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.
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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
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~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.
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