ARIZONA DAILY STAR: Thurs., Dec. 11, 2008

Developer opts for town over county

By Ernesto Portillo Jr

The Nevada developer that has proposed a 15,000-home project west of Sahuarita will not seek county approval, opting instead to deal exclusively with the town. In a letter dated Dec. 5, American Nevada Co. said it withdrew its county application for a general plan amendment "after discussion with town of Sahuarita officials and staff and at the request of Mayor (Lynne) Skelton, to continue to proceed with negotiations and discussions exclusively with the town."

In October the Sahuarita Town Council voted to approve the company's general plan amendment for Mission Peaks, which the town's Planning and Zoning Commission had endorsed. But the county's Planning and Zoning Commission voted against recommending the same request. The county Board of Supervisors was scheduled Tuesday to review the plan and recommendation.

"We would like to thank Pima County staff and officials for their most valuable cooperation and evaluation of our proposal," wrote Dan Naef, American Nevada senior vice president.

The developer will seek the annexation of 4,800 acres to the town and submit zoning requests for Mission Peaks along South Mission and West Twin Buttes roads west of the interstate. Town officials have seemed open to the annexation request.

"We look forward to continuing to work with Pima County as we proceed with our conversation with the town of Sahuarita," wrote Naef.

In that conversation the developer and town will negotiate over the scope and details of the master-planned community. Both sides will deal with water, environment, transportation, infrastructure and tax breaks. The developer has said it will build a sewage treatment plant, roads and a school campus. The company also said it will extend a Central Arizona Project water line to deliver water into a recharge basin and contribute $25 million toward construction of a new interchange at Interstate 19 and Sahuarita Road.

And it has said it will set aside 1,000 acres of open space in the development and buy 2,500 acres of open space elsewhere.