Oro Valley residents express growth concerns and desire for balanced development

The Oro Valley Path Forward Resident Working Group convened on April 14, 2025, to discuss key community concerns and future planning strategies. The meeting began with a reminder of the ground rules, emphasizing the need for focused and succinct contributions from participants due to the ambitious agenda.

The first topic addressed was the balanced approach to growth in Oro Valley. Over the past year, the group gathered input from residents through various outreach methods, including a statistically valid survey conducted via phone, online, and paper formats. The survey revealed that 68% of residents expressed concern about growth, highlighting a strong desire to protect the environment while balancing development needs.

Participants noted a nearly even split in preferences regarding Oro Valley's future: some residents favor maintaining its status as a bedroom suburb, while others advocate for becoming more self-sufficient with increased housing, employment, and entertainment options. The consistency of responses across different survey methods was particularly noteworthy, providing confidence in the representativeness of the data.

In addition to the survey, the group conducted over 93 community events and utilized an interactive website, which echoed similar themes of concern about growth and a desire for more recreational and retail opportunities, as well as high-quality job options. The discussions underscored the importance of maintaining Oro Valley's unique suburban character while addressing the community's evolving needs.

The meeting concluded with a recognition that Oro Valley is nearing its build-out phase, prompting further discussions on how to strategically manage growth while preserving the community's environmental resources and quality of life. The group aims to develop guiding principles that reflect these priorities as they move forward in planning for the future.