Proposed 60,000-home development under fire in Pinal County

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Arizona
THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
Proposed 60,000-home development under fire in Pinal County
Shaun McKinnon and Mary Jo Pitzl
Jan. 29, 2004 12:01 AM

On its own, any plan to drop a city the size of Tempe in the Arizona
desert would stir dissent and draw regulators' scrutiny.

La Osa Ranch isn't just any plan.

Before the first lot is sold, the master-planned community in southern
Pinal County and its developer, Scottsdale-based Johnson International,
are under investigation by as many as five state and federal agencies.
Three have cited the builder for illegal activities on the site.

Military officials say the project's size and location, more than 60,000
homes on 19,000 acres near the Pinal-Pima county line north of Marana,
would threaten a critical flight corridor used to train jet pilots and
could force the closure of a $1 billion attack-helicopter base that
operates a few miles away.

Opposition has swollen to include environmentalists worried about
wildlife habitats and the nearby Ironwood Forest National Monument,
archaeologists who say the developer has disturbed ancient ruins, and
officials from Marana and Pima County who are fearful of the demands of
as many as 175,000 new residents.

"It has turned into the biggest snowball I've ever had to deal with,"
said Jenny Neely of Defenders of Wildlife. "The potential consequences
of this can't be overstated. It would be a disaster, an environmental
disaster."

But the project also means tax revenue for Pinal County and the promise
of jobs and business development, factors that will weigh heavily today
when the county's Planning and Zoning Commission considers the project.

Many county residents support La Osa and say it's time the region shared
in Arizona's growth. They resent the involvement of outsiders.

"It's the greatest thing I've ever heard of," said Carl Stevenson, who
runs a ranch near Red Rock. "The environmental people who are so
concerned, if they lived there I don't see how they could feel that way.
The people at Red Rock are very enthused about it."

Even if the proposal is rejected by commissioners, it could still win
approval by the three-member Board of Supervisors, who have watched the
case closely from the sidelines.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0129ranch29.html

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