Marana votes to ensure preservation of the Tortolita Preserve long into future
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A number of homes in the Marana subdivision look out onto the Tortolita Preserve. Johnson and his neighbors are concerned that potential development could take away their views. photos by Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star/
Amid concern from some neighbors and environmentalists, Marana took significant steps this week to ensure the Tortolita Preserve will remain intact well into the future.
The Marana Town Council unanimously approved a pair of changes to the town’s Make Marana 2040 plan during Tuesday’s special council meeting. The vote removed a “special planning area” categorization of the 2,400-acre preserve and areas south and west of it, ensuring its preservation through the remainder of its 99-year lease with Arizona State Land Department, which ends in 2099.
Marana Mayor Ed Honea said the vote will put a lot of minds “at ease” and make it simpler to prevent high-density development in those special planning areas.
But he cautioned, that it “doesn’t say forever and ever and ever and ever, there will never be any changes on that property,” he said.
