UPDATE: A decision by the Pima County Board of Supervisors on whether to move forward with a Mixed-Used Permit for The Bike Ranch has been tabled to early July, according to one of the resort’s co-developers.
Kelley Matthews, who designed the bike-centered property with her husband, Peter Lasher, said on Friday that the Board will convene on the permit on Tuesday, July 2.
The reason, according to Matthews, stemmed from the Board’s packed schedule for their meeting on Tuesday, May 21—the original date scheduled for the hearing.
The 45-acre plot of land, owned by Tucson-based real estate developers Kelley Matthews and Peter Lasher, is the proposed site for The Bike Ranch.
The resort, which would include 49 casita-style rooms, was originally brought up a half-decade ago, but was ultimately squashed after Pima County development staff recommended the Board of Supervisors reject granting a variance to allow the project.
That recommendation forced Matthews and Lasher to table their development, with the pair going back to the drawing board to come up with the current proposal, which calls for the project to be built with the most environmentally friendly practices.
Lasher said the current plan, which will also include a 34-foot-tall “bike barn,” a 79-space parking lot, a pool, outdoor seating and a restaurant and café, will be one of a handful of LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)-certified Platinum resorts in the United States.
The certification, which is designated by the U.S. Green Building Council, would make The Bike Ranch the fifth hotel in the state to achieve LEED certification, according to the USGBC website.
Lasher said the main difference between the 2014 and 2019 proposals is the current iteration’s environmentally friendly design.
“We’re putting everything we possibly can into designing something that is going to totally benefit the community, be an example in sustainable design and development and operations in a desert location,” Lasher said. “We’re bringing green jobs and we’re bringing, hopefully, we hope more revenues to Saguaro National Park.”
There is strong opposition to the development, however, with several of the proposed resort’s neighbors taking exception to the pair’s plans.
Tom Colaric, who lives in the same neighborhood as the proposed Bike Ranch, is a co-leader of the Save Saguaro National Park group.
The group, which claims more than 100 members, objects to the proposed development because of the impact it would have on the neighboring park.
Colaric cited the fact that the surrounding property is zoned as “suburban ranching,” in which one property is allowed per 3.3 acres, as a reason to object to the resort’s development.
The longtime Tucson resident said he’s disappointed that the U.S. Department of Interior and National Park Service has given the project the proverbial green light.
Colaric’s main objection to the proposed resort is that it is located within a one-mile buffer zone of the park’s main entrance, which is on Old Spanish Trail, near Escalante Road.
Colaric said he’s worried that the Board of Supervisors’ vote on whether to permit Matthews and Lasher a conditional use permit could open a Pandora’s box of sorts for the neighboring acres of untouched land.
“I understand the fact that the developers have purchased the property and would like to do as they see fit,” Colaric said. “However, I’ve lived in this area for over 31 years, of which time all that has been within the buffer zone to the park. And I’ve lived at my current residence, which is about 25 feet north of their proposed resort, for the last four-and-a-half years, and we feel that the buffer zone was put there for a reason.”
Matthews, who called the Bike Ranch a dream three decades in the making, argued that the buffer zone, which was put in place in 1985 to protect the park from intrusive development, will not be violated by the development.
“Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way to talk to people about this because they seem very firmly to believe that Saguaro National Park-East will suffer because of increased bike usage and we don’t agree with that,” Peters said. “People don’t like change, nobody likes change. We’d probably feel the same way on several topics, but at the same time our national parks belong to everybody.”
In a letter dated Feb. 28, Saguaro National Park Superintendent Leah McGinnis voiced her support for the Bike Ranch development.
McGinnis said her support for the project stems from its sustainable building practices and the park system’s growing encouragement of bicycling within park boundaries.
“The developer has made significant changes to the development plan since 2014, most notably complying with all current zoning regulations,” McGinnis wrote.
In a hearing on April 12, County Hearing Administrator Jim Portner reached a similar conclusion, recommending the approval of the couple’s Type II Conditional Use Permit to operate the resort.
In his decision, Portner laid out how the couple’s proposal would be a net positive for Tucson as a whole, rejecting the claim that its construction would harm the surrounding area.
“In rendering a prior recommendation to deny the same petitioner’s 2014 request, this Hearing Administrator clearly stated then that the vision behind the proposed use was found to have significant merit,” Portner’s decision reads. “Nothing has changed in this respect. The project as proposed represents an opportunity to further Tucson’s growing national and international reputation as a cycling destination, and to do so in bold fashion. This is a positive for our community.”
Colaric argues that the proposed ranch would benefit few, while harming the majority of residents that live in the area.
“Even though the park has given their support or at least they’re neutral about the development this time,” Colaric said. “We believe the park is owned by everybody and that it’s going to have a negative impact on the park itself and the surrounding areas.”
The main reason for Colaric’s opposition to the Bike Ranch proposal is its long-term impact on the area.
“We’re going to be living here far longer than the superintendent will be in this given area. She’ll be I’m sure moving on to some other assignment in the park system. But we chose to live here,” Colaric said. “We paid a premium to live here. You know, within the buffer zone and with the close proximity to the park. And we think the county supervisors ought to uphold the buffer zone.”
Supervisor Steve Christy, whose District 4 includes the entirety of Saguaro National Park-East, said he’s still undecided on the project.
Christy said he planned to hold meetings with neighbors and the developers between now and the Board’s May 21 vote to approve the Bike Ranch’s conditional use permit.
“My current position relating to the bike ranch is that I still have some data-gathering to do, particularly with neighbors to the proposed site,” Christy said last week.
Christy said his main concern is that the resort’s neighbors and the neighboring national park are not negatively impacted by the development.
“In 2014, one of the defining features was the resistance seemed to be utilizing the park’s objection,” Christy said. “And that was kind of their rallying point, that the integrity of Saguaro National Park-East would be jeopardized. That objection by the Parks Service has now been removed and diminished, so now I have to analyze what credible areas of resistance still exist.”
This article appears in May 16-22, 2019.
Sounds like a great idea. It will increase home values in the area. Great addition to El Tour de Tucson for this bike friendly community.
Usually I’m skeptical of variances, but this seems like a great idea. Anything that saves that area for cycling is a good idea. It’s a treasure in Pima County and unique to the area.
Thousands of homes are being built just a few miles south of there and nobody is talking about the environmental destruction from those new housing developments plus the thousands of additional cars on Old Spanish Trail every day.
“If you build it they will ride.”
Has anyone told the NIMBYs that their homes are built on once pristine desert?
Never mind Rocking K down the road…
This mind set is why Tucson is the way it is.
Tucsonians who are opposing the Bike Ranch are like the ones who years ago decided it wasn’t good to have a freeway system. Seems to me that they are a group of people who think their interests should override the whole area population who would enjoy this type of development. They probably would be the same people who try to stop housing developments unless it is their own and seem to be just very selfish, self-centered people.
The Tucson Bike Ranch is a proposal to build a motel right across the street from a national park disguised as an “eco freindly bike ranch.” It is an attempt to the exploit a natural resource unique to the Tucson area known as Saguaro National Park East for the benefit of one commercial developer. If the goal is to provide improved bike access to Saguaro Naional Park East for visitors and residents that should be accomplished by expanding the current bike loop network, not building a motel across the street from the park. This proposal is in direct opposition to the Pima County buffer overlay zoning ordinance 18.67.010 that was passed in 1988 to protect the unique nature of the Sonoran desert for future generations.
http://pimacounty-az.elaws.us/code/coor_title18_ch18.67_sec18.67.010
^^^ This comment contains false info, a specialty of the opposition group.
If the project was in direct opposition to the PC BOZO, it would not have been approved by PC Development Svcs and the PC Hearing Administrator.
File under lie by omission the fact that the commenter does not mention the Saguaro National Park East admin has modified its position on the project, moving from objection in 2014 to non-opposition now. Further, SNPE personnel was quoted on azpm.org as stating they look forward to working with the developer.
Hopefully, common sense will prevail over the will of hysterical NIMBYs.
Just curious — what has changed from 2014 to 2019, other than personnel with a differing opinion at NPS? I have seen the plans. The Bike Ranch is a good idea, but not at this location. The buffer zone exists for a reason that does not include commercial development. The developers are applying for exceptions — for special permission to interrupt the buffer zone. And the backyard the NIMBYs are trying to protect is Saguaro National Park and Old Spanish Trail. Why would anyone object to this? Have you driven this area lately? Is the additional revenue to SNP (if it occurs) worth the destruction to the area?
Saguaro National Park (East) is 67,000 acres of protected habitat for wildlife. The Bike Ranch location is totally outside of the preserve and on the opposite side of Old Spanish Trail from it. If approved, the Bike Ranch will be on a 20 acre lot and leave half of the lot as open space for wildlife corridors. That’s way more than the 30% open space required by the Buffer Zone Ordinance. The suggestion that Bike Ranch is a threat to the park or the wildlife in it is simply inflammatory propaganda.
The proposal meets or exceeds the requirements and the intent of the Buffer Zone Ordinance according to the guy who was Director of Pima County Planning and Development Services when it was created. The Superintendent of Saguaro National Park submitted a letter saying the Bike Ranch supports National Park Service initiatives and they look forward to working with Bike Ranch going forward. US Game and Fish commission has blessed the plan. Department of Transportation has approved the plan to proceed. The bottom line: Every agency that has experience and responsibility to evaluate plans like these has given their approval. I really don’t see how the Board of Supervisors can deny the proposal unless they are willing to say they think all these agencies are incompetent.
Lets remember that the land in question is private land, not some kind of wilderness preserve. The owner is paying taxes on it every year and is not obligated to leave it vacant. Something is going to be built there. The Bike Ranch is the most eco-friendly proposal we are ever likely to see. Their commitment to strive for Platinum LEED certification is testament to that. There is no reason to expect less impact on the park, the environment, or traffic if the property is cut up and sold to a new cluster of single family homes or used for some other business.
Lets talk about the good Bike Ranch will do for our community. It will be a new jewel in Tucson’s crown as a bike friendly destination city. It will bring bicycle tourists to Pima County and generate more interest in our bike paths and bike lanes. If we want that network to grow, then we want to promote events and businesses that make use of it. We could have a network of safe bicycle transit from Vail to Marana and Green Valley to Oro Valley someday. That network would enable alternative transit and healthy lifestyle choices for residents while bringing in tourist dollars year round. Bike Ranch would be a great asset in Tucson’s effort to grow as a bicycling destination. I would hate to see this opportunity slip through our hands.
SNPE will become the Bicycle Racing Test Track of East Tucson, the park will be taken over by sicklists, peeing in the open like they do at the Rincon store. Then the cars will be banned because of Bike-Car interactions, and sicklists getting injured. The many winter visitors we get in Tucson will no longer be able to drive the parks road because of all the speeding rude riders. This is what happens when Libs take over a city, next stop San Fransicko, and people living in tents on the streets among feces and needles. Enjoy…Proud Tucson Native, sad to watch it’s decline.