MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Marana Town Council approved the annexation of approximately 52 acres of land, with a four-to-two vote, at Wednesday evening’s council meeting.
Those who voted in favor were Vice Mayor Roxanne Ziegler, Council Members Herb Kai, Teri Murphy and John Officer. Council Members Patrick Cavanaugh and Patti Commerford voted against it. Mayor Jon Post recused himself from the matter, as one of his relatives is one of the property owners.
The land in the Linda Vista 52 annexation is north of Linda Vista Boulevard and southeast of Twin Peaks Road.
Current conceptual plans of the proposed development on the land include 212 single-family homes. Earlier plans included about 150 single-family homes and up to 356 apartment units.
The property owners, WGML Investments Ltd. and Daniel and Adele Post Living Trust, are being represented by The Planning Center.
Planning Center Principal, Brian Underwood, said it’s estimated that the town’s population will increase by over 30,000 by 2045.
“Obviously, those folks will need a place to live, right?” Underwood said during Wednesday’s council meeting. “Where do we house those people who are seeking to live or estimated to come here and live in Marana?”
Before the town council made their votes, over a dozen community members shared their thoughts. But for some, like Jennie De Bray, this was not the first time they spoke on the topic at council meetings. She and others have been speaking during public comment at meetings leading up to the vote.
“We’re not anti-growth, not at all,” De Bray said on Wednesday. “We’re just simply asking for responsible growth and responsible development.”
She, like some others who live right near the proposed development, lives on several acres of land and worries about quality of life and the environmental impact.
“What we have here is so rare – peaceful evenings listening to the sounds of the desert and watching sunsets paint the sky over the mighty saguaros and mountain peaks, waking up each morning to songbirds as the desert greets a new day,” De Bray said.
Another concern brought up by several is traffic on Linda Vista.
About 160 people signed a petition in opposition to the annexation.
“These 160 individuals represent a significant portion of the community, and their voices must be heard and respected,” said one community member in opposition to the annexation.
On the flip side, two people spoke in favor of the annexation. They explained they want growth.
“I lost two kids to Phoenix because there was really no place to live, no jobs, no commercial… nothing going on. They didn’t see that, so they packed up and left,” said one community member in support of the annexation.
Another in support of the annexation said, “We want more parks, we want more services – and that all takes tax dollars.”
According to a cost-benefit analysis from the town, the area’s limited net assessed value per Pima County is $751,601. The projected value of the new development is $88,433,214. The taxable value per acre is estimated to be $1,715,092.59. The full cost-benefit analysis can be found in the agenda.
Now that it is annexed, the land will need to be re-zoned to allow for smaller lots for the proposed development. The current zoning is R-144, and the proposed zoning is R-4.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
