Pima County agrees to buy 108.8 acres known as Kelly Ranch to expand lands adjacent to Catalina State Park

Pima County supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to approve an agreement to buy roughly 108.8 acres known as the Desert Springs subdivision, commonly called Kelly Ranch, for $6,000,000 plus closing costs.

The acquisition, which is immediately adjacent to Catalina State Park and identified in the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan as important for habitat connectivity, will be funded in part from the county’s Open Space program with a $600,000 contribution from the Regional Flood Control District and a potential $1.5 million state parks grant being sought. The Pima County Parklands Foundation is also soliciting private donations for the purchase.

County staff described the property as biologically significant, showing photos of riparian habitat and explaining the parcel’s role in maintaining wildlife corridors to the supervisors. “This property is identified as being important in maintaining habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors,” a staff member said during the presentation, noting the parcel’s location off Oracle Road and its immediate adjacency to Catalina State Park.

Supporters of the acquisition, including conservation groups and the town of Oro Valley, told the board the purchase would extend an already protected footprint next to the state park and protect a corridor used by wildlife. Vice Chair Adelita Grijalva, who spoke in favor, said the site’s proximity to the state park and its role in the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan make it a “perfect location” to preserve habitat and support ecotourism.

Supervisor Tony Christie, the lone vote against the purchase, argued the county was foregoing an economic opportunity. Christie said the parcel borders a heavily commercialized area along Oracle Road and that converting the land to private development would add jobs and increase the tax base. “We’re going to take a large piece of property off the tax rolls,” Christie said, urging the board to consider the fiscal trade-offs.

Staff described the purchase mechanics: a $2,000,000 down payment and the balance paid in $2,000,000 installments plus interest; no prepayment penalty. The county expects to apply an initial $2,100,000 from previously allocated Open Space dollars in the current fiscal year toward the purchase and to use subsequent Open Space allocations to cover the remaining payments if the state grant is not secured. Staff also noted a residence on the property with an estimated market value of about $1,000,000 that could offset county costs if sold.

Chair Scott, who moved the item, said the acquisition is consistent with long-term conservation planning in the county and praised the role supervisors and previous boards played in making Open Space funds available. “A significant amount of the funds for this purchase are coming from the $5 million for open space acquisition that was advocated for,” he said.

The board’s motion passed 4-1. The county will proceed with closing and with grant applications intended to reduce the county’s net cost. If successful, the acquisition will expand publicly-protected lands that are contiguous with Catalina State Park.

Why this matters: The purchase adds protected acreage to a major natural area next to Catalina State Park and advances the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan’s goal of safeguarding habitat connectivity. The vote also illustrated a persistent budget trade-off debate: preservation versus development and tax revenue.

Provenance: The board moved and discussed the purchase during the regular meeting (item 30). Staff presented location, biological significance, and financing details; supervisors and public speakers offered support and opposition before the final 4-1 vote.