On Tuesday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors affirmed what has been described as a dangerous precedent when they voted 4-1 to approve a development of 130 rental homes located on a 15 acre property on the northeast corner of Sabino Canyon and Cloud Roads, which had been opposed by the majority of area residents and their representative Supervisor Ally Miller.
In the past, members of the Board of Supervisors would follow the recommendations of a district’s supervisor. Deference was paid to a supervisor’s decision due to the fact that they understood the specific needs and wants of the people who elected them.
However, a County staff member was very candid in one recent meeting when he advised residents that their efforts and those by Supervisor Miller were not going to be successful because his boss wanted the project to be approved. Despite this advisory, Miller and her constituents continued to fight to the end.
With over 680 letters submitted in opposition to the development and close to 20 people who spoke at the meeting against the project, Supervisors Carroll, Elias, Bronson and Valadez approved the re-zoning request.
Supervisor Miller had made a motion to delay the vote on the premise that residents in opposition to the project had not been given enough time review the terms of the last minute compromise made between developer, Bob Gugino, however none of the supervisors to second the motion, and they swiftly moved to approve the development.
Due to the number of residents who opposed the development and live within 300 feet, a super majority had been invoked. As a result, the development could have been denied with two Supervisors voting against the plan.
One are a resident said that it was obvious that Ray Carroll “played us.” The realized while watching the carefully scripted Board meeting that “he was never going to help us, he was helping Gugino.” They say that it was “pretty obvious that he got his developer friends to praise him for helping everyone reach a compromise when in reality he was telling us that if we didn’t take the deal we would really be screwed.”
The Pima County Planning and Zoning commission, Pima County’s Flood Control division and the Transportation department all recommended the project either be denied or approved with conditions
Supervisor Miller, who met with the developer and residents on numerous occasions said, “With an overwhelming majority of my constituents opposed to this project, I worked to find a reasonable compromise and do what was right for the people of my District.” Miller further stated, “While I was glad to know the developer did offer a last minute alternative, my concern was that the residents had not had adequate time to review the project with the new revisions. It is my job as the elected representative of District 1 to do what is right by the people and they deserved an opportunity to at least review the changes made to the rezoning request.
Unfortunately, the other 4 Supervisors did not follow suit and chose to approve the project that residents overwhelmingly oppose.”
On May 1, after it became obvious to everyone that the project would be approved no matter what, Mel Zuckerman a local businessman, project opponent and friend of Ray Carroll wrote in an email to interested parties, “To me, the compromise is a “con” and I represent no neighborhood association or affected party.”
In April, the Board voted against a project, proposed by local civic and business leader Alberto Moore, for no articulated reason. Despite the fact that Moore’s project was supported by the people in the district and been approved by zoning officials, the supervisors voted against the project, which has Miller’s support.
The precedent is now set, and it will be very difficult for residents in other districts. They can no longer count on a tradition whereby their supervisor’s recommendation is almost automatically adopted.
Shortly after the Board meeting Sabino Canyon area residents requested the paperwork necessary to begin a recall campaigns against supervisors Carroll, Bronson, Valadez, and Elias.
