Supervisor Ruiz's Ad Promoting Willow Springs (click for larger view)

Ruiz's admission came in an advertisement run in the June 13 edition of The San Manuel Miner. 

Ruiz says he paid for the ad out of his own pocket.

The ad leads off with a  headline reading, "Willow Springs is the best development I have seen," then continues to promote the development by repeating  many of the unsubstantiated claims the landowner, Anam Inc.,  has been making in promotional literature.

Ruiz's ad promoting  the  development was prompted by questions from concerned citizens asking Ruiz to explain why he approved rezoning of over 7 square miles of Pinal County in the face of 13 violations of the Pinal Zoning Ordinance by the landowner, Anam, Inc.

Ad Asking Ruiz To Explain Why He Approved Anam's Request Despite 13 Violations of Pinal County Zoning Ordinance (click for larger view)

Ruiz echoed Anam's claim that Willow Springs development will provide "employment opportunities." 

Anam has consistently claimed that "high tech businesses" and "environmental research organizations" will relocate to their proposed project and provide employment.  As of this writing neither Ruiz nor  Anam  have been unable to identify a single firm willing to relocate to Willow Springs. 

Ruiz echoed Anam's claim that the development will have "1.9 dwelling units per acre." 

Figures in Anam's Planned Area Development document show the development will have 4 houses per acre.

On April 11, 5 weeks before the supervisors approved Anam's request, the Arizona Game and Fish Department informed Pinal officials the proposed development would decrease the wildlife population in the area. 

A letter to Pinal County Planning and Zoning from the Arizona Game and Fish department says that the development would "undermine the area's continued ability to support the full complement of wildlife species that currently occupy the area."  The letter is signed by Sherry A. Ruther, Habitat Specialist with Arizona Fish and Game Department.

Ruiz ignored this information and  repeated Anam's claim that the development "will actually increase the wildlife population."  Neither Ruiz nor Anam have explained how a development covering over 7 square miles, would "increase the wildlife population."

During his testimony at the May 16 rezoning hearing, Troy T. Hawks, vice president of the Western Gamebird Alliance, told the supervisors the development would destroy Arizona's premier quail hunting area. 

Ruiz ignored this information and asserted that the proposed 4,600 acre project would help hunting in the area.. 

Ruiz's argument is that the development will flush wildlife to the undeveloped areas adjacent to the proposed 8,516 homes, providing better hunting conditions.  According to  Ruiz, "the project . . . will relocate game presently in that area into open hunting areas." 

Ruiz's ad says that the Pinal County Supervisors were ignorant of the multiple violations because the Pinal County Attorney's Office failed to alert the supervisors to the multiple violations of the Pinal Zoning Ordinance. 

"Our legal advisor is the County Attorney's office," said Ruiz in the ad.  "If the attorneys felt there were violations they would alert us to them."

Click HERE to read a listing of some of the violations in Anam's rezoning request.

Click HERE for details of Anam's misleading density figures.