month.
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Reader wants LOVE to highlight Mayor Hiremath's voting record

"Grateful for the website - shouldn't the record of Hiremath be published? His record on tax increases, property purchases, what the budget was when he came on board, what it is today - let's publish ALL the facts."

Yes. We agree. Why don't you write a Guest View on this?
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That's it for today.
Hope you had as much fun reading these as we do.
And, if you want to send us a comment, please do so by using the form on the right panel of the blog. We will read it and respond where appropriate. And, while you're at it, sign up to our "opt in only-no spam" email list!

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Town Council Chambers
11,000 La Canada Drive

4:00 PM ~ Golf Study Session
Open to the Public

Presentations by Town Manager, Mary Jacobs and Troon President, Rob DeMore. Also a possible discussion by the mayor and council regarding the future of the Community Center and golf courses.

6:00 PM ~Town Council Regular Session

Pay special attention to:

Consent Agenda, Item E

Resolution…with regard to the approximate 934 acres of State Land (Tangerine South and Tangerine North) the Town intends to pursue annexation, and does not have nor does it intend to adopt, regulations requiring the fencing of open range livestock grazing or prohibiting mining on State Land annexed into the Town.”

The Town claims that this is “a standard formality related to livestock grazing and mining” and that the “Town Staff does not anticipate either of these activities to actually occur on these two parcels.”

You can view the agenda HERE

Bits and Pieces

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Town updates website
The Town of Oro Valley has updated the town website. Seems to us that is is much simpler to navigate that the previous version. Give it a try. Let us know what you think.

One of our readers thinks that there's a problem with the detail provided when you use the search bar. The bar says: "Find almost anything on our website". "Try Tangerine North or annexation or state land or 885 or Miller ranch or big wash. Nothing! It should give a list of meetings when it was discussed and a hit for the name on Oro Valley projects. Search Campaign finance report. You have to know to go to "Govt- departments- town clerk-document search-laserfiche-election" doc search. No clear path."

Dog Parks... Tennis... Pickelball open Monday
"The Town of Oro Valley will reopen Town lobbies and some park amenities—dog parks, tennis and pickleball courts—beginning May 11 to stay in step with Governor Ducey’s May 4 executive order to gradually reopen retail and dine-in restaurant service. Physical distancing and personal hygiene practices (covering coughs and sneezes, etc.) remain in place for all Town facilities and amenities." (Source) You should watch the Mayor's entertaining announcement.

Click to enlarge

Flash Vote
659 say they are getting their money's worth
Two out of three respondents to a recent The Town of Oro Valley flash vote poll believe that they are getting their "money's worth" for the sales tax dollars they invest in Oro Valley.

Based or our view of comments, it appears that the survey was dominated by those using the town golf courses.(source)
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Guest View: Mayoral Candidate Melanie Barrett - A Record of Results and a Plan for What Comes Next

Today, we present the last of seven candidate Guest Views. Today’s View is from mayoral candidate and Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett. Her Guest View is longer than the others. However, we felt it was important to publish it in its entirety because it provides specific information about both her record during the past eight years and the work she believes remains to be done.

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A record of accomplishment
Being your Vice Mayor for the past eight years has been an incredible honor. I look back joyfully at all that we have accomplished together.

We strengthened Oro Valley’s record of public safety

We have frequently been rated the safest city in Arizona and received national recognition as one of the nation’s best and safest places to retire. We supported our police with competitive pay, achieved three police accreditations under award-winning Police Chief Kara Riley, and modernized our court system and building to improve safety.

We strengthened the Town’s finances

...raising our Standard & Poor’s rating two levels to AA+. We paid off the long-neglected police pension liability, saved more than $30 million, and maintained relatively low debt. We also turned municipal golf from annual operating losses of about $2 million into an operating surplus.

We built a major park, enhanced recreation, and added open space

This golf turnaround allowed us to invest in parks and recreation without new taxes. We added miles of paths and trails, improved Community Center amenities, and expanded Naranja Park with a playground, splash pad, pickleball courts, fields, a skate park, and a pump track. We also added Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve to the Town’s park portfolio, protecting it from development and creating a community asset.

We protected Oro Valley’s character and fostered economic development

We supported economic growth through the expansion of Roche Tissue Diagnostics, the annexation of the Westward Look Resort, and the opening of more than 45 businesses this year. We also protected mountain views along Tangerine Road by rejecting proposed six-story apartments and allowing two- and three-story buildings instead. We rejected a development agreement that would have cost the Town more than $6 million in taxes and required one of three promised hotels to be built to help make the project fiscally sustainable.

We invested in a more reliable, diverse water supply

We addressed water concerns through conservation and infrastructure that diversifies our supply. The Northwest Recharge and Recovery Delivery System, scheduled for completion next year, will bring Oro Valley its Colorado River allocation.

These accomplishments were achieved through the Town and community working together. 

Still, there is work to be done
I am running for Mayor so I can continue that work for you.

Build our new police station
We purchased an affordable building to support our police. That building now needs cost-effective design and remodeling. 

Annex commercial corridors
We have also begun planning for annexation to the south near Oracle and Ina to bring additional retail and revenue into Oro Valley. I want to move that plan forward. To succeed, Oro Valley must be a Town that neighboring residents want to join and where they trust they will be heard.

Complete the redevelopment of the Oro Valley Marketplace
A second apartment development and a hotel remain to be built at the Oro Valley Marketplace. The hotel has not yet moved forward, and the Town must continue to uphold the commitments made as part of that development.  

Protect our views and limit building heights

This second apartment project was proposed at five stories and limited by the Town Council to three stories. A future request for additional height remains possible. We need to hold the line on protecting our views and limiting building heights. There is also a proposed building in Stone Canyon with five-story height approval that is now involved in litigation. Oro Valley needs a Town Council committed to limiting building heights where appropriate.

Protect our water supply from risky annexations and high-water-use development
We need to protect our water supply and avoid annexations of state land to the west or north that could affect our water rights. State land could potentially be proposed for a data center. Should such a request come forward, the Town Council must conduct proper due diligence and represent residents rather than outside interests, landowners, or politicians who have supported data centers elsewhere.

Make careful, sustainable investments in parks, trails, and open space
We should continue making modest, incremental investments in parks and recreation as funding becomes available. Those investments must meet resident needs while remaining fiscally sustainable. We also need a better plan for Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve and should continue improving community connectivity through paths and trails.

Together, we must implement our ten-year General Plan without returning to the excessive amendments that were common before my time on the Town Council.

Why I am running for Mayor
I have been honored to represent Oro Valley residents on the Town Council. Because I have never accepted developer donations or been beholden to out-of-town interests, my focus has remained on the residents of Oro Valley. If elected Mayor, I will continue to answer to the residents of Oro Valley.

I hope to continue serving and representing you for four more years as your Mayor. I would be honored to have your vote.

Please visit MelanieBarrett.org to learn more about these issues. Thank you.

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"Oro Valley: Watch Us Grow"

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Perhaps Oro Valley should change its slogan from "Its In Our Nature" to "Oro Valley: Watch Us Grow".   This is because Oro Valley is going to grow substantially  over the next few years based on currently approved plans.

Here's a glimpse into the future.



Commercial Activity
Here's the latest from the town's commercial progress status report:

• 3 memory care facilities are coming (Innovation Park, Villa Fatima and Oro Valley Medical Care).  
• Securaplane just broke ground for its new facility in Innovation Park.  
• LA Fitness is completing construction.  
• CVS and Paradise Bakery are coming to town (Oracle and First)
• There are "planned uses" for residential and commercial at 
• Tangerine and La Cholla (Khan Property)
• Oracle and Linda Vista (Oracle Vista Centre)
• Oracle and Hardy (Palisides at Oro Valley)
• Rancho Vistoso north of Safeway and
• Rancho Vistoso and Moore Road (Vistoso Town Center)

These are all listed in this month's Oro Valley Economic Development Commercial Project Status Report.

In addition, the town also lists 40 commercial sites for business location opportunities.  (Source)  There are marketing brochures online that discuss each site.  One, for example, describes a hotel opportunity in innovation park.

Single-Family Units
According to Oro Valley Planner David Williams, there are 508 single family homes in various stages of development or development review:

Multi-Family Units
Planner Williams also tells us there are 789 apartments in construction or approved for construction in three separate locations along Oracle Road:

Future Annexations
Certainly, Oro Valley will consider future annexations east of Oracle and Ina, perhaps convincing Westward Look to join our ranks. (Read: Oro Valley annexation brochure)

Our Analysis
All this adds up to substantial growth for Oro Valley.  It is something upon which we should build our thinking as we begin, this fall, the process of updating our general plan.

There has never been and there never will be a way to prevent growth.  Oro Valley is a beautiful town.  Oro Valley has great potential. We need to build a plan that retains what we love and accommodates the newcomers.
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