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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPackets - Council Packets (59)418 North Toole Avenue Tucson, Arizona 85701 520.622.9565 September 16, 2015 Mayor Satish Hiremath Town of Oro Valley 11000 N La Canada Drive Oro Valley, AZ 85737 RE: The Residences at Miller Ranch I Rezoning - OV914.006 NOWIS DESIGN Planning I LondscapekcHheo ure Dear Mr. Mayor, Council Members, Mr. Caton, and the Oro Valley Development and Infrastructure Services Department, It has come to our attention that tonight's Mayor and Council meeting may result in a discussion to block our request to continue The Residences at Miller Ranch rezoning case until the November 18th meeting. This action on the rezoning case is without cause and could potentially set precedent for all future rezoning cases in the Town of Oro Valley. Our project, to date, has worked with the Town to follow all protocols throughout the land use and entitlement process. We have successfully gone through a Major General Plan Amendment, which included several neighborhood meetings, Planning and Zoning Commission meetings and Mayor and Council approval. Following that process, we moved forward with a rezoning proposal to match the newly granted General Plan designation. This process has also included several neighborhood meetings, a Planning and Zoning Commission hearing as well as the recent Mayor and Council hearing that took place on September 2nd. On that day, we were given a directive to continue the hearing until today, September 16th, in a full faith effort to come to a consensus with the neighbors. Since that time, we (and Town of Oro Valley staff) have spent a great deal of time organizing a neighborhood meeting that will accommodate all of the neighbors, to fulfill the Mayor and Council directive. The neighborhood meeting is now formally set to be held on October 6th. We have continued to work together with Town staff to complete this project and create a compatible development for the neighbors. Early in the rezoning process, Town staff recommended that we (the developer) pursue a text amendment on the Town's ESL Ordinance, which was not carrying out the intent of the code. The widths of the lots needed to be addressed and the Town decided to negate our request to move forward with the amendment and instead ended up taking on the amendment as their own motion. This process set the project's timeline back significantly. A second example came when Town staff recommended that our project change the ingress/egress to accommodate the Town's preference to share residential access on Sunkist Road. This was a significant change to our plan and was made to accommodate the request of the Town. This change required additional meetings that unnecessarily caused the neighbors to protest the proposal and pushed the project timeline back by several months. Because of what the Town of Oro Valley has requested of us, as the developer, our entitlement timeline has been extended significantly and we have appeared in front of Mayor and Council and the neighbors more than most rezoning cases. To discontinue the process at this point would be disingenuous to the entire rezoning process. If developers and neighbors are denied the opportunity to work together, to meet everyone's needs and in the end improve the project's compatibility building on the neighbors continued input, then the system is flawed. Neighborhood buy -in and compatibility are cornerstones of Oro Valley's General Plan, a policy document approved by the citizens of the Town in order to guide decision making by its leaders. The Residences at Miller Ranch I Rezoning www,norris-d esi g n.com Austin.TX I Chicago,ll. I Oenver,CO I Frlsco,CO I Phoenix,AZ I Tucson,AZ 418 North Toole Avenue Tucson, Arizona 85701 520.622.9565 NORRIS DESIGN Planning I Landscape Architecture We formally request a continuance of the rezoning case for The Residences at Miller Ranch, until the November 18th Mayor and Council hearing. The additional time will give the development team, neighbors and staff the opportunity to create a better project for the Town and community. Respectfully, Norris Design (M - Stacey Weaks, PLA The Residences at Miller Ranch I Rezoning www.nor rs-d esign.corn Austin,TX I Chicago, IL I Denver, CO I Frisco, CO I Phoenix, AZ I'ru<son, AZ 418 North Toole Avenue Tucson, Arizona 85701 520.622.9565 September 22, 2015 Bayer Vella Rosevelt Arellano Town of Oro Valley Development and Infrastructure Services 11000 N La Canada Drive Oro Valley, AZ 85737 RE: The Residences at Miller Ranch I Rezoning Application Summary - OV914.006 Dear Bayer and Rosevelt: I` NOWIS DESIGN Planning I Landscape Architecture This letter serves as a formal withdraw of the rezoning application for the Residences at Miller Ranch (OV914-006). As you know, the applicant has been actively working on coordinating a meeting with the interested neighbors. Based on the Mayor and Council's decision to continue the case to the October 7th Mayor and Council meeting, we cannot reasonably develop consensus with the neighbors by that date. Therefore, we are withdrawing the application effective immediately and expect this item be removed from the Town Council agenda for October 71h. We plan to continue working with the surrounding neighbors on a revised residential site plan and will resubmit a new rezoning case in the near future. Please contact me with any questions or if you need additional information at 520.622.9565 or sweaks@norris- design.com. Respectfully, Norris Design Stacey Weaks, PLA, LEED AP The Residences at Miller Ranch I Rezoning Application www.norris-d esign.coni Austin,'rX I Chicago,L I Denver, CO I Frisco, CO I Phoenix, AZ I Tucson, AZ