Oro Valley Council Approves Sun City Fountain Amendment 6-1, Advances Leisure Travel Plan

ORO VALLEY — The Oro Valley Town Council voted 6-1 Wednesday to approve a zoning text amendment allowing Sun City Oro Valley to restore its long-dormant Lion's Head Fountain, overriding staff recommendations for denial in one of the most contested decisions of a nearly five-hour meeting that also saw adoption of a new leisure travel management plan and a town attorney restructuring ordinance.

Lion's Head Fountain

The council approved Ordinance O-26-09, amending the Rancho Vistoso Planned Area Development to permit reuse of an ornamental fountain at the Sun City Recreation Center at 1495 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd. Council Member Joyce Jones-Ivey cast the lone dissenting vote.

The fountain had operated since 1991 but was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Under town code, any legal nonconforming use that ceases operation for more than six months loses its grandfathered status — a threshold the fountain exceeded by years. Staff recommended denial, citing the town's general plan water conservation policies and a specific prohibition on ornamental fountains adopted in 2011. The Planning and Zoning Commission split 3-3 last month, forwarding no recommendation.

Representatives of the Sun City HOA Lion's Head Task Force, Patricia Jensen and Dave Olson, presented a redesigned proposal that would reduce the fountain's surface area by 60%, cut water volume by 66%, incorporate rainwater harvesting from adjacent rooftops, and use a single variable-speed pump instead of the original three. They said the redesign would use approximately 197 gallons of water per month — 97% less than a typical Oro Valley household. Of 988 residents who responded to outreach, 917, or 93%, expressed support, the task force said, though opponents disputed whether non-respondents should be counted as neutral.

Council Member Josh Nicolson said the shutdown was "more or less a technicality" given COVID constraints and argued the town uses "millions of gallons of potable water" on the Pusch Ridge golf course. Council Member Mary Murphy said she would not normally support a code exception but cited fairness given the council's prior approval of a water feature at Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve. Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett said the minimal water use and rainwater harvesting could make the project "very close to water neutral" and called the COVID shutdown an extenuating circumstance. Mayor Joseph C. Winfield, who voted in favor, said supporting the proposal "doesn't lessen our responsibility to conserve water" and urged all residents to examine personal water use, noting residential landscaping can account for 60 to 70% of household water consumption.

Jones-Ivey said she could not support the request because a functioning fountain already exists in the same courtyard and the code prohibition stands. "We don't know what kind of water restrictions are coming," she said.

Leisure Travel Management Plan

The council voted 6-1 to adopt the Oro Valley Leisure Travel Destination Management Plan, with one council member dissenting. Mayor Winfield's motion carved out the plan's "big ideas" section — which included an indoor-outdoor performing arts venue, a new indoor recreation center, a Steam Pump Ranch Public Market Hall, and a resident design festival — while retaining the Tohono Chul expansion concept.

Winfield said the process used to elevate the big ideas "was flawed and did not provide sufficient council direction or community consensus," and said he did not want plan adoption interpreted as endorsement of large-scale projects or funding mechanisms the council had not evaluated. The formal implementation kickoff is set for July 1, tied to the new fiscal year. Community and Economic Development Director Paul Melcher said the operational tourism budget is approximately $522,000 for the current fiscal year.

The council's top three implementation priorities, as ranked by the Tourism Advisory Commission and staff, are a regional events and festival strategy, increased sports tourism, and activation of Steam Pump Ranch as a cultural and culinary venue. Melcher said a plein air art contest partnership with Art State Arizona is under consideration as a new tourism-generating event that would not require additional staff costs.

Explore Oro Valley Website and Brand Launch

Destination Marketing Manager Crystal Frank unveiled a new tourism brand and website — exploreorovalley.com — set to launch Friday, May 22 after 11 a.m. The combined branding, logo, and website development cost approximately $175,000 through an outside vendor specializing in destination marketing. The site features interactive itinerary building, an events calendar, business listings with direct hotel booking links, and a public art map with mobile geolocation.

Frank said the brand was designed to feel "modern, active, welcoming, outdoor forward, and energetic," with a color palette and secondary logo system depicting the progression from sunrise through desert nights. Melcher said ongoing updates to the site will be handled by the future destination marketing manager at no additional vendor cost. Winfield thanked Frank, noting she was departing for a new position, saying she "brought incredible talents and abilities" and "left an imprint on this community."

Town Code Amendment: Town Attorney Reports Directly to Council

The council voted 7-0 to approve Ordinance O-26-08, amending town code sections governing the town manager and town attorney to remove references to a legal services director and contract town attorney, and to clarify that the town attorney reports directly to the town council. Town Attorney Steven Zraick told the council the change follows a direction set at an October 1, 2025 meeting and the mutual termination of the prior contract arrangement with Clark & Rothschild on May 6.

Rancho Vistoso Boulevard Traffic and Development Study Session

The council received a briefing on proposed safety improvements at the Rancho Vistoso Boulevard corridor near the Safeway shopping center, along with a conceptual presentation from WM Grace Companies, a Scottsdale-based retail developer proposing a Sprouts-anchored grocery center on a nine-acre commercially zoned parcel at Rancho Vistoso and Tangerine Road. No vote was taken.

Town Engineer Paul Keesler said the area logs five to six accidents per year and has had a longstanding signal warrant that could not previously be implemented due to geometric conflicts between the Woodburn Avenue intersection and the Safeway north driveway. A $750,000 CIP project is budgeted for road realignment; a traffic signal would cost an additional estimated $700,000. Keesler said the developer has indicated willingness to contribute to signal costs through an economic development agreement.

Vice Mayor Barrett pressed for an alternative traffic study showing a signal placed further north, away from the Rancho Vistoso-Tangerine intersection curve, and said the current proposal resembled a previously rejected project. Keesler agreed to model a level-of-service comparison between signal locations. Developer representatives Tom Grace and Mike Pearlstein said Sprouts has been in discussions for roughly a year and that the project also contemplates drive-through tenants — potentially a coffee kiosk and a quick-service restaurant — for which conditional use permits would be required. Multiple neighborhood residents raised concerns about traffic stacking, proximity to the Woodburn residential subdivision, and the back-of-Safeway access lane.

Also discussed:

The consent agenda was approved 7-0 without discussion.
A series 10 liquor license for 7-Eleven No. 43032A at 10505 N. Oracle Road was approved 7-0 on the recommendation of the Oro Valley Police Department, which found no objections following a background check.
Pima County Emergency Eviction Legal Services (EELS) presented its program, noting it has sent more than 50,000 outreach mailers since inception, achieves favorable court results for 50% of fully represented tenants, and operates a 66-unit Craycroft shelter where more than 80% of families exit to stable housing. The program is now funded from the Pima County general fund after starting as pandemic relief.
Town Manager Jeff Wilkins announced a water customer portal transition from WaterSmart to SpryPoint beginning June 30; current users must re-register.
Council Member Elizabeth Robb reported that the CDO High School Project Grad event raised more than $15,000 to send at least 15 children to camp through Disabled American Veterans and Camp Corral.
Council Member Murphy reminded residents of a Memorial Day ceremony at the Arizona Heroes Memorial in Naranja Park at 10 a.m.
The next regular council session is scheduled for June 3 at 6 p.m.