HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/11/2020 Study Session Summary MinutesMARANA AZ
ESTABLISHED 1977
MARANA TOWN COUNCIL
STUDY SESSION
11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, Arizona 85653
Conference Center on the Second Floor, February 11, 2020 at or after 6:00 PM
Ed Honea, Mayor
Jon Post, Vice Mayor
David Bowen, Council Member
Patti Comerford, Council Member
Herb Kai, Council Member - Excused
John Officer, Council Member
Roxanne Ziegler, Council Member
SUMMARY MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Honea called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM and directed the Clerk to call the
roll. Mayor Honea, Vice Mayor Post (Arrival 6:06 PM), Council Members: Dave
Bowen, Patti Comerford, Roxanne Ziegler (Excused), John Officer, and Herb Kai.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/INVOCATION/MOMENT OF SILENCE: Led by Mayor
Honea.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Council Member Bowen moved and Council Member Officer second the motion
approving the agenda as written. Motion passes, 6-0.
DISCUSSION/DIRECTION/POSSIBLE ACTION
P1 Relating to Annexation; discussion, consideration, and possible authorization to
proceed with an annexation of property known as the Pima Farms 30 Annexation,
located south of Pima Farms Road and east of Cerius Stravenue (Cynthia Ross)
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Senior Planner Cynthia Ross provided an overview of this proposed project stating
ACM Ventures, LLC has submitted a request to proceed with the annexation and
subsequent rezoning of a 30 -acre property that is located on the south side of Pima
Farms Road and east of I-10. Pima County zoning for this property is Suburban
Homestead (SH), Residential zoning designation with a Minimum Lot size of 36,000 sq.
ft. R-36.
The project lies within the municipal planning area and is compatible for the General
Plan Land Use for the area meets the congruity requirement. If the Council decides to
permit staff to go forward with processing the application, the applicant will submit an
application to rezone the property to a higher density residential. The processing of
both the annexation application and rezoning plan will run concurrently. Final Council
action on both applications will occur as two separate items during the same Council
Meeting with the annexation presented first and the rezoning second. The proposed
northern border boundary for the annexation is the section line for Pima Farms Road
which lies south of the CMID canal ditch. Pima Farms Road right-of-way will be
annexed into the town will be the portion of Pima Farms Road that directly fronts the
project. Site conditions are challenging due to the aging infrastructure that currently
exist as well as site constraints. Pima Farms Road and portions of Cerius Stravenue are
in poor condition and the CMID ditch poses a hazard for automotive travelers. The
CMID canal will not be annexed and will be required to be undergrounded by the
developer.
There is an existing 200 feet of TEP easement for the transmission lines on the west side
of the site; no development have been proposed for this easement. Staff advised the
applicant during the annexation discussion that certain off-site infrastructural
improvements would be required as conditions of the rezoning approval. The
applicant agreed to all of the staff infrastructural improvements as discussed. She stated
there are infrastructure impact fees that would benefit the Town across departments.
The total per dwelling impact fees are approximately $12,578; for 120 homes, the impact
fees will amount to an estimate of $1.25 million.
Town staff contact the Public Works Department relating to right-of-way maintenance
and traffic improvement cost. Once this project is rezone and completed, it is estimated
to be approximately $41,000. Utilities that will serve this project includes Pima County
Wastewater and TEP; Marana Water will also serve this site if annexed into the town
with off-site improvements.
Ms. Ross stated staff is seeking direction from Council as the next step in this project
includes the recordation of the annexation petition and collection of signatures.
Town Attorney Frank Cassidy clarified for the record the applicant's documentation
indicates that they have conditional approval of a trailer home site from the County
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without a timeline. Even though the density is low, they did receive a rezoning for
higher density. The only condition is that the applicant would need to record a sub-
division plat with the county in order to finalizing the zoning, as that is how Pima
County process works. It could be translated to a similar zoning as that with the same
conditions. However, there may be trouble with this even if the applicant submitted a
plat to the county, there is no order to serve. The applicant may experience some
problems there.
Mayor Honea stated this is the third time that this property has come before the
Council. John Gutierrez brought this property to Council 15 years ago; it is a tough
property. Pima Farms is entirely in the county as is Cerius Stravenue. The way this
property meets boundary is contiguous beside the railroad on the south side. Even if
they annex part of Pima Farms Road up to Sandy Desert, much of that road is within
the county. There are horse property in that area as well. Cerius Stravenue just maybe
the worst road located in Pima County. He does not see the advantage of annexing this
property into the Marana community.
Council Member Kai question how the flow of water is handle on the property. He
commented about the FEMA Floodplain. Mr. Ross deferred to Town Engineer Keith
Brann to respond. Mr. Brann stated the portion of the property that parallel I-10 and
the railroad, there is a ponding FEMA flood zone. It is the entire TEP easement of this
property and some of the property is effected in that floodplain. The preliminary layout
that he has reviewed, show the applicant trying to avoid that. They may also try to
pursue a Letter of Map Revision to reduce that floodplain.
Council Member Kai asked whether the water flows beside the railroad tracks, or
underneath. Mr. Brann stated the flooding that runs through that area is part of the
Tortolita fan floodplain. If they were to annex, the applicant would be subject to
Marana's policies.
Council Member Bowen inquired as to where the water source would be for this site.
Ms. Ross deferred to Water Director Scott Schladweiler to reply to the question. Mr.
Schladweiler stated Marana has infrastructure that is immediately to the north of Pima
Farms Road. It is possible that off-site infrastructure improvements would be required.
Vice Mayor Post expressed curiosity over the upgrades only includes Pima Farms and
not Cerius Stravenue as more travelers would access Cerius through Cortaro than Pima
Farms Road. Ms. Ross deferred to Public Works Director Mo El -Ali for a reply
regarding the roadway. Mr. El -Ali stated as far as traffic impact, staff would need to
look at the traffic impact before it can look at Cerius Stravenue. Vice Mayor Post stated
he does not believe everyone would travel near or on the Sandy Desert area. He used
that route as a bypass to Cerius near the QT. Mr. El -Ali stated the traffic light is in that
area of ingress egress.
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Vice Mayor Post stated this is an opportunity to get both of those roads repaired, as he
does not believe Pima County will ever repair those roads. He would like to use this
particular development to try to have some of those roads repaired in that area. If we
cannot get any upgrades to those streets, then it is not likely to occur. However, Marana
residents does drive on those roads. Mr. El -Ali stated a portion of Cerius Stravenue is
located with the county as well as in Marana. Additionally, a portion of Pima Farms
Road is located within Pima County and Marana respectfully. It is located east of Sandy
Desert and is a small portion of the road. Under the current 2018 IGA, Pima County is
responsible for maintaining even Marana's portion of that roadway. In reference to the
flooding concerns, this road does flood often. The county closes the roadway after
every rain event.
Ms. Ross asked whether Vice Mayor Post would be willing to move forward if the
applicant is agreeable with off-site improvements to Pima Farms Road and Cerius
Stravenue. Vice Mayor Post stated he would be willing to consider it. However, he is
not opposed to the development, as he drove by the development to get a better
understanding of the property. With the development and the streets being repaired, it
would be a win-win for Marana.
Council Member Officer inquired whether there would be some development on the
southeast end of the road. Ms. Ross deferred to the consultant to the applicant Jim
Portner to respond to some of the questions from Council.
Mr. Portner stated the questions that Council raised are universe in terms of the impact
when looking at the possibility of annexing. There are problems there that extends far
beyond the impacts of the property. The developer is already assuming the cost of the
improvements to Pima Farms. As they move forward with the Town to annexation,
they will look at the other extensive improvements from a cost benefit analysis
standpoint. However, there is a curing capacity that a project can only take on a certain
amount of debt, and still balance. They are willing to review the matter along with staff
and determine a funding source through them and quasi -determining the impact fees.
He is unable to provide a definitive answer to Council to make improvements to the
streets in question.
Vice Mayor Post asked whether Mr. Portner has had conversations with the county on
cost sharing of those roads. Mr. Portner stated he has not had those conversations with
the county; however, they have other development activity in progress at this time to
the east of this area not with this project, but have had conversations with county
officials on those immediate projects. There are many deficiencies with those projects
from a transportation and drainage standpoint. With the amount of work in this area,
he believes it is possible to get a working group of officials in this area to work towards
solutions with those deficiencies.
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Vice Mayor Post suggested if the applicant is willing to provide solutions to those
deficiencies; it is possible that the Council could be willing to consider the development;
though he is speaking individually. Mr. Portner stated he and the applicant
understand there are scope of concerns that they could take on that requires some work.
The extent to which they could address all of the problems is an open question.
Mayor Honea stated Mr. Portner provided some answers to the concerns that Council
has, that the applicant's project is not big enough to generate enough revenue to
improve Cerius Stravenue or Pima Farms Road. In order to build on the property, the
applicant has to improve the other roads. He does not believe the property is big
enough to generate the type of funding it will take to improve the roads in that area.
Mr. Porter stated the applicant and the Council are looking at the same concern. Mayor
Honea suggested the applicant come back to Council with a presentation that would
address the drainage, roads and transportation concerns in that area. Mr. Portner
requested some assistance from town staff and efforts they could come back to Council
with answers to Council concerns.
Council Member Bowen stated he agrees with both Mayor Honea and Vice Mayor
Post regarding the size of the project verses the improvements that needs on the roads.
He suggested the applicant begin the conversations with Pima County to see what
infrastructure funding they are willing to commit too. If Marana takes this on and
cannot later pay for it, it becomes a bigger problem for the community.
Vice Mayor Post moved and Council Member Kai second the motion for staff to
continue to work with the applicant to come up with a solution to get the
infrastructure streets to be redone before the annexation comes to Council again.
Motion passes 5-0,1 Nay (Council Member Comerford).
P2 Relating to Development; presentation of the 2019 Town of Marana Development
Activity Annual Report (Anita McNamara)
Development Services Director Jason Angell provided an overview of the 2019 Town
of Marana Development Activity Annual Report. Mayor Honea and Council thanked
Mr. Angell for the presentation.
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03, the Town Council may vote to go into executive session,
which will not be open to the public, to discuss certain matters.
E1 Executive Session pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A), Council may ask for
discussion or consideration, or consultation with designated Town representatives, or
consultation for legal advice with the Town Attorney, concerning any matter listed on
this agenda for any of the reasons listed in A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A).
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FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Notwithstanding the mayor's discretion regarding the items to be placed on the agenda,
if three or more Council members request that an item be placed on the agenda, it must
be placed on the agenda for the second regular Town Council meeting after the date of
the request, pursuant to Marana Town Code Section 2-4-2(B).
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Honea asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Vice Mayor Post, moved and Council Member Kai second the motion to adjourn the
meeting. Motion passes 6-0. Meeting adjourned at 6:41 PM.
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes for the Study Session
Meeting of the Marana Town Council meeting held on February 11, 2020. I further
certify that a quorum was present.
Cherry L. Law on, Town Clerk
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ARANA AZ
ESTABLISHED 1977
Study Session Summary Minutes 02/11/2020