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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/05/1996 Planning Commission RetreatC_4LL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Mayor Hones. Time 7:00 p,m. Il. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANC~E_ IlL ROLL CALL COUNCI~ Ed Honea Mayor Sharon Price Vice Mayor Tom Clark Council Member Ora Ham Council Member Excused Herb Kal Council Member Excused Cheryl Millner Council Member Bobby Sutton, Jr. Council Member Excused PLANNIN C MMI SI N Wheeler Abbert Anton Krapek K.T. Berry Patti Comerford Dorothy Sharnetsky Albert Taylor Roxarme Ziegler Chairman Vice Chairperson Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner STAFF Hurvie Davis Sandra Groseclose Dan Hochuli Kelly Schwab Town Manager Town Clerk Town Attorney Town Attorney IV, APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Honea opened the meeting for general discussion. GENERAL ORDER OF BUSINESS INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND ACTION OF OVERALL DIRECTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL. PLANNING COMMISSION AND TOWN RELATING TO PENDING AND GOALS. TOWN GENERAL PLAN AND ANNEXATIONS, DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. Wheeler Abbett: Suggested to the Council that the Town invest in a decent sound system. Sandy Groseclose: We are having some bids coming in on Friday, June 7, 1996 for sound equipment at the Town Hall. Not portable. Mayor Honea: We have appropriated funds to try to get a better sound system. The agenda is just very general. I think we will do it similar to the format like we did last year. We will give each one of us an opportunity to express where the Town of Marana is at now, where we need to go, our short comings, or direction that the Town needs to follow. I'll start and then we will go to Roxanne and we will work around. A lot of things have happened this year. We really solidified our annexation of the Thornydale area. Which has made us very monetarily stable and allowed us to take cam of staffing and things we just could not have been able to do before. Our growth is astronomical. I know some think that's good, some think that's bad or may be we can meet a happy medium somewbere in between. The Town grew over 100% in the five years up to the 1995 census. It is my estimate that the Town will probably grow about 4,000 people this year. Which is more than the previous five. What I have based that on is Mr. Maples bas estimated talking to five or six of the largest builders that 710 houses will be built by those developers. They have already said that they intent so many houses on ground. That's not talking about the small ones. There are several of those. We are talking about five or six of the larger entities. [fyun take that times the 3.2 factor you get 2,200 people. Behind the Thomydale annexation is progressing. The apar~nent complex owner which is roughly 40% of the accessed value of that am~exation has signed. That was our major obstacle. That's 1,600 people. Just with new houses of major developers and that annexation we are looking at about 3,800, And l'm sure we will pick up a couple hundred from the smaller builders. Ken Ryan has 31 homes and I don't think that was counted. We are going to grow very rapidly this year in proportion to our numbers. I think it's very important that we establish ourselves now in what direction we want to travel. The fire departments are looking very good. Northwest Fire was the chosen by everyone on the Council and most our senior Staff. They are now in the Town for two years. Hopefully they will be annexed within two years. I will be working with Northwest Fire to start working with some of the neighborhoods hoping the next couple of months to get area annexed. They are going to the Board of Supervisors next week for the Redhawk Annexation. If Northwest is successful, which I think we will be, if we support them, it will make them the second largest fire department in Pima County next to the City of Tucson. We are very please to have. We work so well together. We have such a good relationship. Our water situation. Hurvie, Brad DeSpain, Vice Mayor, Ora Ham, and I are on the water committee for the Town. We have been dealing with Cortaro Water Users to buy their system. It looks like within a couple of weeks the completing that deal a~er eight years. We have agreed on a price, agreed on a package on how the water will be delivered. Approxhnately 600 new services plus the 200 we have already will give us 800 total. We are negotiating with the City of Tucson to buy the Continental Ranch Infra-structure. The infra-stmcture will help around the InaJThornydale area. The reason being the Town of Marana wants to be the water provider for all its citizens north and south. We are a little afraid somewhere down the road like the newer areas like Continental Ranch, it would be easier for the City to serve CAP water and things to these areas because the pipes are new. We have two wells at the Shamrock Dairy. Both wells are being fitted. The developer is taking care of that. They will put a storage tank there and deed them to the Town. It's part of the agreement to build his project. We are trying to buy Happy Acres. Once we link the Cortaro projects together we will have a well at the east/northeast end of Continental Ranch. Things are looking great for the water system. The water is going well, the fire protection is going well,/he Town is growing fairly rapidly. I'm pleased with that. Ifyun talk to the development and business community we are the hot item right now. They all like the Marana area including large builders and large retailers~ We are easy to work with. They have trouble in Ora Valley. A lot of trouble with the County. We've had many, many, many people come to us to annex even further east. We need to look into those things to see if it beneficial to the Town. We have a very positive future. We had one the best year in the 19 years of our incorporation. We are a player. We are earning respect from all. I think bigger and better things are to come. Roxanne Ziegler: I have only been on the Planning Commission since February and it's been a learning experience. It been a very nice one. 1 have met a lot of nice people and I have lived in Marana since 1989 and I have a feel on what is going on. I liked it back 1989 with only 50 homes and without Continental Ranch and I knew it would soon change. Since I have been on the Commission when driving down the street 1 take notice to see what is going on. 1 don't think I can offer any suggestions yet as to what [ would like to see done. I'mjust not familiar. I have learned a lot. Annexations are a big thing and I think we are better than Oro Valley. They are a always squabble. I won't even touch on Tucson. Wheeler Abbett: The annexations are viable to the Town. Without the annexations we could not affurd police or other services. I would like to see us annex all the way to Shannon/Cortaro. No sense on annexing to LaCholla. Let Oro Valley have it. Maybe Town Management could ask the residents and businesses to see if they would want to be annexed. Water ~ I don't feel the Town should be in the water business. CAP water not a good idea, Stories going around on what it will and won't do. They want to build filtration plants and sell it back to us for a price. Couldn't be have so many acres set aside for retention ponds. Al Taylor: The growth is positive and better for the Town. Make sure with the growth that we don't mn into problems. We have run into some problems. One, commercial center at Silverbell and Cortaro. That's going to add/create to the traffic problems which are already there. We should look ahead and anticipate as to how the Town should be developing. One thing that is encouraging to me is the progress that we are making and developing with the new general plan. I think is tremendously important. '[he new general plan should reflect the kind of community those of us who live in Marana want to see or want to become. Find ways to adhere to that general plan. Anton Krapek: In consistency in enforcing of our sign ordinance. Yards signs could be posted two days Boats, trailers, cars all with for sale signs on them. No parking signs on the northeast corner of Silverbell/fua. Silverbell clean-up on the roadway and curbs. Dorothy Sharnetsky: I would like to see the annexation progress faster than what it is. Annexation could go beyond Shannon Road. There are people in the area north of Ina Road that want to come into Marana. I was at a homeowners meeting and I mentioned annexation and they were interested because they have to pay to Northwest Fire to get service and the service from the County is not good. They have seen the Marana Police Department come down Thornydale from Tangerine Road or going north/south they would have better service than from the County. Convincing them is a little more difficult. The apartment building would like to annex within our Town. I want the boundary lines extended whether it materialized or not. Orn Valley does not want to go down to Ina Road. They want to remain a bedroom community and they do not want to go any further. I was all for water as far as the Town of Marana being the City of Tucson's has nothing but problems. How are we going to buy those tanks at Thomydale from Tucson when we approved the effluent water. The Town of Marana gave them approval to put those tanks and pipes to furnish the water. They won't sell it. The only wells in the northwest area is Klos's and mine. US Home already approached Mr. Klos. I don't know if the Town has enough money to buy his. We have to have water up there, That's a real big problem. I(')W~ UOT ;.",L' Il. PI ,\NNING I,~l. l I~.l ,:\ I' '~o!th%t e'-i l:i,'e Snlthal ~. ~ldq.~ 05)0 p.m. I have to agree with Anion about signs. I saw a man pounding in a political sign. I stopped that man and told hhn he had to go to the Town Hall and make an application to have that sign there. will take your license and I'll report you and you'll pay a fine, He pulled the sign out and took it. People don't know about the sign ordinance. As far as traffic we are going to have traffic like the California Freeway. There's no getting away from it. 1 would like to see either Avra Valley, [- 10, Tangerine and I- 10, or Cortaro and I- I 0 a wholesale shopping center. Like the one at Casa Grande. Maybe the Chamber to contact the necessary people. I'd like to see the sewage treatment plant the County is planning on building just south of Pinal County line. Should be on the agenda now. Tom Clark: What I have been hearing the last two weeks is that our bureaucacy has arrived. I only hear fi.om people north side. Why is this taking so long at the Development Center, why do I have to give them this, etc. We got people in there now that are professionals and know what they are doing. That we haven't had for a long time or forever. These are just proper steps that should have been taken years but we didn't have the people to fill those positions. Carl Hovath has hired an attorney to deal with the Town of Marana because he hasn't sold his property. People call about the letters Paul set out about the tire companies with tire racks because of the ordinance on books that they can't display used tires in front of their businesses. I went to the Development Center to f'md out about it. Jack Horton originally talked to me about it because he received a letter. His tire rack is out there but not tires on it. Roger Molineese, the manager of El Campo, he called me again about the possibility of drafting and taking it around to the other tire companies down there who received the letters. He's trying to come up with figures on how much business he has lost since he put his tire racks out of view, etc. [ wasn't aware of this ordinance. I have done my best to defend the Development Center. I think Jerry has done an outstanding job putting together a good staff. 1 don't have anything bad to say about them who I have met for the first time. I think they are all working out well. I think we are finally getting people on staffthat people in northern Marana aren't use to having to deal with or going through the steps and proper procedures that we should have been going through for a very long time. The Planning Center, Development Center or the Town could come out with a newsletter to all the citizens to let them know what is happening. I think the Town is progressing really well. I think the Town should be in the water business. ( like the way the Town is going. Planning and Zoning doing a good job. Council is getting along and we are all working together and have the same goal. A lot of traffic offof Marana Road and Sandario coming off the freeway. Eighteen wheelers trucks parking by the empty lot. Too close to offramp. That's going to be a problem if we don't widen that intersection to make it easier for the trucks to get offthe freeway. Sherry Millner: A real learning experience and self confidance. My goal is to develop positive relationships with other cities and towns. I think we are doing that. Keep promoting positive publicity. I think we do that in our newsletter. Maybe more input from department heads. Slow down the growth a little. I saw what they did in Las Vegas growing as fast as they have, I don't want us to end up like that. I like to see the mountains. I like to look over and see valleys. 1 don't want to see wall to wall houses. Wall to wall housing is not in my plan. I do want to thank Jerry for enforce the sign code. With me working on the military base and I now have been invited as a political person to some of the military function, and with so many military people living and working in Marana I would like to promote a positive relationship with the Town and the Base. R I I R I.A I .Jane 5 ~9~)6 ('~;0~ ~.m, ~tti ~m~r~ord: ~ ~ ve~ new to the ~omm~Mon. ~t~s be~n a ~re~t ~ experienc~ ~o me ~d a cha~l~e fu; me. T~e ~ta~ha~ been fanm~fi~, ~ en~o~ ~in~ ~ of M~an~ and ~ think ~U h~s ~ lot ~o~ for R. ~ thi~ th~ peopl~ ofM~ ~ d;~arenU ~om Oro VMI~ ~d Tucson what mak~ th~m ~p~e~al. ~e ~ to ~ork in ~ t~e]~ manner bu~ ~ot ~oo ~u]ck)~ ~o we don~U m~e h~ty decisioas. I still learning a~at ~e water and other ma~ers. I'm proud to be related any way to the Town of Maria. Sharon Price: 1 would like to say thank you to the Commissioners. Because I have been on the Commission and I understand the work that is involved in it. It is a hard job and learning experience. My views on annexation we must be a little cautious, Need to slow down. We have done really good so far with the services. As for the signs, We need to get the word out that we won't put up with cars for sale at the intersections. As our commercial area develops the traffic will eventually will take of itself. 1 am concerned but yet 1 appreciate the red tape with the Development Center. Some way to get the word out to the people that we have a procedure that must be followed by not only the developer but the homeownem because they really don't understand the process. They are not professional sign people. 1 love the Town and I have become very attached to it, I want to stay here. I think the people are wonderful and I think everyone is doing the best job they can. Hurvie Davis: Marana is a great community and will continue to be a great community in my opinion as long as there policy makers such as yourselves serving this community that do not have personal agendas. I have been involved in the political process all around this country for forty years and when you get people in political policy making decisions and personal agendas when you personality conflicts can cause problems. Marana will be want you want it to be. You are the ones that make Marana. You make policies and staffenforces them. I hate to be called a bureaucrat. I am pro-business. [ am pro-business in this community because we have no property tax. I will continue to get business along the interstate. I am pro-annexation when it benefits the Town. It is a great community. We've come a long way. VI, AD~ Mayor Honea adjourned the meeting. AUDIO TAPES OF TIlE MEETING ARE AVAILABLE AT TIlE MARANA TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE. 1 hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are the true and correct minutes of the Council Retreat held on June 5, 1996./H~rther certify that a quorum was present. //