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 for the whole property. Those approvals are discretionary (general plan amendment and rezoning) and would be followed by public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Town Council if and when a formal application is submitted.

Key project details presented or confirmed at the meeting - Site: roughly 22 acres at the southwest corner of Oracle Road and Hardee, immediately west of Rancho Feliz and across Oracle from a Circle K and Extra Space Storage. Staff referenced parcel number 22513009A as largely preserved open space because of a wash on the site. - Requested approvals: general plan amendment (change some LDR1 to Neighborhood Commercial/Office and extend Medium Density Residential), rezoning (from R1144 to C1 and R4), and a master development plan. - Oracle Road Scenic Corridor Overlay District (ORSCOD): Underwood said the overlay limits building placement within 300 feet of Oracle Road (only 40% of a property's frontage within that zone may be developed) and limits height (maximum 2 stories/25 feet; most buildings proposed as single‑story, 18 feet). - Access and traffic: the concept shows commercial access primarily on Oracle Road and two driveways on Hardee; Underwood and staff said the eastern Hardee driveway is proposed as right‑in/right‑out and that a traffic study will be completed to identify trip generation and any needed off‑site improvements. Town staff said Oracle Road is a state highway managed by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and that ADOT enforces access spacing (the applicant referenced an ADOT access control spacing of roughly 330 feet). - Conditional uses: Underwood noted that drive‑through restaurants or similar uses would require separate conditional‑use approvals after rezoning, with additional neighborhood notification and public hearings. - Drainage and open space: town engineering staff said the design must mimic existing drainage conditions; on‑site basins would retain and control increased runoff from additional impervious area. The applicant said washes and native vegetation along Oracle Road would be preserved. - Maintenance: Underwood said residential open spaces and common area would be managed by a homeowners association; commercial areas would be managed by a property manager. Town code enforcement staff would respond to maintenance or code issues after development.

Neighbor concerns raised Residents expressed a range of concerns that staff and the applicant recorded, including: potential traffic spillover onto Camino Greenfield and through neighborhood streets; the number and placement of access points on Camino Greenfield, Hardee and Oracle; noise and light from commercial uses; the possibility of drive‑through restaurants; potential loss of mountain views and the visual impact of two‑story townhomes; drainage impacts and maintaining the wash; whether perimeter walls would be provided; emergency‑services capacity and evacuation routes; the adequacy of sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure; and whether the proposed density (about 38 townhomes shown on the concept) is appropriate for the area.

A resident who spoke online said, "All the commercial entry and exit should be off Oracle, not off...Greenfield," reflecting a common request in the meeting that commercial traffic be kept on Oracle Road. Other residents asked that any two‑story townhomes be limited along the west edge of the project and requested visual simulations showing views from adjacent backyards; the applicant agreed that 3‑D view perspectives and more detailed visuals would be provided with a formal application.

Process and next steps Town staff reiterated that this meeting is a required pre‑submittal neighborhood meeting and that the applicant had not yet filed a formal application. After submittal, staff said they typically spend two to three months working with applicants to achieve code compliance and that a project of this type commonly takes five to seven months to proceed through public hearings, though timing depends on the pace of revisions and reviews. Engineering, police and fire reviews (including Golden Ranch Fire District) will be part of the formal review once the application is submitted. ADOT will separately review any proposals affecting Oracle Road access.

What was not decided No formal application had been filed and no approvals or votes occurred at the meeting. Neighborhood comments and any mitigation measures suggested by the public or staff will be part of the record for the applicant to consider before a formal submittal. The town and applicant said conditional uses such as drive‑throughs, if proposed in the future, would require separate public notification and approval processes.

Ending note Town staff said they will compile a written neighborhood‑meeting summary and post the presentation and meeting recording to the project page at ovprojects.com. Residents were advised to sign the meeting attendance sheet or subscribe to the town notification list to receive future hearing notices.