Preserve Vistoso Members Support Town Council’s efforts to negotiate sale of Vistoso Property
We hope everyone had a safe and healthy holiday season and that 2021 is a great year for you and your family. Also, on our 2021 wish list is that the Town completes a successful negotiation with Romspen for the purchase of the Vistoso Property. You may remember that on November 18, 2020, Town Council unanimously approved a motion by Mayor Winfield to direct Town Management to begin discussions with Romspen to negotiate a sale of the Vistoso property.
Since Town Council asked Town Management for frequent updates on this issue, we urge Preserve Vistoso members to attend Town Council meetings (via ZOOM) and speak during the initial “Call to the Audience” comment period at the beginning of the meeting. We need to thank Mayor Winfield and the members of the Council for supporting our efforts to preserve the Vistoso property. You may check the Town Council agenda, click HERE, for information about Town Council meetings.
The Vistoso property is especially suited for conversion into a nature preserve type of park. It is natural desert environment with six miles of paved trails. There are roadway underpasses so hikers and bikers on the trail don’t need to cross local streets. Three restrooms are located at different points along the trail. The views from the trail of the nearby mountain ranges are spectacular. This park will provide a healthy recreation experience for residents of all ages and abilities.
Preserving this land for Oro Valley recreation use not only serves to provide a place for residents to enjoy outdoor recreation, but it will also provide a sanctuary for the wildlife that live on the property and use it to travel between wildlife habitats. In addition to the abundant wildlife, the property has a history of native people living on this land. Petroglyphs exist on the property, evidence it was once home to early inhabitants in this area including Sleeping Snake Village.
Since the property is envisioned to be primarily natural, open space, the maintenance requirements of this nature park are expected to be low. The main areas that would need to be maintained are the path, the restrooms and the access areas. One of the large, local landscape companies estimates that the cost to maintain these features could be as low as $54,000 per year.
Preserve Vistoso and its 1,350 members are encouraged that the vision we have for this property will soon become a reality. We thank the Oro Valley Mayor, Town Council members and Town Management for their continued efforts. If you would like to know more about this project visit PreseveVistoso.com. Please consider becoming a Preserve Vistoso member, it’s free to join. You will be kept up to date on news related to this project!