Hon. William O'Niel

After the Pinal supervisors approved rezoning for the first phase of Willow Springs, local residents collected over 5,000 signatures to put the supervisors' decision to a vote in the next general election. 

Alex Argueta and Elaine Helzer responded by suing Pinal County on behalf of the landowner, Anam Inc., alleging county officials had accepted an invalid referendum. 

Argueta's firm has been hired by Anam to manage and promote Anam's Willow Springs project. 

Helzer is an Oracle resident and the founder of Citizens for Positive Growth and Development, a group funded by Anam and Robson Communities Inc. 

Willow Springs, a bedroom community for Tucson, would be built on Anam's land, about 10 miles northwest of Oracle Junction and house over 80,000 people.

The group that spearheaded the referendum, Pinal Citizens for Sustainable Communities (PCSC) intervened in the case.

Following PCSC's response to the lawsuit, Anam & Helzer filed a motion for a summary judgement asking that the court find in their favor without a trial. 

O'Neil heard the Anam/Helzer motion Dec. 11 and overturned it in a ruling issued Jan 16.  A court date has not yet been set.

In Novemeber, O'Neil made a similar ruling in the Robson, Inc lawsuit against the county. 

Robson has also sued the county alleging the referendum to allow voters to consider the rezoning for Robson's SaddleBrooke Ranch is invalid. 

SaddleBrooke Ranch is a golf-oriented retirement community Robson proposes to build next to a radioactive/toxic waste dump near Oracle Junction.

The Robson case will go to court March 5.