Town updates outreach plan for Vistoso Golf General Plan Amendment

Published on July 17, 2020

The Town of Oro Valley has updated the public outreach plan for the proposed Vistoso Golf General Plan Amendment and Rezoning. Based on a request from the applicant, Romspen Vistoso, LLC (Romspen), the Town has agreed to postpone all neighborhood meetings for the application until the spring of 2021. This decision was made to provide additional time for successful completion of the open space purchase negotiations between Romspen and The Conservation Fund.

“We want to ensure that the two parties have all the resources for successful negotiations, and right now, a critical resource is time,” said Bayer Vella, the Town’s Planning Manager.

Discussion among the relevant parties is ongoing; however, a 30-day stay on the application was made by Romspen in June 2020, which has now elapsed. The applicant will request, and staff will recommend, a continuance of the application at upcoming Planning & Zoning Commission and Town Council meetings to finalize negotiations and complete the neighborhood meeting process.

“There has been significant public participation on this application, and the public outreach will continue,” added Vella. “The number and type of neighborhood meetings will not be reduced for this application.”

State law requires Town Council action on a Tier 1 Major General Plan Amendment within the same calendar year submitted. In this case, it must occur by December’s end. A “continuance” is considered an “action”.  If the Town Council approves the continuance, application processing will recommence—unless withdrawn—after the December Town Council hearing without postponement until the next Tier 1 General Plan Amendment submittal and review cycle.

Background
A Type I (Major) General Plan Amendment was formally submitted for the Vistoso Golf property in April 2020. Two informational videos were created and posted on OVprojects.com and one online Zoom neighborhood meeting was conducted regarding the project.

In June, staff was directed by Town Council to “…work with The Conservation Fund and Romspen on the potential preservation of the open space that was formerly the Vistoso golf course, and to work with The Conservation Fund to help identify possible funding, including grant funding, to acquire the property for a green space to be gifted to the Town.”

Romspen then requested a 30-day stay on application processing to determine intent and feasibility of a purchase by The Conservation Fund.

For more information visit OVprojects.com or contact AskOV at ask@orovalleyaz.gov

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