Luxury Casitas Come to Sabino Canyon

By Balazs Szekely, Associate Editor

The Pima County Board of Supervisors recently voted to approve re-zoning for construction of a luxury-style apartment property consisting of 130 casitas on Tucson’s east side. The 15.1-acre parcel is on Sabino Canyon Road. Sabino Canyon Road Properties will develop the project which will include three-bedroom luxury rental units located between Cloud Road and East River Road.

The original plans were scaled back because the project has been a source of controversy for neighbors: 130 homes will be built instead of the originally proposed 169 rental units, as a result of pressure from nearby residents who are concerned about the development density, increased traffic and water availability issues. The Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission also opposed the rezoning, Arizona Daily Star reports; however, it changed sides along with many people living in the area after Sabino Canyon Road Properties arranged a meeting with a nearby neighborhood association and submitted its compromises.

Supervisor Ally Miller was the only voter on the five-person board who opposed the project. She disapproved, saying that county officials and board members did not receive updated information on the project in time, and they didn’t have adequate time to review the materials before deciding to accept the proposal, according to the Daily Star. The county received more than 660 letters from residents in protest of the development and more than 530 signatures in support of the project.

Field work is expected to begin at the end of summer.

Photo credits: Google Maps