Oro Valley council accepts 33‑acre donation adjacent to Honeybee Canyon Park

Oro Valley’s Town Council on Jan. 14 approved a resolution to accept two parcels of natural desert land totaling approximately 33 acres adjacent to Honeybee Canyon Park.

Deputy Town Manager Chris Cornelison told council the parcels are offered as a donation by VP2 Loan LLC and are currently zoned as a planned area development open space. He said the town would perform standard due diligence — a title review, deed preparation and related documentation — and that staff is not proposing immediate uses for the land. "Once accepted, the property would simply be held by the town and allow[ing] town council to determine whether and how it may fit into a broader park and trail planning effort," Cornelison said.

Mark Winkelman, who identified himself as the COO of the entity that owns the property, described prior cooperation with Oro Valley on open‑space projects and urged a smooth closing. "It's my pleasure to be part of this, and, I hope it moves forward smoothly," Winkelman said.

Council moved to approve Resolution R26‑01 authorizing the town manager and authorized officers to complete due diligence and execute the gift agreement if satisfactory; the motion passed unanimously, recorded as 6‑0. Staff said there are existing informal trails on the parcels and that any future improvements or sale would be determined by council after acceptance.

Next steps: staff will complete title work and return required documentation to the council for final acceptance and recording.