In a 4-3 vote, the Oro Valley Town Council rejected a proposed rezoning of the Kai-Capri area from commercial use to multi-family residential use during their council meeting on Jan. 6.
Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett and council members Joyce Jones-Ivy, Josh Nicolson and Tim Bohen voted not to approve a Type-1 General Plan amendment to the Kai-Capri Special Area Policies that would change a 13.44 acre parcel near First Avenue and Tangerine Road from C-1 commercial use to R-6 multi-family residential use.
The amendment would have also increased the number of permitted residential dwellings from 255 to 394 units within the existing parcel already designated for neighborhood/commercial/office use.
There are 38 businesses being sustained by a population of 8,759 town residents, living in 3,557 homes within a 1.5 mile radius of the intersection in question, according to a town staff presentation before the vote.
Proponents for the proposed amendment change argued rezoning was needed because there were not enough residents to support the current retail and restaurant establishments in the area—and even fewer to support future commercial development.