1650 E. River Road
Massive Development Planned for Northern Pima County
Today it was reported that the State Land Department is planning for a 15,900 home development that will more than quadruple the area of northern Pima County’s population when completed. The Department released a draft of the development plans, called the Arroyo Grande plan. The new area will be large enough to house about 38,000 people, roughly the current size of Oro Valley (estimated at 44,000). This super development will span across 14 square miles bordered by Oro Valley on the south, Pinal County on the north, Oracle Road on the east, and the Tortolita Mountains on the west. That’s a HUGE AREA!
This plan is still in its very preliminary stages and, at present, as I understand it, there are many steps and proposals that will need to be taken care of before actual development begins. Once development starts, it will most likely be very slow-paced. The scale of the project is so large that even at break neck speed, this area will take decades to build out. There will be many debates over wildlife issues, the resolution of which will be incorporated into the plan. Developers must also comply with Pima County’s Sonoran Desert Conservation plan, one the toughest in the country to abide by. This is why Tucson AZ is such a scenic place. The planning down here, although cumbersome and expensive for developers to deal with, ensures that Tucson’s wildlife and scenery remains intact. This area is one of the jewels of the Tucson area. Other major decisions will revolve around transportation issues — how to handle the traffic overload that will result from the new development of homes and businesses. Presently, Oracle Road is the only North-South road in the area. That alone is a major problem to contend with.
As this development goes forward, there is no doubt that these issues will be figured out and agreed to by all parties. Tucsonans are very used to development and understand the area is going to grow. They know that the best way to deal with it is to develop in a way that allows for scenic yet usable developments that businesses and residents are happy with and that make economic sense. Most people who have lived here for any length of time are accustomed to the delays caused by building and development of the area.