Council accepts 60% 'OV's Path Forward' draft for public comment, adopts nuanced height guidance and asks staff to add small‑scale food/agriculture actions

The Oro Valley Town Council on Sept. 17 voted 6–0 to accept the 60% draft of OV's Path Forward — the town’s next 10‑year community action plan — and to release that draft for public comment between Sept. 22 and Oct. 31.

Principal Planner Marni Sims told council the 60% draft incorporates resident working‑group input, clarifies language from the 30% draft and includes web‑based publication to increase transparency. Sims said staff received more than 300 comments on the 30% draft and that roughly 116 residents participated in 25 working‑group meetings that shaped goals, policies and actions.

Why it matters: the 60% draft is the first comprehensive version being circulated for community review; council acceptance starts the public review clock and keeps the plan on schedule for additional resident meetings, Planning & Zoning hearings and, ultimately, placement on the ballot if council approves a final plan.

Notable plan points and council direction:

- Building‑height guidance: Council adopted Option 3 (a nuanced approach) as the guiding principle for building heights; that option preserves a community preference for predominantly one‑to‑two‑story buildings, allows three stories in appropriate locations and permits case‑by‑case consideration for unique uses while creating a separate guiding principle focused on protecting view corridors and mountain vistas.

- Land‑use and map updates: Sims said the planning area was extended west to the Marana town limits and south to areas identified in the draft; the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve was reclassified from "resort and golf course" to "park" to match current use. The plan also renames and clarifies the "Neighborhood Commercial Office" designation to emphasize mixed‑use and retail opportunities and requires a more rigorous amendment process if a proposed change would convert more than 50% of a local commercial activity center to residential.

- Sustainability and food production: Councilmember Rob moved, and the council approved, direction for staff to draft additional sustainability goals, principles and actions supporting small‑scale food production and animal husbandry to be included in later drafts.

Public comment: Several members of the public spoke during the agenda item. Two performing‑arts advocates asked that the plan not preclude future public/private collaboration for a performing arts center; Bill Rodman, representing performing‑arts organizers, asked council to remove a sentence in Action 64 that would say a center "will be completely financially independent from the town." Rodman and Joe Ursig asked council not to lock out future public‑private partnership options before a market feasibility study is complete. Kristen Sharp, president and CEO of the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, urged council not to adopt a strict three‑story blanket height limit and voiced support for the adopted Option 3 language.

Next steps: The 60% draft will be posted online and distributed in PDF. Staff will collect public comment through Oct. 31, reconvene resident working‑group meetings in December, and return a 90% draft (resident‑recommended) to Planning & Zoning and council. Sims noted state law requires a 60‑day review period for surrounding jurisdictions and agencies.

Ending: Council accepted the 60% draft and the guiding principle option and directed staff to draft the additional sustainability language; the 6–0 vote released the draft for community comment.