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Home My WebLink AboutPackets - Council Packets (152) • Bower, Julie From: Caton, Greg Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2014 4:32 PM To: Keesler, Paul; Vella, Bayer; Bower, Julie Subject: FW: Public Participation Attachments: OV Public participation.pdf • FYI Thank you, Greg Greg Caton, ICMA-CM Town Manager Town of Oro Valley 520-229-4725 (office) gcaton(a�orova l leyaz.gov From: ambersmith711@gmail.com [mailto:ambersmith711@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Amber Smith Sent:Wednesday, November 05, 2014 4:20 PM To: Garner, William; Burns, Brendan; connie@mpaaz.org; Caton,Greg; Hornat,Joe; Waters, Lou; Snider, Mary; Zinkin, Mike; Satish Hiremath Subject: Public Participation Mr. Mayor and Council- I note an item on tonight's agenda regarding Public Participation. MPA was an active stakeholder during the creation of this policy. We supported the policy due to the predictability the process creates as related to process and timeframes. Additionally, as a reminder, MPA is an organization that strives to find common ground and create workable policies and solutions that create a balanced economic, natural and residential environment. We have even encouraged other jurisdictions to implement the same program. The provision to mandate only two meetings is reasonable and allows for flexibility while not unfairly placing the burden to create 100% consensus on the applicant or Town staff. Ultimately this is the goal, but realistically, not all projects or policies will achieve this unreasonable standard. Larger projects may need more meetings at the staffs discretion, while smaller projects may meet less. To mandate additional meetings removes this flexibility to be pliable to different projects and needs. At the end of the day, the Council still has the same ability to approve or not approve a project where you believe common ground is not achieved. I have attached our original letter on this issue. Thank you for your consideration. Common Ground Awards December 5th! http://mpaaz.orji/events/com,non-jiround fm6er Sjt6, M Executive Director 1 Metropolitan Pima i`kiliance Amberginpaaz.org, (c) 520.878.8811 2 • ....................... s „, , „ • o l . t a.n P.i.ma Alliance Mission:Metropolitan Pima Alliance is dedicated to improving the quality of life and economic viability of metropolitan Pima County.MPA will strive to create dialogue among diverse groups to promote sound community planning solutions. July 24, 2009 Town of Oro Valley Mayor& Council 11000 N. La Canada Dr. Oro Valley AZ 85737 RE: Public Hearing: OV7-09-06 Dear Mayor& Council: Metropolitan Pima Alliance (MPA) acts as a voice for responsible and reasonable development. We have over 130 members representing both the residential and commercial industries. MPA's goals directly relate to improving our region's quality of life and economic vitality and, to that end, we support the Town's concept of public participation aimed at creating more successful development projects. MPA appreciates the work the Town has done in trying to create an ordinance that provides effective public participation; however, our organization would like to offer a few comments related to the implementation of this policy. MPA agrees that public participation should be conducted earlier in the development process than what is commonly practiced now. We agree that better collaboration between developers and affected neighbors would create a more efficient development process. As such,we believe that this process could be better improved by increasing the level of certainty for a developer. As in the case of administrative decisions in which a developer receives project approval once their due diligence is complete, those development projects that complete their due diligence and receive neighborhood approval, as determined by the Planning Director, would receive automatic project approval by the Design Review Board. This amendment to the proposal would create incentives for developers to work more closely with neighborhoods. Secondly, MPA requests that Council support staff's recommendation to allow exceptions to this policy be granted by the Planning and Zoning Director. In retaining this flexibility, staff can best determine the cases in which neighborhood concerns are not applicable, thus :<s,:;:>:v'::: allowing for a more time efficient process for both staff and the developer. Matt* ti'v P,0. .Rim.2790 Tactor.,: AZ 85702 I Phonic: (52W 791-10" ° Yw.n. pia;_org Mayor and Council July 24,2009,2009 P.2 Third, MPA understands that the point of the first neighborhood meeting in which staff facilitates the presentation is to educate the neighbors on how the project relates to the General Plan, current zoning and other technical knowledge related more so to the Town Code rather than the specific project details. During the Planning and Zoning meeting it was suggested that the developer be excluded from this presentation. MPA requests that the applicant be a part of this first meeting because undoubtedly, project questions will arise from neighbors. The point of the public participation ordinance seems to be to fairly represent all parties during the development process. Excluding the developer during any part of the public participation process is contradictory to this. At times, many issues can be addressed and remedied by the developer at the onset. If the developer is excluded from these discussions at any point, it could ultimately create for a longer, more tedious process for both staff and the developer. MPA supports creating a process in which neighborhood participation occurs sooner rather than later; however, we believe that these three amendments would improve the policy for the developer, neighbors and staff. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at 520-360-4806 or at Amber@MPAAZ.org Sincerely, ieglept Amber Smith Governmental Relations Director CC: David Andrews,Town Manager Paul Popelka, Planning & Zoning Mary Davis, Communications Administrator Kathi Cuvelier,Town Clerk Standish, Michael From: Dave Perry <dave@orovalleychamber.com> Sent: Monday, November 10, 2014 11:51 AM To: Bower,Julie; Standish, Michael Subject: comments re: La Posada Good morning Julie and Mike, I'm pasting in a copy of the remarks I made at town council Nov. 5. I'm not sure how the protocol works; whether this becomes part of an archive, or minutes, or some form of communication. I just wanted to be sure the keepers of government records had this on hand. Thanks for all you do. You are terrifically and consistently responsive. Take care, Dave ••• My name is Dave Perry. I'm the president / CEO of the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, and a resident of Oro Valley. Last Wednesday, I took an afternoon field trip to La Posada at Park Centre in Green Valley. As you know, the La Posada Holding Company has purchased more than 70 acres of land east of First Avenue as the site of a continuing care retirement community. La Posada is not a member of our Chamber, nor has the company asked me to speak tonight. I went to Green Valley to see what La Posada looked like from the inside, to understand its business and community philosophy, and to learn more about their Oro Valley proposal. I came away terrifically impressed, and wanted to share with you my enthusiasm. La Posada at Park Centre is lovely, well-maintained, active, charitable ... and an enormous economic driver in that community, to the tune of$53 million a year, with hundreds of loyal employees, and thousands of dollars and hours given to community well-being. That economic and community impact doesn't get talked about much in Oro Valley. As the applicant goes through its long, sometimes frustrating, expensive review process, with neighborhood meetings, conversations about building heights and drainage and environmentally sensitive lands and traffic, we don't talk about jobs, and community well-being, and the fact this may be an unparalleled opportunity for Oro Valley, one that should not detract from our other fine senior living facilities. La Posada proposes space for parks, recreation and retail uses, with the future possibility of a community desire such as a theater. Its architect Vernon Swaback, who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, wants to create a world-class senior environment in Oro Valley, and this company has the financial resources, the experience, the community ethic and the desire to bring something of, dare we say it, world-class stature to our community. La Posada has been successful in Green Valley for many reasons. A key one— the company has been able to maintain flexibility in the products it creates. The senior apartment it built in 1987 is not nearly the same solar-equipped home it built in 2013. The market has changed. Please keep in mind that this is a long-term project, perhaps 20 years in the making. It's crucial that Oro Valley provide La Posada the ability to be nimble. We don't know what the market will want in 2034. We are completely certain they won't mess it up. I understand a number of members of town council and staff are heading to Green Valley soon for a visit. I think that's terrific. In fact, I hope more members of our staff, our planning commission and council go to Green Valley, so they too can see and embrace the possibilities, and figure out ways to say 'yes' to this proposal. Thank you for your time and your service. Dave Perry President and CEO Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce 7435 North Oracle Road, Suite 107 Oro Valley,Arizona 85704 (p) 520.297.2191 (f) 520.742.7960 dave@orovalleychamber.com 2