Oro Valley holds neighborhood meeting on proposed 22‑acre Oracle/Hardee development

Town of Oro Valley planners and the project applicant held a pre‑submittal neighborhood meeting to discuss a proposed 22‑acre development at the southwest corner of Oracle Road and Hardee that would require a general plan amendment, rezoning and a master development plan.

Michael Spate, principal planner for the Town of Oro Valley, opened the meeting and said, "The first is to hear your feedback. We want to hear your questions, comments, concerns, or opinions that you might have about the applicant's project." Staff said a formal application had not yet been filed and that the meeting was intended to collect neighborhood feedback that the applicant could incorporate into a future submittal.

The applicant, property owner Ahmad Zarifi, through Brian Underwood of The Planning Center, said the proposal would rezone portions of the site now zoned R1144 (large‑lot residential) to C1 (commercial) along Oracle Road and R4 (townhouse residential) behind the frontage. Underwood said the team is proposing to expand existing neighborhood commercial/office and medium‑density residential designations on part of the property and to preserve a drainage wash that runs through the site; he said, "we are proposing to preserve quite a bit of the native vegetation there along the roadway." The team showed a concept with commercial and office uses facing Oracle Road and townhouse units behind, with sidewalks and pedestrian connections through the property.

Why it matters: the application package that the applicant will need to file includes (1) a general plan amendment to change land‑use designations, (2) a rezoning from R1144 to C1 and R4, and (3) a master development plan…