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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPackets - Council Packets (1003)L , Jx 55Ed4?, To: Oro Valley Mayor, Joe Winfield and Oro Valley Council Members 11000 N La Canada Drive, Oro Valley, AZ 85737 CC: Chuck Huckelberry, Pima County Board of Supervisors, CountyAdministrator 130 W Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701 Ally Miller Pima County Supervisor District 1 130 W Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701 Suzanne Shields, P.E., Director Pima County Flood Control Dist. 201 N Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 RE: Urgent Requests from area residents to certain details and Issues that the oro Valley Town Council will soon address in the upcoming Annexation and Rezoning vote December 10, 2018 This letter is being sent to address our serious concerns surrounding the Oro Valley annexation and rezoning of the 885 acre State Land Proposed Annexation Project. We, the residents of Orange Ranch Estates and other concerned neighbors who attended the Camino del Norte Oro Valley meeting, are a group of residents to the southwest of the proposed project. The ORE development originated in the 1970s and 1980s, is located in the upper half of what appears to be a section/township/range immediately south of Lambert, between Camino de Oeste and Thornydale. We are depicted on only one or two of your maps, but are depicted on page 27 of your Arizona State Land Department Tangerine Road and Thornydale Road Specific Plan presentation/information packet on your website. Our major concern is the flooding of our development during the monsoon season due directly to the changes being made upstream (Northeast) of us. Our development is roughly 250 acres, and represents 75 home sites. According to current zoning laws, which you are proposing to change soon, the 885 acres should hold approximately 228 home sites. Instead you may vote to increase that number by 13 to 17 times the current number allowed. The negative consequences to our properties with increased water run off in making such zoning changes puts more liability on your shoulders, and we intend to hold you accountable. We and the other concerned neighbors were allowed by Pima County to build our homes according to the County's specific requirements at the time of our development's conception. Pima County has made certain flood control changes, notably in 2007, around the time Fry's Market was built at Tangerine and Thornydale. Since the recent building of many more homes surrounding the proposed project and annexation site, to the west and north of the intersection of Tangerine and Thornydale and the recent completion of the Tangerine Road improvements, we have threatening floods on our properties throughout the monsoon season year after year. Several of us have lived here since the seventies and have seen stronger than normal monsoon seasons through the years but never have our houses experience actual flooding as they have these past few years. In 2018, in the space of four months, beginning in June and ending just before your 1 st meeting to introduce this proposal to the community this neighborhood had at least three one-hour "rain bombs", as they are now referred to, that dropped nearly 3 inches of rain per hour each event. Two such events were spaced only a few days apart. Many sections of Thornydale Rd and Linda Vista areas were impassable. Camino de Oeste and Cortero were impacted by sand heaps making those roads impassable. Forty railroad cars were blown over right after the bomb passed through our neighborhood. Our washes were full and homes were threatened or did receive water inundation. This was referred to as a 200 year event. At the time Orange Ranch Estates was platted and these homes were built the inundations were calculated at a 50 year event. Thirty five years later it appears that the 50year event plan is superfluous. It has been moved to a 100 event schedule. Yet we are already experiencing 200 year events ... we mention this because the planning to contain water runoff from the proposed project needs to be calculated assuming 200 year events not 100. PLEASE NOTE: When asked in the first of the four meetings scheduled in November/December 2018 how many acres of holding basins are required to hold the run off from the approximate 250 acres of impervious surface that is expected to be part of this proposal, the WLP Group's Senior project Manager said that that was just a mathematical calculation that he did not have. We do not see how that number can be missing from the proposal. It is a calculation that you need to consider up front and center as a consequence of what you are approving. Furthermore, how is today's runoff calculated? Do you, the voting members, not NEED these numbers BEFORE you vote? We emphatically insist that you to pay particular attention to the verbal promise made at the very 1 st aro Valley meeting on the subject and made by the Applicant: We were told verbally that the run-off from the 885 acres as measured today before any development, is to be reduced by l0% after all development is completed. However in the printed material, it is stated that Sections 10 and 11 will be reduced by 10%. We questioned the speaker at another meeting and he again stated that all of the property's sections will be reduced by 10%. Do not vote on a proposal that only covers responsibility for part of the annexed area. Do not vote before we can see what their calculations are and question them. - Know the specifics of the method of measuring the current out flow in its current natural state. You must expect the answer to make sense by not only today's measuring stick, but by at least a 200 year event plan, as we are already experiencing such weather patterns in this area. - We hereby request that if you change the landscape as proposed, that you require the Developer to make offsite provisions for run off water by channelizing and containing the flow until it meets up With other Pima County channelized Water flows, such CDo or Rillito channels. We do NOT Want any approval of the project that does not include ehannefing the runoff to avoid our community. We would request an outside impartial hydrologist engineering specialist to calculate the impact our community might expect from this annexation and zoning change. Clearly this Was not considered When approving the Sky Ranch and other developments north of us. IPCC just released the newest report that encourages community members to approach people like you making decisions like this with higher expectations of awareness of what may befall us in the normal course of business. We believe the 100 year measuring stick is likely already outdated. We find it odd that Pima County is required to be a neutral party in this annexation and rezoning process, even though our community is under its jurisdiction and not that of either Marana or oro Valley. Who at a government level is Watching out for our community's wellbeing and safety While these large zoning changes are being considered? Pine. County is a partner in Flood Control in the proposed annexed area and all the areas surrounding it. We are asking you to Work in tandem to contain the offsite Water. Please understand the legal ramifications of your decisions as they adversely affect surrounding communities. We look forward to hearing your response to our concerns and thank you for the opportunity to discuss these matters at the upcoming meeting. Jg ie Ymta7yNDxa.nge nch Estates Homeowner Date /,-J-/,-'e Date Jennifer., rehead, Orange Ranch Estates Association President Date �' VaA474 diL V/---) Date�O , � — Richard Yan ow, Orange Ranch Estates Association Vice President If you have questions you may write to: OREHOA PO BOX 91197 Tucson, AZ 85752 Or email: Julie Rotary, Homeowner : Jennifer Morehead , HOA President : Richard Yandow, HOA Vice President: Diana and Dennis Campbell �Qy Tucson, AZ c'pI8 November 15, 2018 Melanie Barrett, Vice Mayor Town of Oro Valley 11000 N La Canada Drive Oro Valley, AZ 85737 Dear Ms. Barrett; We are writing in regards to the proposed annexation of Tangerine State Land and the specific re -zoning plan, which I'm sure you are aware of. This is a very unpopular and extremely disturbing plan. This specific plan is not at all aligned with the GENERAL PLAN. We have been attending all the neighborhood meetings with regards to the annexation and rezoning plans. We strongly object to, and PROTEST this plan. During the meetings, there is never enough time for everyone to voice their concerns. Also, all of the concerns are not duly noted. Another concern, we feel our "voice" is not heard to the extent of "our voice". So much is lost in interpretation. We just built, and moved into our custom home on 4 acres which is directly adjacent to this State Land. Our property directly borders this land to the south. This plan would destroy our Property Value, which at our age would be completely devastating. None of this proposed plan is in line with any of the Oro Valley General Plan or Oro Valley Street Standards. Special notes: Traffic / High Density / Special Study Floodplain and Important Riparian Areas Oro Valley General Plan.. Section 27.6 Landscape Conservation states: 1) Preserving Land Values 2) Preserving Environmental Quality - Contributing to the reduction of Air Pollution 3) Enhancing design — Reducing adverse impacts between potentially incompatible uses 4) Promoting Living Quality — - by protecting the right of property enjoyment through nuisance reduction - soften the harsher aspects of urban development IN KEEPING with the General Plan, we request no access from the development in to Tortolita Acres Community; no extending our roads into the proposed development. Furthermore, request that Camino del Norte NOT be extended to Shannon. Refer to Town Of Oro Valley Subdivision Street Standards and Policies Manual 4.1 Street Layout: "Residential Lots shall not front on collectors or arterials" This would be a major Arterial Road running through the FRONT YARDS of some resident's property. Access to the Proposed Development to be at major roads only, IE: Thornydale and Tangerine. Refer to Town of Oro Valley Subdivision Street Standards and Policies Manual Appendix H: Traffic Calming Policy: "The purpose of these standards is to incorporate traffic calming methods in development standards in order to discourage cut -through traffic thereby reducing speed -related problems in proposed local subdivisions. Traffic Calming Development Standards will be incorporated into the Oro Valley Subdivision Street Standards and all future subdivisions will be subject to these requirements. POLICY. Local streets should be discontinuous .... Streets generally should be interrupted with jogs and offsets resulting in an S-curve configuration.... The intent of traffic calming is to minimize the potential cut -through traffic between major streets. Major streets are defined as arterials and collectors. Minimizing the potential cut -through traffic between major streets can be accomplished by preventing connections between major streets ... Special Note: If Camino del Norte was extended to connect with Shannon, it would run through our property, putting our well less than 100 feet from the road. The required setback for our well is to have a minimum of a 100 foot radius free of any structure or road. In accordance with Oro Valley's General Plan to: "promote the compatibility between adjacent and distinct land uses and preserving existing views and screening from view those uses which may be detrimental to adjacent property values... and encouraging in-place preservation of native vegetation which is an integral part of the Sonoran Desert and which contributes to property values, high quality of life, and the unique lifestyle which the community enjoys".... and to reduce adverse impacts between potentially incompatible uses and zones by requiring an appropriate level of buffering and screening..." We respectfully request the buffer unit along Camino del Norte to be larger than 100 feet. The SP mentions where there are existing roads, there is as much as 150 feet of separation, coupled with the proposed 100 foot buffer would be a good transition HOWEVER where there is no road, and properties butt right up to the State Land, the buffer is too small. General Plan Compliance Analysis The CRITERIA, in the "General Plan Compliance Analysis" found in the Specific Plan, page 89: Higher density or intensity developments abutting lower density areas include buffering and shall substantially mitigate any negative impacts. Specific Plan Comments: "The SP proposes a gradual transition from high to medium to low intensity land uses located near the perimeter areas of the SP." ** Why then, are you including medium high density (R-4) to the far south of the Proposed Project, when these properties directly adjacent are on 1— 4 acres. The CRITERIA: The elements of the site plan display a rational relationship between land uses for the mutual benefit of the community and the neighborhood.... The SP protects, in a manner equal or superior to existing zoning, existing neighborhoods from harmful encroachment by intrusive or disruptive development.... Specific Plan Comments: The SP has been designed with these items in mind. Roads connect to surrounding roads at logical locations ..... Appropriate buffers are provided within the SP and on the perimeter of the SP .... The SP provides significant natural bufferyards on its perimeter to provide a transition between the SP and existing adjacent land uses. ** A buffer of only 100 feet, where property lines are directly adjacent to the Proposed Project, would be intrusive. This is not a significant buffer and provides little transition. SPECIFIC FINDINGS: The project is designed so that the additional traffic generated does not have significant adverse impact on surrounding development, or the development has detailed plans to mitigate the adverse conditions. SP Comments: Purchasers/developers of property with the SP will prepare Traffic Impact Analyses to address the impacts of development on roadways. ** This needs to be addressed prior to the zoning taking place. How can you propose to open up roads (Shannon, Camino del Norte, Camino Central) WITHOUT having adverse impacts and conditions to our neighborhood? How can the development have "detailed plans to mitigate the adverse conditions" when you are leaving it to the Purchasers/developers of the property to prepare a Traffic Impact Analyses? When we obtaining our building permit, there are important Riparian areas that were NOT to be disturbed. There is a special study floodplain area running through our property. These both flow from your proposed "Unit 10"; yet on your maps you are not even showing these as neither important Riparian corridors OR special study floodplain areas; They have been completely removed, vanished. WHERE did they go?? Flood Hazard Map, Pima County Records Fema Zone X, Special Study Area 19. Floodplain Use Permit -- Record: P17FC00463 – Building Record P17BPO4599 This map shows the special study floodplain area—this runs directly through our property, coming from the State Land, the proposed project site. Per Pima County Permit, the subject property is located within a Special Study Floodplain and erosion hazard area, report #46, Sheet Flood Mapping for Unincorporated Pima County (dated 08-08-2007). "The SP does not show this area as a floodplain, rather, is constructing Unit 11 in this area If the SP proposes to have extra detention facilities along the south, where adverse drainage conditions discharge to the south, where will they be located, if there is only a 100 foot buffer zone? The SP states that further evaluation of existing conditions and flooding adversely impacting the adjacent southerly neighborhood will be conducted. This needs to be conducted prior to rezoning. Important Riparian Areas: Floodplain Use Permit -- Record: P17FC00463 – Building Record P17BPO4599 Riparian Habitat Ordinance, Chapter 16.30 of the Floodplain and Erosion Hazard Management Ordinance, Title 16 of the Pima County Code This parcel contains Important Riparian Areas with underlying Xeroriparian Class C Habitat, as shown on the 2005 Riparian Classification Maps. 16.08.430 Important Riparian. Area. "Important Riparian Area," for purposes of this title, means riparian areas designated as Important Riparian Areas on maps adopted by the Board for their hydrologic, geomorphic, and biological values. These areas provide a critical function for landscape linkage and connectivity with other habitats and provide biological corridors. In"rtant Riparian Areas include hydroriparian, rnesoriparian, and xerariparian class A, B, C, and D habitat areas. (Ord. 2005 FC - 2 § 2 (part). 2005; Ord. 1999 FC- I ti I (part), 1999; Ord. 1994 FC -2 (part), 1994: Ord. 1988 FC - Art. 10 (B), 19 88) ** The Specific Plan does not show this location as an Important Riparian area, and shows constructing Unit 11 in this location. Riparian areas should not be disturbed. They slow the flow of water, which reduces erosion. By building here, they yet again increase flood potential Arizona State Museum; The property should be re -surveyed, per the Arizona State Museum since archaeological sites have been identified within this property area. Again, we strongly oppose and object to the proposed Specific Plan. It is not in alignment with the General Plan. There is a lot more work that needs to be done before any type of rezoning should even be considered. (ie Flood plains/flooding issues/Riparian/Archaeological sites/Traffic Issues) We ask for your help to review this. The current residents in this area ask for a more "respectful" plan. Comments from current residents: "Our many concerns; loss of major wildlife and riparian areas; this development would negatively impact the corridor; unchecked erosion and water runoff changes in existing surrounding residential areas; outrageously increased traffic on major roads and throughout the surrounding neighborhoods; excessive light and noise pollution from over -population and unchecked residential and commercial growth; and increased crime in local neighborhoods. Cut backs in police ranks have impacted the lack of police protection and patrols around this area to the point that crime has increased, and speed limits are all but ignored on the major roads as well as in and around the residential neighborhoods; how utterly crappy and congested Thornydale Road is and the impact of adding another approximately eight thousand vehicles to this area, with no plans to address" Hope you can help. With warm regards, Respectfully, Diana and Dennis Campbell Tucson, AZ January 1, 2019 Dear Mayor and Council Members of Oro Malley, There is Or was a meeting where you are to consider the Annexation of 885 State owned acres, and we wish to let you know that we have concerns that you should be aware of prior to your vote. There was a letter that was delivered to each of you, dated December 10, 2018 from members of a 250 acre parcel, known as Orange Ranch Estates to the southwest of the Annex area and we wish to ratify their sentiments on the water flow issues expected from the developed Annex area especially since we are in Tortillita Acres and effected more, as follows: 1) Know the specifics of the calculations and the methods used to measure the run-off waters in its natural state. 2) You must expect the answer to make sense. Ask: if you have 250 acres of impermeable surfaces, then how many acres of holding basins are required? What proportions will they be? 3) what is the release rate and how will release rates affect the neighbors? Will the release of these waters cause already saturated soils to the south and west of the development to overflew or prolong the saturation time between Monsoon storms? How can you be sure? 4) Can you really ignore the 1PCC report and not adjust the measurement to the 200 year flood event model, as we are already having 3 inches of rain per hour frequently in this neighborhood, which is different than the airport measurements? We believe the 100 year measuring stick is likely already outdated. us. S) we hereby request that if you change the landscape as proposed, that you require the Developer to make offsite previsions for run off water by channelizing and containing the flog until it Meets up with other Firm County channelized water flows, such CDo or Rillito channels. we do NOT want any approval of the project that does not include channeling the runoff to avoid our various communities to the south and west of this project, we would request an outside impartial hydrologist engineering specialist to calculate the impact our community might expect from this annexation and ening change. Clearly this was not considered when approving the sky Ranch and other developments north of us. 'here are times where we get very little rain, but are highly affected by rains in the Tortolitas to the North - Northeast of us. The gashes thru our property are already raging by the time it gets to our property preventing runoff from our property to exit into the wash. r C . 0 Ac Kare6 Merodias Date Address Frank Weitekamp Email :Addresses Date Address John & Kathleen Mulligan Tucson A2 December 18, 2018 Bayer Vella: Planning Manager: Planning and Zoning Administrator, Michael Spaeth: Principal Planner, Mayor Hiremath and Oro Valley Town Council 11000 N. La Canada Drive Oro Valley, AZ. 85737 Dear Mr. Vella, Mr. Spaeth, Mayor Hiremath and Oro Valley Town Council, laa441 a 4N I am writing to inform you that I PROTEST the rezoning of the Tangerine State Land to a designation of a Master Planned Community. This property is currently zoned as Suburban Ranch. Although I do not oppose development of the property in character with the surrounding communities, the planned development is not compatible with our area! My neighborhood is comprised of properties with average lots of approximately 1 to 5 acres. Our neighbors have horses, donkeys, goats, chickens, cows, etc. in our semi rural neighborhood. Neighbors enjoy walking, running and biking through the peaceful and scenic roads and paths north of Camino del Norte. In Tangerine 550, there is extensive natural desert vegetation including many Ironwood trees and Saguaro Cacti that are hundreds of years old. So many wildlife including coyotes, javelin, bobcats, mountain lions, Gila monsters and more live in this State Land. The planned density would equal 3205 homes/units on 5000-5500 square foot lots. This includes 3-5 story apartments proposed. The number of units proposed equates to more than 6,000-10,000 people moving into our area. This is NOT an acceptable plan for the entir rural area nor is it consistent with current neighborhoods. We are very concerned about water drainage issues, added traffic through our neighborhood and Thornydale's ability to support such a large development. I respectfully OBJECT to this rezoning application unless a no build buffer zone immediately north of Camino del Norte is included in the plan. Thank you,