The Pima County Board of
Supervisors will decide next week if a proposed guest ranch for bicyclists can be built near the entrance of Saguaro National Park.
For the developers, it’s a far better use of the ecologically sensitive land than another subdivision. For the opposition, it’s a threat to a pristine swath of desert that’s even more unique for being a national park abutting a major city.
The bike ranch, proposed by landowners and developers Kelley Matthews and Peter Lasher, would include 49 guest rooms, along with amenities such as a training facility, bike repair and rental shop, pool and restaurant on the 45 acres they own at East Escalante Road and South Old Spanish Trail. But first, it needs a conditional use permit because the property is within the buffer overlay zone that restricts development around the national park.
The project has already hit some bumps on the way. At a permit hearing in May, dozens of people spoke and submitted letters against the ranch, far outnumbering supporters. The National Park Service was among the disapproving. A county hearing officer followed up by recommending denial of the permit, calling it premature and suggesting that the developers try to work through opponents’ concerns over park and wildlife preservation.
Matthews said she expected some opposition, but now she feels she’s in a pitched battle.
“I really feel that most of the opposition we have is because what we’re proposing is for bicyclists,” she said.
David Hoffman, who lives about a mile from the proposed project, makes it clear that isn’t why he opposes the ranch.
Furthermore, he doesn’t even oppose the idea of a bike ranch. He just doesn’t want it across the road from Saguaro National Park because it would set a dangerous precedent.
“Basically, this is the crack in the dam if this happens,” he said. “If this happens, developers will start lining up.”
Hoffman, with partner Dave Robertson, is rallying people to take a stand to protect the buffer zone, in turn protecting the park. He said the park belongs to everybody, not just the people living closest to it.
Robertson is direct: he doesn’t trust the developers, he casts a stern eye on what he says is exploitation of the park for profit, and he’s rigid in his position. Even if no other commercial development followed, he wouldn’t want the ranch there.
“This,” he said, “is a glorified strip mall.”
What Matthews sees is a quintessential celebration of Tucson, with its history of guest ranches and status as a premier destination for bicycling tourism. She hopes others in town will agree.
“If we were trying to design a poster child for the kind of new businesses we should be promoting in Tucson, we couldn’t come up with anything better,” she said.
Describing herself as an avid environmentalist, Matthews said she and Lasher plan to pursue LEED Platinum certification, a designation given by the U.S. Green Building Council to the most sustainably conceived, energy-efficient buildings. Overall, she said more than 80 percent of the property would remain open space.
Matthews said she and Lasher have lived in the area for more than 30 years, and don’t want to see the land fill with houses. They bought the property because of its proximity to the national park, seeing their ranch as “utterly symbiotic.”
“We feel that it’s the best possible thing that could happen on that location for the park,” Matthews said.
The land immediately around the park is zoned suburban ranch, so some development is permissible—including a “minor resort,” the status the permit would allow.
But Hoffman said the buffer zone has been doing its job, and now his duty is to make sure that buffer doesn’t get chipped away.
“What is at risk is far greater than anything they’re going to ever make on this,” he said.
Like Hoffman, Supervisor Ray Carroll, whose District 4 includes Saguaro National Park and the proposed guest ranch, said the resort is a good idea, but the location isn’t. He said he spoke with the landowners early on and advised them that they chose a sensitive area.
Now, he said they’re trying to create a defense for bicyclists, when “this isn’t just bicyclists. This is about a resort at the gate of Saguaro National Park.”
Darla Sidles, Saguaro National Park’s Superintendent, said her greatest concern is to protect park resources. She also said she recognizes the potential economic value of the ranch, but that she also needs to recognize the park’s neighbors.
Sidles said she has been hearing comments on both sides of the bike ranch issue, but the majority of the closest neighbors are “pretty vehemently opposed to it, and I can’t ignore that.”
The Board of Supervisors takes up the bike ranch on Nov. 18. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Pima County administrative meeting, 130 W. Congress St.
This article appears in Nov 13-19, 2014.
This is a good idea that might do better in Ajo. That stretch of Old Spanish Trail is dangerous enough to then create a virtual bicyclists traffic logjam right there is just unworkable. This might look good on paper but the unknown variable is the bicyclists themselves. It takes only a few of the more extremely rude riders to turn automobile drivers against ANY bicyclists and we bicyclists know all too well who ends up with the “road rash” in that dispute.
Okay, maybe down along the trolley line.
In my experience the problem is more often rude drivers than rude cyclists.
It sounds like a great project for somewhere outside the park buffer zone. There is plenty of other property in the area, why this one in particular?
The proposal is NOT just 49 guest rooms. If the Supervisors violate the buffer zone protections for the Saguaro National Park and approve the proposed commercial Bike Ranch, there will also be an onsite manager’s unit, a luxury casita and 15 – FIFTEEN! – bunkhouses, some two stories tall AND a 12,000 square foot building with a large dining room and a living room/lounge, a kitchen, office space, a bike shop, training & fitness rooms and a yoga studio. The result would be a commercial center that shold only be allowed in hard zoned commercial locations outside of the one mile buffer zone. Write to the Board of Supervisors and oppose this very bad idea that would have a major negative impact on the Saguaro National Park, on Old Spanish Trail and on all of us who love the area.
I was driving on far east Speedway approaching a couple cyclists from the rear holding a large space of road side by side as we were topping a blind hill. I slowed since it wasn’t safe to pass but was slightly annoyed that these two kept their wide position when the more polite thing would have been to go into a line and make room for several of us to safely pass. You’re right, drivers can be rude but they aren’t the only ones.
Keep the damn camel’s nose out of the tent unless you want a camel sitting in your lap.
My understanding is that this parcel across from the park is zoned SR. So, without any special requirements, the land can be subdivided into 45 acres of residential lots. Along with a residential neighborhood, you have streets and maybe sidewalks, 2 to 3 cars per household, lights, fences, pools etc. After reading the proposal for the Bike Ranch, I am in support of it. I would much rather see a beautifully planned,open-space project with no walls and fences where only 20% of the land is developed. Wouldn’t you? The gentleman, Ricardo Small, makes this project sound like a strip mall…really? The owners of this property appear to be designing a resort with the utmost care and concern for our environment; powered by solar energy, using gray water, LEED certified, minimal disturbance of the natural environment.
This is a perfect fit to be located across from the Park as the owners of the Bike Ranch are actively concerned about keeping our skies dark, keeping our air clean and preserving our desert. I am so happy that this project is being proposed. It is a perfect fit for the area.
TK: What you fail to understand is that if this resort gets approved, the whole area protecting Saguaro National Park East (the Buffer Overlay Zone) will be undermined and MUCH more commercial development will spread within its borders. The Board of Supervisors will not be able to pick and choose who develops in the area – developers will lawyer up and sue for their “right” to bring commercial development into this critical ecological area. Just because Matthews and Lasher’s resort may be environmentally sensitive (as they claim), NO WAY does that guarantee other developers will be the same. Allowing the resort into the Buffer Zone is letting the development genie out of the bottle – once it’s out, we’ll never get it back in. Let Matthews and Lasher find another, more environmentally respectful location for their resort and leave Saguaro National Park East protected for future generations.
Do not let a bicyclist poke their nose into your park, unless you want a bicycle strip mall in your bedroom.
Zeke R: After I read your comments, I went back and re-read the Buffer Zone ordinance as well as the report that Robert Johnson wrote. He is the former Director of the Pima County Planning & Development Services Department, and the original architect of the Buffer Overlay Zoning Ordinance. In this case, it appears very clear that the Bike Ranch meets or exceeds the requirements of the buffer zone ordinance. What is wonderful about the ordinance is that there are clear restrictions as to what can and can’t be built within the buffer zone.. purposefully to protect the park. The ordinance does not say that you cannot build.
Please take the time to read both documents as I believe you may see things differently after reading them. I appreciate your concern.
TK: Oh, please. Ms. Matthews, is that you? Or an operative? Your words seem awfully scripted.
The Bike Ranch developers are the last people who should be allowed to develop in an ecologically sensitive area like the Buffer Zone. They have been disingenuous from the start – the community has NEVER been given a clear and honest accounting for what they plan to do with their property. Did you know that at a community meeting in September, it was dragged out of Mr. Johnson that the whole resort may have to have an OPEN-AIR CESSPOOL in order to deal with the sewage? You see, most residences in the Buffer Zone – including the vintage rental houses on the resort property – are all on septic tanks. You cannot put a full-scale resort on septic. When it became clear in the developer’s September presentation that they were conveniently avoiding the issue of their sewage, the crowd finally got Johnson to admit that they are considering an OPEN-AIR CESSPOOL as a solution. Nice, right? The smell of sewage greeting neighbors and visitors alike at the entrance of Saguaro National Park East? This is environmentally sensitive development?
Of course, Matthews has tried to back-pedal this statement ever since. But it was from her own PAID CONSULTANT. This is just one example of many where Matthews & Co have said something only to try to take it back. These developers cannot be trusted.
I don’t know anything about the septic and I am not Ms. Mathews. Though, my guess is that they will not operate a business that smells like sewage and I also guess that if this was a concern that they willingly would have a conversation about it… unless it doesn’t matter what their answer is.
As with any construction project, the county has their inspectors and their permit process. The building plans need to be approved just like any other project. This, of-course, would include a proper sewage system.
Frankly a bike ranch is the better alternative to a residential subdivision with subsequent barking dogs and stray cats any day! There already exists a nasty traffic problem in the area and some how that has been used as a rather poor argument against developing the bike ranch… what needs to happen (even if the ranch is not approved) is Pima County fixing the traffic problem… widening the road by two lanes and installing wildlife bridges or tunnels so the critters don’t get run over. I have also heard the light pollution card being played as an argument for not developing the ranch… jeez… the new Wal-Mart looks like a miniature U/A stadium! The entire valley is just one big light bulb. Maybe a better solution would be we all just turn off our porch lights for now and stop frequenting the Saguaro National Monument. I don’t blame the owners if they just go the residential subdivision route rather than the Bike Ranch… they will make a heck of a lot more money developing homes that’s for sure and Pima County would receive more tax dollars as well.
With the problems at Colossal Cave, why not get the County out of the way and let them do a joint venture? Can anybody at the PCBOS have a genuine thought?
Some interesting recent comments are good but are they correct? Most of the home plots, if not all exceed an acre so it’s unlikely there will be 45 one acre plots. One poster pointed out what most of us who ride out there already know; the road is exceedingly narrow and even moreso when packs of bicyclists are trying to share the road on weekends. Coupled with limited visibility through some of the turns and it’s a tribute to everyone more bicyclists haven’t been killed out there.
Thankfully, the owners have wisely, and temporarily withdrawn to have another look at how they can do this better. Good luck to them.
TK … it IS a strip mall. Have you seen the drawings? There was supposed to be a 12,000 sq ft building, fifteen (15) “bunkhouses” = motel, fifty (50) casitas. Think about how many people such a commercial operation would have accomodated. Hundreds. The average number of people per household in SR zoning, which would allow maybe 13 homes, is less than three (3). So, maximum estimate means around 40 people in fully built out SR zoned 45 acres. THAT is far, far better than the hundreds of people that the proposed motel, restaurant, retail & office center would accomodate and attract to the area, because the traffic congestion, the higher water consumption, increased sewage production and negative impact on the Park and neighboring residential values. The proposal should never be permitted, no matter how much the developers gyrate through different versions of their strip mall idea.