a little news from the neighborhood - Huge development would make Benson 8 times bigger

[Kali]

http://tucson.com/news/science/environment/development-would-make-benson-times-bigger/article_4c5445db-2d91-578c-a23a-37d2b31b670e.html

28,000 homes on 12,324 acres

Huge development would make Benson 8 times bigger

<snip>
The developer — whose chairman, Mike Ingram, is an owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks — says the project is inspired by the Tuscany hill country of central and northern Italy and by “its unique location, impressive array of cultural, social and recreational amenities and natural landscape.” The project’s master plan talks of using “iconic towers” as architectural amenities and offers schools, lots of open space and trails.
<snip>
Benson officials say the project meets state requirements for an adequate, 100-year water supply — and the city has an Arizona Department of Water Resources certificate proving that. The aquifer from which this project would pump is separated by two impermeable clay layers from the aquifer feeding the San Pedro, says the city’s Hamilton and Councilman Jeff Cook.

There’s no such thing as an impermeable clay layer, responds UA researcher Maddock, who started researching the San Pedro near Sierra Vista more than two decades ago. Even a clay layer will slowly let water leak through, and the pumping creates what’s known as a “cone of depression” that sucks river water downward toward wells, Maddock says.

“It’s only going to take water out of the stream,” he said. “It’s just one more straw in the system.”


more http://tucson.com/news/science/environment/development-would-make-benson-times-bigger/article_4c5445db-2d91-578c-a23a-37d2b31b670e.html

[NYC_SKP]

1. Oh shit, it's hard to fight growth.

Is there water for this, traffic infrastructure?

The tax revenue is like crack to county boards and city councils, and developers golf with the politicians.

I hate this shit.

[Kali]

2. no the water is such bullshit

the now republican de-funded agency for water resources issued a certificate of adequacy based on the city's info and it is all bs. the 100 year adequacy means the water table won't drop more than 1000 feet in 100 years of pumping. real nice for the local guy who has to chase that table, and never mind Kartchner Caverns right above there with their own water problems.

but like you said, growth is crack to the local mafia/council. hopefully it will go broke like the last bunch that held this parcel did.

for a fun bit of trivia, the main holder from the bankrupt company just bought the place to the north of me. that has NO water on it, so who knows what is up his damn sleeve. I can't believe they sold out. she was raised there, it was her parent's dream place and the grandkids and great grandkids loved it, they must be heartbroken.

[delrem]

3. When doing these things, we should always consider "park space"

and also "wild space".

"Developers" and their cousins, the venture capitalists in the clubs, the politicians in those clubs, can be myopic.

[Kali]

4. my awakening happened years ago

at an early planning meeting for that town. now understand, there is still a viable ranching community around here, but all their maps listed the surrounding area to the city as "vacant land."

not open space or wildlife habitat or even in economic terms like ag or ranching. vacant land. because the only good use for land is tract homes and strip malls, doncha know?

[delrem]

5. Yup. The totally unregulated "frontier".

No matter the native nations that lived here, we planted our fuggin flag and we've got the guns so that is that. So we plundered our way to the present and we're wondering, what is it in our heritage, that got us to this place, that is self-sustaining? What have we got to build on?

[msongs]

6. tuscany is not an extreme desert nt

[lapfog_1]

7. this will screw all of the western edge St. David

residents... all of whom depend on well water from the Whetstones

Like my sister. Anyone with an Artisan Well who lives on the west side of the San Pedro near St. David.

I'm sure the businesses of Benson would like this (initially) as they depend mostly on Snow Birds and tourists (and, to be fair, Social Security and the meth trade).

But long term... all of the business will move to J90 and west of Walmart.

sigh

I'm headed there tomorrow so I'll probably hear the scuttlebutt at the 86 or Magaly's or someplace.

[dbackjon]

8. Wow - horrid idea

No need for this - the San Pedro river valley is already over populated for the available water.

[Ptah]

9. I see the Benson City Council gave it the green light.

Massive Benson development plan wins approval

BENSON — The Benson City Council gave its first stamp of approval Monday night
to the planned Villages of Vigneto project in the Whetstone Mountains, despite
concerns from a packed house that the development threatened the area's water
supplies and the fragile San Pedro River.

The council voted 6-1 to approve a preliminary development plan for the
28,000-home development, which someday could play host to about 70,000 people.
Councilman Patrick Boyle cast the only "no" vote.

The development would lie in the Whetstone Mountains, straddling State Hwy. 90
that heads south at that point from Interstate 10 toward Kartchner Caverns and
ultimately, Sierra Vista.

The project's 12,300 acres already has zoning for a 60,000-home project,
but the developer has said that the company doesn't want to build something
that big and that it's proposing to build something much more cohesive than
the earlier plan. Council members praised this project and the developer as
the best that Benson has ever seen.


http://tucson.com/news/blogs/desertblog/benson-development-colossus-gets---vote-from-its-city/article_43871f46-e275-11e4-8e35-17f161e9f169.html

[Kali]

10. oh of course

TPTB in Benson have never met a scheme or development they didn't like. $$$