Archive for November 17th, 2008

Here is a great editorial from Priscilla Storm on one of our major issues, land use planning. Priscilla has a daily inside look at our regions issues as the lead government liaison for Diamond Ventures. Diamond is one of the most influential people and companies in our county. Don Diamond started back in 1965 and gained big AZ holdings like the 12,000 acres purchased from Howard Hughes into the Rocking K (Vail area).

Diamond Ventures are masters at taking a long range look. DV deals in the land business as if it were a casual game of monopoly. They land bank to big and small builders, influence the political process locally and give a large amount back to the community via their foundation. Diamond even made some national news during the McCain for President race. From the NY Times

Mr. Diamond, for his part, said Mr. McCain had only done his job. “I think that is what Congress people are supposed to do for constituents,” he said. “When you have a big, significant businessman like myself, why wouldn’t you want to help move things along? What else would they do? They waste so much time with legislation.”

In building his empire, Mr. Diamond said he had struggled with local elected officials over land use and zoning issues just like any other developer. “They are a pain in the ‘you-know-what,’ ” he said.

But associates say he revels in his ability to “work the system,” as his friend and sometimes partner, Stanley Abrams, put it: “Nobody is as connected as Donald.”

Mr. Diamond is close to most of Arizona’s Congressional delegation and is candid about his expectations as a fund-raiser. “I want my money back, for Christ’s sake. Do you know how many cocktail parties I have to go to?”

And Priscilla’s story from the Nov. 16th Inside Arizona Business:

When I moved to Arizona several years ago, I learned about the “Five C’s” economic drivers of our state: copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate. I also realized just how important land use was to the economic future of our region. Now, public opinion on our Five C’s seems to have changed.

On Dec. 3, a diverse group of citizens, community experts and leaders will gather to discuss regional land use at the Tucson Regional Town Hall. With the economic outlook dim and all sectors suffering, now is the time to discuss what role land will play in our shared, bright future.

Below is an overview of our current land profile published by public sources. As you can see, only 14 percent of our county’s land is privately owned.

Pima County (total) 100% 9,186 sq. miles, 5.9 million acres

Native American land 42% 3,858 sq. miles, 2.5 million acres

Federal agency/national park lands 28% 2,572 sq. miles, 1.6 million acres

Arizona State Land Department 15% 1,378 sq. miles, 882,144 acres

Private lands 14% 1,286 sq. miles, 823,066 acres

Military bases 1% 92 sq. miles, 58,810 acres

While state land may be available for private development through public auction, in Southern Arizona that process has not been ideal. Of the 14 percent private lands, much is already developed or is undevelopable. In general, there is not an abundance of private land readily available for development, and it is often not in the most preferable location.

Local land-use policies also reduce private land available for future regional development. For example, development proposals are required to set aside 30 percent acreage within each project for compliance with the Native Plant Preservation Ordinance. In addition, the nationally-recognized Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan has regional guidelines for natural, undisturbed open space set-aside acreage ranging from 66.66 percent to 95 percent throughout the region.

Important riparian areas – 95% open space

Biological core – 80% open space

Special species management areas – 80% open space

Multiple use management areas – 66.66% open space

Additionally, in 2004 voters approved bonds for the acquisition of open space, further limiting private lands for future development. It is also important to consider that public infrastructure may require an additional 15 percent to 20 percent of the land.

Our community’s shared vision and values will impact future land use and the crafting of a regional land use plan. Some key items to consider:

• Historic and current versus future residential densities. Historically, even our most dense neighborhoods are low density by urban planning standards. Redevelopment of low-density areas and strong market acceptance for higher density are important considerations.

• “Growth” has not been perceived as a community benefit. Citizens often protest residential, apartment, commercial, office, retail or manufacturing land uses. Thus, crafting a regional land use plan that promotes quality growth AND preserves our important cultural and natural resources is important.

• Priority has been given to the “unbuilt” environment. As a community, we traditionally tackle one land use topic at a time. Now, it is important to consider and advance several key aspects of land use planning simultaneously; including the “built” environment.

• Our community is dependent upon public sector jobs. Attracting and retaining companies and higher wage jobs to our area and allocating land and resources for job creation is important to our region’s future viability.

• Equitable sharing of the costs for maintenance and expansion of roads, water and wastewater required for a healthy, progressive regional community.

• Regional common long-term goals and differing interests of member jurisdictions.The members of Pima Association of Governments vary in geography, control over land, resources and population. Balancing interests throughout the region for shared success is critical to crafting a regional community.

• Sustainability should be shared by both existing community members and future development. Federal, state and local regulation may provide new incentives and options to advance these concepts. In planning our shared future, market-driven solutions should be considered.

In preparing for the Dec. 3 Regional Town Hall, I propose “Five New C’s” for community-wide discussion on successful future regional land use planning:

• Candid discussions

• Changes in how we work together

• Collaboration and compromise

• Costs shared by current residents and future growth

• Community inclusively defined, a “regional community” deserves priority

We must work to build trust among stakeholders that have been historically distrustful. The traditional model of leadership, decision-making and public policy influence must be modified. A shared regional vision and land use plan will come with a large price tag and a long-term commitment from every current and future resident, business owner and organization.

Growth is not the “enemy” of this community. The balanced use of land and natural resources for jobs, community services and housing are essential to our shared quality of life.

To attend the Tucson Regional Town Hall on land use, call 1-800-321-5011 or email Shelia.hamilton@uli.org. Priscilla Storm is vice president of Public Policy and Community Planning for Diamond Ventures, a Tucson-based real estate development and investment company.

A step towards a regional fix to our problems OR another group that does nothing? Only time will tell.

The 2007 Tucson Regional Town Hall was an exercise held last summer here in Tucson. The Town Hall was designed to indentify and hopefully fix some of our regions issues.

The Town Hall was organized by Southern Arizona Leadership Council. SALC is Tucson’s CEO brain trust. So far the group is good at putting these things on but we’re not sure how good they are at the implementation. SALC’s effectiveness during the recent Regional Transportation Authority plan is notable, let’s hope they can repeat.

With the Town Hall behind us, we’ve identified what our problems are but the million dollar question is ‘NOW WHAT?’.

The AZ Star’s Sam Negri had some interesting thoughts on the Town Hall:

It was with a clenched jaw and a stiff neck that we approached the report and recommendations of the Tucson Regional Town Hall, a document released to the public on Wednesday.

After all, the town hall, a meeting that involved approximately 160 participants selected from a much larger group of applicants, had spent roughly 30 hours in May focused on issues that are hardly new to Tucson residents.

We cannot say anyone will be startled by the findings in the town hall report. But that’s less a reductive statement than it is an acknowledgement, sadly, that the region’s problems have remained more or less constant for years.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of building a community that remains focused on the need to convert talk into practical decisions. In the past, we’ve tended to react to problems later rather than sooner, in the process creating the negative consequences we then criticize and organize town hall discussion groups to address.

It’s a closed loop that needs to be broken.

The town hall discussions were initiated by the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, or SALC, and conducted under the sponsorship of 33 public and private organizations, including the Arizona Daily Star. Each of these groups has a vested interest in practical results.

In the end, the town hall discussion pointed to a simple fact: The Tucson region must do more for itself.
The town hall that SALC put together dealt with much of what we already know, including the belief that there is considerable talent in our region. It also illustrated that there is a nucleus of individuals who are genuinely concerned with the future.

Those participants were a fraction of a much larger group that is ready to set aside the cynicism of the past and finally address the future as though we will all be here forever. For that, future generations will be thankful.

Contact editorial writer Sam Negri at snegri@azstarnet.com

Two months ago, a novel concept was introduced for the Tucson Regional Town Hall: This gathering slated for Sunday through Wednesday at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort would feature not just the “usual suspects” but would include people who range across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Guess what? The 159-delegate field is woefully top-heavy with usual suspects, with barely a trace of the worker bee beneath the executive level.

There’s a freelance writer and a creative writing teacher in the prison system, but beyond that the region’s future will be discussed almost exclusively by top-boss types. Some 74 participants have the title “president” in some way, 23 are executive directors, 14 are chief executives, all the county’s mayors are on board as are six of seven members of the Tucson City Council and three of five Pima County supervisors.

Not a soul from the retail-sector trenches to be seen. Not a single teacher from the K-12 trenches.

The common man (or woman) will not be present.

That is a travesty because the non-titled folks - likely those among the 700 who applied for the Town Hall but weren’t picked - often bring up practical and even profound ideas that would never bounce around in boardrooms but could just be the solutions for Tucson’s woes.

The roster was picked by the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, which is coordinating the Town Hall, and the Arizona Town Hall, the organization that is moderating the event. SALC did the hand picking of mayor and CEO types, and SALC culled the field of general applicants - and sadly picked out the exact same executive-caliber candidates.

Diana Rhoades, 40, applied while she was an outreach specialist at the Sonoran Institute but was not picked - not high enough on any totem pole, apparently.

“I was disappointed,” said Rhoades, now campaign manager for City Council candidate Regina Romero (a chosen delegate). “Some people who were invited said this is the same old people. I was excited about taking part. They said they wanted young people, new people. I wanted to bring the conservation angle, smart growth angle. I live downtown. I walk everywhere.”

Arizona Town Hall President Tara Jackson in an earlier interview said she looked for applicants with demonstrated leadership skills. That’s fine for part of the field, but you can’t have a delegation entirely composed of leaders.

Tucson needs fresh voices, input from the younger generations, people new to the process who can break through the doldrums of thinking in baby steps.

The Tucson establishment of “usual suspects” has proved that by itself it doesn’t have the moxie to give Tucson the push needed to get the region ready to become a 2 million population metro area.

Ron Shoopman, SALC’s president, insists that this Town Hall process will inject new vigor in these “usual suspects.” He pointed out the embryonic successes at regional cooperation last year with voter approval of the regional transportation plan and Joint Technological Education District, which will allow the region’s school districts to have shared technology education resources.

“The RTA and JTED are both examples of groups from different walks of life coming together for a common cause,” said Shoopman, a retired Air Force brigadier general. “I think there’s energy in this community we haven’t seen before. We’ve always had the same outcome because we’ve had 100 groups working independently on the same issue. Now, if we can get those groups working together on those issues, we have a chance to make changes for the better.”

This Town Hall was an ideal opportunity to bring a new generation to the table.

Now we will once again have to desperately hope these 159 people can get through Tucson’s brick wall: We meet fantastically but don’t have much of a track record to take the next steps after a meeting.

Teya Vitu covers downtown for the Tucson Citizen and for six years has watched the endless false starts or tiny steps taken here in economic development.