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Council initiates Rooney Ranch general‑plan and rezoning review; directs commercial focus along Oracle Road
Summary
The Oro Valley Town Council voted 6–0 on Sept. 17 to initiate a general‑plan amendment and PAD rezoning process for town‑owned Rooney Ranch property, directing staff to prioritize commercial frontage along Oracle Road and to restrict much of Area 4 to open‑space uses.
The Oro Valley Town Council on Sept. 17 voted to initiate a general‑plan amendment and rezoning for the town‑owned portions of the Town Center Planned Area Development commonly known as Rooney Ranch, focusing council direction on preserving commercial opportunity along Oracle Road while limiting residential intensity near the wash and slopes.
Principal Planner Michael Spathe reviewed the site and existing entitlements: Area 3 is roughly 13.4 acres and currently permits mixed uses including non‑hotel buildings up to 35 feet (plus 10 feet architectural) and a 75‑foot hotel envelope; Area 4 is about 95 acres with a prior PAD approval for single‑story residential lots and 75% open space. Spathe said earlier attempts to develop Area 4 stalled because the cost of retaining walls and grading made the subdivision financially unviable.
Council direction and motion: Mayor Joseph C. Winfield moved — and council seconded and approved 6–0 — to initiate amendments that included:
- Consider building heights in Area 3 revised from 30 feet plus 10 feet architectural detail toward a 39 feet plus 10 feet maximum (three‑story hotel equivalency) to allow flexibility for commercial viability; - Remove the current first‑floor commercial requirement for multifamily development in Area 3 to increase market feasibility; - Limit most of Area 4 permitting to open space and limited recreational uses (hiking, biking, equestrian, etc.) to preserve the park/open‑space character; - Expand the commercial acreage immediately adjacent to Area 2 along Oracle Road (new Area 5) and add an additional small expansion labeled Area 6 to increase contiguous commercial frontage while avoiding 25% slope areas; and - Zone Area 3 to a PAD standard that mirrors Neighborhood Commercial Office (CN) principles, preserving the CN rule that permits up to 50% residential in mixed‑use areas while retaining PAD control of site standards.
Why it matters: Rooney Ranch is town‑owned land in a high‑visibility location on Oracle Road. Council said it wants to maximize commercial opportunities on the frontage to help generate revenue and activity while protecting slopes and open space farther from Oracle Road.
Clarifying details cited in the staff report and discussion:
- Area sizes: Area 3 ≈ 13.4 acres; Area 4 ≈ 95 acres (staff figure); approved PAD for Area 4 previously envisioned 77 single‑family lots limited to single‑story heights (18–19 feet depending on distance to Oracle Road).
- Development constraints: Staff noted substantial retaining‑wall and grading costs made prior single‑family development unviable for private developers; Kitchell (private owner of adjacent Area 2) has expressed interest in activation but utilities and visibility constraints remain.
- Process: Council’s initiation will route the amendment through neighborhood meetings, Planning & Zoning public hearings and required general‑plan amendment steps. Staff said neighborhood outreach and revised PAD standards will be developed before formal public hearings.
Next steps: Staff will prepare a PAD amendment and revised general‑plan language, conduct neighborhood and stakeholder meetings and return to Planning & Zoning and council for public hearings and formal adoption steps. The council’s initiation does not itself rezone the property but authorizes staff to start the amendment process.
Ending: The motion passed unanimously; staff will draft PAD standards and hold outreach to refine heights, view‑shed protections and the proposed commercial expansions along Oracle Road.
