Why I’m voting NO on Oro Valley Proposition 454:
It’s not needed.
It’s not about sports fields “for the children.”
It’s a $50 million property tax for a $33 million expense.
It will destroy our residential community park.
In 2013, Oro Valley had two soccer fields in Riverfront Park. They were in poor condition from continual use. The Town resolved the soccer field problem in 2014 by building two large soccer fields in Naranja Park. Soccer field crisis — RESOLVED.
Little League football teams play on Amphi school fields that are overpriced, poorly maintained and unsafe. The two additional multi-sport fields under construction at Naranja Park are large enough to support three Little League football games at the same time. They will provide a home football field for the Oro Valley Dolphins next year. By spring, Naranja Park will provide seven acres of competition-level fields (the equivalent of six high school fields.) Youth football field crisis — RESOLVED.
Oro Valley Little League baseball has played their games at Amphi’s Coronado Middle School since 2003. They also complain of the field expense, poor maintenance and unsafe fields. I voted in 2014 to include three 220-foot Little League baseball fields in the Naranja Park Plan. The Town should spend their FY 16/17 $2 million surplus to begin immediate construction of these three fields. Little League baseball field crisis — RESOLVED.
This bond package is not about sports fields for kids.
The Town’s $17 million estimated cost breakdown includes only $5.6 million for fields. That total increases to $7.7 million if we include the following supporting amenities: two restrooms, playgrounds, a 200-car parking lot, access drives, two picnic ramadas, and crushed stone walking paths.
That leaves $9.3 million for infrastructure — a sewer system, a mile-long roadway through the park, earthwork and mass grading, 300 additional parking places, utility systems … FOR WHAT?
What are those unidentified areas on the park plan? What was excluded from the publicity pamphlet and the advertisement in our water bill? Introducing the sports tourism dream: The 2015 Park Plan identifies those areas as a championship soccer field with stands (like the Kino sports complex) and an “Event Center.”
The total build-out of Naranja Park is projected to cost $33 million. So while this $17 million bond is touted as meeting community needs, it’s only Step 1. It funds a few fields, but the bulk of the money finances infrastructure for future sports tourism and event facilities. Without a doubt, it will pave the way for a second $16 million bond to complete the Park plan. We can kiss those lattes goodbye.
Previous town leaders envisioned Naranja Park as a community park — a 200-acre oasis nestled within a sea of subdivisions comprised of nature trails, playgrounds, walking paths, skate parks, basketball courts, tennis courts and fields where children can play. No one pictured a commercial site for events and sports tourism.
With this “take it or leave” $17 million bond, the community is short-changed with the provision of only one playground. No skate parks, no basketball courts, no tennis courts, no bike paths — none are planned. But we will get a mile-long connector road through the park (creating safety issues for children and seniors), parking lots, tournaments and event traffic that will block Naranja Drive and cause congestion issues for the surrounding neighborhoods. For this, we’ll be taxed for the next 20 or 40 years.
No thanks! I’ll vote NO on Prop. 454 to stop this irresponsible spending. Hope you do, too.
