Pinal planners predict County will lose lawsuit 
By J.C. Huntington
Posted to PoisonedWells.com September 1, 2001

Map showing Pinal land-use as proposed by Pinal Planning and Development department

The Pinal County Planning and Development department and the Area 4b Citizens Advisory Committee are apparently predicting that Pinal County will lose a lawsuit that seeks to reject a referendum to put the rezoning of 4,600 acres on the ballot. 

Despite the fact that the case has yet to go to court, the preliminary draft of the Pinal Comprehensive Plan earmarks the contested area for development, allowing densities of up to 16 dwelling units per acre. 

The landowner, Anam Inc. and Oracle resident Elaine Helzer filed the lawsuit.

Anam is a Canadian based corporation that buys and sells land throughout the U.S. Helzer founded a pro-development group that is funded by Anam and Robson Communities, Inc. 

Map of Area 4B showing land earmarked for development that is currently under litigation, scheduled for a vote or previously withdrawn for rezoning because of a referendum.

The draft Comprehensive Plan designates the contested 7-square-mile area as "sustainable community," an entirely new category of land use. 

The description for the new category includes phrases taken from Anam's promotional literature.

On July 2, residents submitted nearly 6,000 signatures to allow voters to decide the rezoning of 4,600 acres of land located 10 miles north of Oracle Junction. 

The 4,600-acre parcel is the first phase of an 18,000-acre project called Willow Springs that is proposed to house 80,000 people.

After the referendum was submitted, Anam and Helzer sued the county to reject the referendum and keep the issue off of the ballot and away from voters. 

The Pinal County Attorney's office is defending the county.

If the county loses the lawsuit, construction would begin immediately.  If the county wins the lawsuit, the rezoning issue would be put on the Nov. 2002 ballot.

Pinal Citizens for Sustainable Communities, the organization that spearheaded the referendum, has intervened in the lawsuit. 

The planners predictions don't end with the 4,600-acre Anam parcel.

The authors of the draft Comprehensive Plan appear to predict that voters considering the rezoning for SaddleBrooke Ranch will vote in favor of the landowner. 

SaddleBrooke Ranch is a golf-oriented retirement community proposed to be built next to a radioactive/toxic waste dump by Robson Communities Inc.

Despite the fact that voters have yet to address the SaddleBrooke rezoning at the polls, the draft Plan shows the clear outline of SaddleBrooke Ranch and designates it as "rural community," allowing densities of up to 16 dwelling units per acre.

In December of 2000, residents filed a referendum with over 5,800 signatures to put the rezoning of 2,500 acres for SaddleBrooke Ranch on the ballot.  The measure will appear on the November 2002 ballot.

The planners apparently are also predicting that a previously rejected re-zoning request by Anam will be approved.

The entire Willow Springs project consists of the initial 4,600 acres currently under litigation and another 14,000 acres, yet to be rezoned by Pinal County.

In August of 2000, Pinal County Commissioners rejected a request to rezone all of the Willow Springs acreage, calling the project "speculative." 

In May, Anam told The Tucson Daily Star, they intend to re-request rezoning of the 18,000 acres as soon as the Pinal County comprehensive plan is completed Dec. 31. In April of 1999, WLB Inc., requested rezoning for nearly 4,000 acres of land around Oracle. 

After Pinal Supervisors approved the rezoning, Pinal Citizens for Sustainable Communities submitted over 8,000 signatures to put the rezoning for the Rancho Coronado to a vote, and WLB then withdrew their rezoning request. 

The authors of the draft Pinal Comprehensive Plan have earmarked this area for development, in an apparent invitation to the landowner to resubmit their rezoning request.