The purpose of this agenda item is to hold the final public hearing on the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan, and affirm the readiness of the plan for the public vote. Now at the end of the Phase 3, the final version of the plan has been presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission and is now before the Town Council for final adoption. The final plan being presented is refined from the 90% Plan version tentatively adopted by Town Council on November 4, 2015. Revisions are mostly administrative in nature, but also include a dedication to community member Bill Adler, a change in the "small-town" language used four times and additional language on the intent of land use changes.
Since the launch of the Your Voice, Our Future project in September 2013, Oro Valley’s residents have been hard at work building the next community plan, commonly referred to as the general plan. In Phase 1 “Let’s Talk” many voices came together to shape the community’s Vision and Guiding Principles. In Phase 2 “Let’s Think” three resident committees used that work as a foundation to build the Plan which will guide the Town’s future. In Phase 3 “Do it! Make it so” residents affirmed the contents of the Plan and helped in readying the final version of the Plan for the public vote.
The Your Voice, Our Future General Plan includes many topic areas, as well as goals, policies and actions which will impact numerous aspects of the community. Due to the importance of this plan, state law requires broad public outreach, public hearings and a public vote. In partnership with residents, Town staff has continually strived to go far and beyond the minimum requirements. As such, the plan has been formally discussed at a second round of public hearings this fall. Following adoption, the plan will be publicized to the community as part of a public education effort before it’s presented to voters for ratification as part of the November 8, 2016 general election. |
Phase 1 “Let’s talk”
Before any work began on the Your Voice, Our Future project, a plan for how to engage and reach members of the community was crafted by residents. In April 2013, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of a Public Participation Plan (PPP) to the Oro Valley Town Council. In turn, this plan for community outreach, developed by Town residents, was formally adopted by the Town Council on May 1 of that year.
The PPP has served as the “To do” list throughout the Your Voice, Our Future project. Directives in the PPP range from “Provide practical, clear and compelling information that directly relates the General Plan to residents’ lives” to “Go to the community; do not solely rely on the public to attend large forums.” The PPP also includes specific outreach methods and lists of community stakeholders to include in the effort.
A variety of methods were used to launch the conversation with the community in Phase 1. These methods were designed to reach as many people as possible and included outreach through media, at events and community meetings, through local newsletters, as well as an extensive online campaign including opportunities for active conversation between community members. Four different survey methods were employed, including a telephone, event, online survey and a survey in the Explorer newspaper. The results of all the community’s voices were formed into a big picture statement or vision about Oro Valley’s future. It answers the question, “What should Oro Valley be like in 10 years and beyond?” The Vision is further defined through twelve Guiding Principles. They both work together to illustrate the things that matter most to the majority of participants. In essence, the Vision and Guiding Principles created a framework, developed by residents, to use in Phase 2.
Phase 2 “Let’s think”
In order to build the contents of the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan, three committees were formed. Participants for the Your Voice Committees were recruited through an open application process and were placed on committees based on their experience, background and a need for balance. The 41 committee members cooperatively worked within the framework of the Vision and Guiding Principles.
The committees each had a different charge and topics related to three areas: Environment, Community and Development. During their meetings, committee members reviewed background information, discussed various issues, and made recommendations. They completed their work by using a workbook designed for the needs of their respective committee.
 Ultimately three drafts of the plan were prepared. A 30% completion version was reviewed at a joint ‘All-Committee’ meeting. The 60% completion version was used for broad community and stakeholder review, including a state-required 60-day agency review period. The 90% completion version was then prepared, again with the guidance of the Your Voice committees.
At the conclusion of Phase 2 “Let’s think!” the Recommended Draft (90% Completion) was presented to both the Planning and Zoning Commission and Town Council. At their October 20, 2015 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously endorsed the work of the Your Voice Committees and recommended tentative adoption of the Plan. At their November 4, 2015 meeting, the Town Council endorsed and tentatively adopted the plan.
Phase 3: “Do it! Make it so”
The last phase of the Your Voice, Our Future project has included further outreach to the community and finalization of the plan for the public vote. In preparation for the work of Phase 3, a Communications Advisory Committee (CAC) was formed. The CAC was tasked to develop highly effective communications directions for use in Phase 3. The CAC met three times between December 2015 and January 2016. The results are contained within the Phase 3 Communications Plan, which is a targeted refinement of the original Public Participation Plan (adopted by Town Council in May 2013). It follows the same themes and approach as the Public Participation Plan, but with more specifics designed to lead to an informed public vote. The work of that group was presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission on March 1, 2016.
During the spring of 2016, project staff and volunteers began outreach, which fulfilled the directions of the Phase 3 Communications Plan and the original PPP. Over the course of 16 weeks from February – May 2016, information about the plan was shared with the community, which was achieved through a variety of methods, examples of which include:
- Stakeholder meetings (HOA’s, schools, the Chamber of Commerce)
- Community events (Aquatic Center events, SAACA concerts, Easter Eggstravaganza)
- Web and social media announcements (Town website, Facebook)
- Print media (NW Explorer, Vista newsletter)
- Town meetings (boards and commissions, department review)
Information was also available at the Town buildings, with a rotating display and information at the Oro Valley Community Center.
At the conclusion of the spring 2016 outreach, a number of final edits were made to the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan (Attachment 1). These changes were previously anticipated by both project staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Town Council. At the public hearings occurring in October and November of 2015 both groups signaled the need for final edits the reach the 100% Plan version. The majority of the changes made to the final plan are administrative in nature in that they improve the clarity through correcting typographical errors, formatting and minor text edits. Other changes to the final version include:
- Plan dedication to Bill Adler acknowledging a dedicated community activist (inside cover)
- Revised "small-town" language to instead read as "neighborly" and "unique." This was intended to address the unclear meaning where the intention was to convey a feeling of friendliness and not the growth potential (three mentions on p. 8 and one mention on p. 41)
- Additional language on the intent of land use changes, clarifying that land use map amendments should be handled through amendment process (p. 42)
On June 2, 2016, the final version of the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan was completed. It was then sent to local agencies for a courtesy 60-day review period. The 90% version of the plan had previously been sent in June 2015 for a 60-day review period. No substantial comments were received from the most recent 60-day review period.
The Planning and Zoning Commission then held two public hearings on August 23 and September 6, 2016. These public hearings included Major General Plan Amendment requests for the property known as Vistoso Highlands and the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan.
The hearings included a presentation by Town staff as well as the opportunity for public comment. A few residents spoke at each meeting. The primary topic of public comment was the staff proposed revision to the "small-town" term as used in previous versions of the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan to "neighborly." This revision was intended to clarify the intent of participants which is to maintain a feeling of friendliness and community.
After receiving testimony from concerned residents, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the language be revised to read "small-town, neighborly" as shown in Attachment 2. This language reflects the desire of participants to maintain a special "small-town, neighborly feeling" in the community.
At the September 6, 2016 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission also recommended adoption of the Vistoso Highlands amendment, which is also shown in Attachment 2. The issues that were raised and discussed are summarized in the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes, as seen in Attachment 3. Additionally, a few email comments were submitted, as seen in Attachment 4.
Following the final public hearings, a final public education campaign will commence. Efforts will be targeted on spreading the word regarding the upcoming public vote as well as the contents and importance of the plan. Project staff and volunteers will again use many methods to reach people that have previously proven successful. Examples of the planned efforts include:
- 5 advertisements in the Explorer newspaper
- 16 posts to the Town’s website and Facebook page
- 6 blast email updates
- Announcements to water bill customers through the Vista newsletter
- Information distributed through various local newsletters, including homeowners associations
- Attendance at many community events, including large gatherings scheduled for this fall
 Final Results
The Your Voice, Our Future project has been an extensive and far-reaching effort to build a community plan inspired, created and ultimately ratified by the residents of the Town of Oro Valley. Over the course of the three phases a concerted effort has been maintained to reach as many people in the community as possible. The directions of the 2013 Public Participation Plan were consistently followed with an eye towards adaptability when needed. An example of the reach of the project can be seen through the media and print coverage completed thus far. Highlights include:
- 14 articles in newspapers and newsletters, including 3 articles in the Arizona Daily Star (estimated 238,000 readers per weekday)
- 23 advertisements in the Explorer newspaper (distribution to 43,700 households weekly)
- 18 announcements to Oro Valley water customers through bill mailings (16,000 households)
- 164 announcements on the Town website and social media, including 68 announcements on the Town’s Facebook page (over 3,000 followers)
- 53 email updates provided to participants (around 1,000 people total)
These numbers will increase with after the completion of the final public education campaign this fall.
Conclusion:
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommends adoption of the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan, with the following two modifications, as shown in Attachment 2:
- Amend the Land Use Map for the Vistoso Highlands property.
- Maintain use of the term "small-town" along with "neighborly" in four locations.
Project staff also recommends a condition that future administrative changes shall be permitted that correct typographical errors and adjust formatting as needed.
Considerable work has been completed as part of the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan. The project is reaching the final milestone. The Your Voice, Our Future General Plan is now being presented to the Town Council for review and final adoption. Following Town Council action, a final public awareness and outreach campaign will begin. On November 8, 2016, the culmination of work by many will be presented to the public for voter ratification. |