Current Site Conditions
- The property encompasses approximately 8.9 acres
- Vacant
- Extensive archaeological work has been conducted on the entire Town Center development
Land Use Context
The subject property is designated as Neighborhood Commercial/Office on the General Plan with a zoning designation of Rancho Vistoso PAD Town Center, which permits a mixed use development including single-family residential and commercial. The General Plan and Zoning maps for the property and the surrounding area are included in Attachment 5.
History
- 1987: The property was part of the original Rancho Vistoso PAD
- 2006: Development plan approved for Rancho Vistoso Town Center
The Development Plan approval was the culmination of an intensive process to thoughtfully develop the Town Center area. The Town Center, has as its core, the Honey Bee Village Archaeological Preserve. The Preserve is a pre-historic Hohokam Indian site which has been permanently protected and donated to Pima County by the property owner. The Preserve is a highly unique feature for the Oro Valley area and will be a great historical destination for the foreseeable future.
The approved Development Plan was designed around the Preserve to maintain the highest level of preservation. The plan included a single-family component, a multi-family component as well as the commercial component nearest the intersection. The commercial component (see Attachment 6) was designed to include a number of retail and restaurant uses with a special emphasis placed on showcasing the display are and entrance to the preserve. The area was to serve as a destination to compliment the Preserve.
- 2006: Final Plat approved for Rancho Vistoso Town Center
- 2008: Approved development plan for subject property expired
- 2016: Block plat approved to relocate Archaeological Display Area
Conceptual Site Plan and Landscape Plan
The applicant's proposal (Attachment 2) is to develop an approximate 8.9-acre property into 37 detached single-family residential lots on 7.3-acres, 1.6 acres planned for future commercial and the Archaeological Display Area. The following is a description of the three components
- Residential: The residential portion includes 37 detached single-family units with lot sizes ranging from 4,600 sq. ft. to 6,500 sq. ft. with an average lot size of approximately 5,000 sq. ft. Sidewalks have been provided throughout the subdivision with connections to the commercial, display area and larger pedestrian network in the area.
- Commercial: The commercial component includes approximately 14,640 sq. ft. of building area, a loading zone and refuse areas. Screen walls and landscaping incorporated into the commercial area will help minimize impacts to the adjacent residential. A substantial increase in traffic is expected at the intersection of Rancho Vistoso Boulevard and Moore Road as the Moore Road loop extension is developed. This increase in traffic will make the future commercial more viable in this area. Furthermore, the commercial should serve as a complimentary land use to the nearby Preserve when it opens to the public.
- Archaeological Display Area: Staff and the applicant have worked with Pima County and the Historic Preservation Commission to develop a concept plan (Attachment 4) for the the Display Area and entrance to the adjacent Honey bee Village Archaeological Preserve. The design and programming have drawn substantially from the Implementation Plan approved for the Preserve in 2007, which established a design theme for the area. The concept plan will incorporate a number of amenities including a ramada with tables, benches and interpretive signage and is proposed to ultimately be dedicated to the Town upon completion. The applicant will construct the Display Area in conjunction with the adjacent residential component.
Additional discussion and analysis regarding the Conceptual Site Plan and Landscape Plan including the Display Area is provided in Attachment 7.
Rancho Vistoso PAD, Zoning Code Design Principles and Design Standards Analysis
The applicant's proposal has been reviewed for conformance with the Rancho Vistoso PAD Design Standards and the Town of Oro Valley Zoning Code. The proposal will be similar to existing developments in the area with varied streetscapes and pedestrian connections to the larger regional network. The proposal is consistent with all applicable PAD and Zoning Code requirements. A discussion and analysis of the projects conformance with these requirements is included in Attachment 8.
Public Participation
Two neighborhood meetings were held on September 15, 2014, and April 6, 2015, regarding the applicant’s proposal. Approximately 15 to 20 residents attended each meeting. The primary topics discussed during the meetings included:
- Compatibility: Neighbors were concerned about the compatibility of the commercial portion of the applicant's proposal. Staff provided details regarding the future vision for the commercial center and the potential benefit to the archaeological preserve. Additionally, the applicant provided details regarding landscaping, screening and buffer yard requirements for commercial developments. Furthermore, the applicant agreed to install screen walls to minimize potential headlight pollution for adjacent residences.
- Traffic: Neighbors had concerns about the existing level of traffic in the area and the impact additional traffic might have. Staff discussed the future plans for the signal at the Rancho Vistoso Bouelvard and Moore Road intersection, and the eventual impact on current traffic conditions in the area.
- Honey Bee Village Preserve: Neighbors were concerned about negative impacts to the Preserve. Staff detailed the continued plan for long-term preservation and maintenance of the Preserve.
Information provided by staff and the applicant addressed all issues discussed during the two neighborhood meetings.
A copy of the neighborhood meeting minutes have been provided in Attachment 9.
No additional correspondence has been received by staff.
Conceptual Design Review Board
The CDRB considered the applicant's proposal on July 6, 2016, and recommended approval, subject to the minor conditions in Attachment 1. The CDRB staff report and meeting minutes are provided in Attachment 10 and 11, respectively.
Historic Preservation Commission
The applicant's concept plan proposal for the Display Area was considered by the Historic Preservation Commission on September 6, 2016. The commission recommended approval of the Archaeological Display Area plan and amenities, as well as support for the future dedication of the site upon completion. The Historic Preservation Commission staff report is provided in Attachment 12. |