(Feb. 04, 2012)

Notice of Public Hearing for Cluster Subdivision proposal Feb. 16, 2012 at 1:30 p.m.
Basement Conference Room "C" County/City Public Works Bldg. 201. N. Stone Ave.

This new hearing will be before the Design Review Committee and note the differences of this most recent map from previous ones submitted to the County. As with the previous notices, this latest notice for public input was mailed less than a week before the deadline for public input to be included in the Commission's additional materials packet. However, input from the public can be made up to the time of the Board of Supervisor's meeting. Please plan to attend in person and send your views to the County on this matter.

At the Nov. 30 2011 Planning and Zoning Commission rezoning hearing, the commission voted to recommend approval of the rezoning to the Board of Supervisors. There was discussion regarding the lack of communication with the public and the developers were asked if they had shared the documentation as submitted to the commission with the community and especially with the residents within the 1000' limits. It was recommended that they at least make the materials available via a website. To our knowledge that has not been done. The plan is now going to the County's Design Review Committee.

(Nov. 19, 2011)

Developers have proposed a high density project between Golder Ranch Rd and Hauser on Twin Lakes Drive. This development could include high density apartments. The developer's proposal to the County has been posted on the OurCatalina website. Please take the time to review this 20-page document in depth before the public meeting next Tuesday (Nov. 22nd) and the public hearing at the County Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 30. Click here to view the Developers' Proposal To the County.

(Nov. 10, 2011)

The developers have re-filed for a rezoning on this project now called Village at Vistoso Catalina. The plan calls for some 126 units on 15 acres of vacant land between Golder Ranch Road and Hawser on the west side of Twin Lakes Drive. The current plans appear to be very similar to the previous Arber Ridge plans. The developers hope to change the zoning on some of the parcel from GR-1 (rural 1 unit per acre) to cluster density housing at an average of 8 units per acre. The previous plan included 2 story apartments. In 2009 the plans were to build condos in the $300,000 range. The current proposal is for buildings in the $150,000 to $260,000 range at an average of 8 units per acre. We look forward to hearing more details on this project. Our concerns with the previous project can be seen below.

Vistoso Limited Partnership is being represented by a local firm Fleorchinger, Sadler, Steele, Baker, Inc who will present their new plan at a public meeting:

Important Note: There will also be a public hearing on the rezoning request before the Planning and Zoning Commission will be held Nov. 30, 2011 just 1 week after the public meeting in Catalina.

Click here to see the full announcement and instructions for submitting comments to the Commission regarding this proposed rezoning. Please plan to attend this meeting if at all possible. Attendance is very critical. If you are unable to attend that day but you wish to have your comments and concerns added to the Commission's Agenda Book and Additional Materials Packet they must be received by P&Z staff Nov 18th for the agenda book and Nov. 21 for the additional materials packet. Your comments are very critical to the final decision of the Commission. Make sure you include the following:

Co9-07-24 ARBER LLC – TWIN LAKES DRIVE REZONING WITH CLUSTER OPTION

in your correspondence to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Comments can also be submitted via email to the planner Marc Finc at marc.fink@dsd.pima.gov  or to Valerie.samoy@pima.gov Special Staff Assistant in Supervisor Ann Day's office but make sure you include the Co9-07-24 ...  line noted above in your correspondence and request that your comments and concerns be submitted to the Plannning and Zoning Commissioners as part of the official record.

Recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission and from the Design Review Committee will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors at a later date. We will try to inform you of when that board meeting will be held.

Concerns with previous plan:

Among the many concerns expressed by area residents were:

• concerns about the additional traffic congestion on Golder Ranch Rd. and possible expansion of Twin Lakes to 4 lanes of traffic
• concerns that property tax increases in these difficult economic times could place some residents in danger of losing their homes
• concerns that the Arber Ridge developers operating as an LLC (limited liability company) like many large businesses these days could lose financial backing and walk away from loses leaving banks and the public to pick up the tab
• that the extremely high density on the south end of the subdivision displays the greed of the development group and that at double the density of the Black Horse Ranch development, the tightly packed condos are out of character for the area
• the impact that new residents with children would have on the already overcrowded Coronado school, thereby causing busing of existing school children to distant schools in the school district
• concerns that in determining water availability, County officials would fail to recognize the many other existing and pending developments (City of Tucson, Oro Valley, Oracle, Saddlebrooke, Saddlebrooke Ranch, Catalina, Arroyo Grande, Willow Springs, Falcon Valley) placing demands on the single regional aquifer for the area
• concerns that dramatically increased groundwater pumping by wells not only for this subdivision but for the entities noted above could increase the possibility of drawing the plume from the Page-Trowbridge toxic waste dump into the aquifer under the dump
• the potential for increased crime that comes from any high density development
• that new residents might be less tolerant of the largely rural lifestyles of area residents and force restrictions on livestock and other similar activities
• concerns that any Pima County Board of Supervisor restrictions would later be reversed or waived by individual County departments as they had in the nearby Black Horse Ranch development
• concerns that additional infrastructure improvements needed for the higher density development would impact the area like the recent sewer project on Hawser
• that water retention basins on the property would increase the existing mosquito problems and that earth movers would increase Valley Fever problems that have killed many family pets in the area in recent years

If you want to be kept informed on issues, email us at:
neighbors@savecatalina.com

To address issues that the Design Committee uses in their recommendations see the following County document:
Pima County Design Review Committee Mixed Use Guidelines

Concerned individuals can contact the County officials directly at:

Marc Fink 
County Planner
marc.fink@dsd.pima.gov

Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission:

Board of Supervisors Contact Information

Supervisor Ann Day, District 1
Pima County Board of Supervisors
130 W. Congress, 11th floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701
(520) 740-2738 
(520) 740-8489 fx
email: Ann.Day@pima.gov




 

Notes from the earlier (2009) Arber Ridge Meetings:

2009:  Update from the County

The latest notice from Pima County Planning and Zoning indicates that the hearings on this project have been postponed at the request of the developer. No new dates have been set yet. See the latest notice from the County for more details.
 

Notes From Last Neighborhood Meeting

Wednesday, October 7th 7:00-9:00 PM
Training Room 2
Golder Ranch Fire Station on Golder Ranch Road.

Given the news that the developers had pulled their request for now, the turnout was lighter than the previous meeting. Folks expressed concerns that the developers might either come back with a new plan that would use lower-priced housing or low rent apartments. Other people expressed the concern that the developers might seek new financial backers and simply refile under a new LLC company name. People mentioned the increased problems along Twin Lakes such as mail being stolen and vandalized mailboxes and recent break-ins in many parts of Catalina.

It is important that folks check back regularly for updates on this development plan and contact us should the rezoning notices re-appear on the property on the west side of Twin Lakes.

Notes From Previous Neighborhood Meeting Sept. 9, 2009              

A surprisingly large number of neighborhood residents and concerned community members met at the firehouse to discuss the pending Arber Ridge development. The highlight was news from the County that the developers had requested a delay on the Design Review hearing. According to County Supervisor Ann Day's office:

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