Please join the “Rancheros” (neighbors of the proposed development) in opposing the rezoning request by New Era Tucson, LLC that will include 37 homes on 11.6 acres located on the NE corner of Tanque Verde and Houghton Roads.  The developer’s request specifically asks the City of Tucson to approve rezoning from Suburban Ranch (SR: 1 home on 3 acres) to Residential (R-1: ~6 homes on 1 acre) in order to build 37 one- and two-story single-family houses.

Our opposition to this proposal is based on improper “Spot Zoning” (housing density inconsistent with all of the nearby existing neighborhoods), the high risk of flooding by building in a Pima County regulatory floodplain, and the destruction of the established “Important Riparian Area.” 

This property has remained natural and vacant all these years because of the significant flooding and the vibrant riparian habitat.  It simply doesn’t make sense for the City of Tucson to enable the construction of homes in existing floodplains, placing citizens and neighboring properties at risk of rising, displaced floodwaters while enabling developers to gross huge profits on land they bought cheaply.

We are urging our elected officials to do the right thing by developing a “master planned community” for Tucson that promotes a long-term strategic plan rather than approving isolated, individual development projects in the short-term. More importantly, development expansion should be prohibited in FEMA and regulatory floodplains, and restricted to properties that would not destroy important riparian habitats.  The haphazard and careless approval of rezoning applications can only result in a disorganized and arbitrary array of expansion that does not support Tucson’s values and ideals. Let’s be smart, Tucson!

Project Area: 11.37 acres     Proposed Number of Lots:  37

Average Lot Size:  4,800 square feet