Residents urge council to block Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene expansion, cite procedural and neighborhood concerns

Dozens of residents told the Oro Valley Town Council on Jan. 8 that they oppose a proposed expansion by the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene and the church's request for a height variance, arguing the project is incompatible with neighborhood zoning, poorly disclosed and likely to bring more traffic, noise and other impacts.

Those remarks came during the meeting's public comment period, when no formal council action was taken. Speakers asked the council to review the church's long-term plans and to require more comprehensive disclosure and study before any approvals are considered.

Anthony Ferrara, who identified himself as a resident, told the council that the church’s application “is and continues to be fundamentally incompatible with the neighborhood and the town's general plan,” and said he believed the applicant was “exploiting a procedural loophole” by seeking only a height increase without disclosing broader plans. “Requesting only a height increase,…