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MYSTERY SHOPPERS

The Oro Valley Town Council amended the town code last week to include a legal framework for preserving historic sites, buildings and landmarks.

The establishment of such a code is a continuum of the council's creation of the Historic Preservation Commission in December 2004.

The ordinance that created the commission stated that one of its duties was to create a comprehensive set of rules governing historic preservation in Oro Valley.

"Historic preservation is a very complicated process," said Bob Baughman, vice chairman of the commission.

The commission appointed Baughman, town historian Jim Kriegh and Councilman Al Kunisch to a subcommittee that was formed to write a historic preservation code.

"We collected ordinances (governing historic preservation) from cities and towns in Arizona, and one from outside the state," said Baughman.

They chose Sedona's ordinance on historic preservation as the basis for Oro Valley's, he said.

The commission approved the town's code on historic preservation on Jan. 9.

Eight months hence, the town council approved adding the historic preservation code to the town code, but only after a portion of one section was removed.

This section outlines incentives the town can offer property owners to motivate them to seek historic designation.

One proposed incentive was to waive or reduce property owners' application fees based on the commission's request for this waiver.

Those fees have not yet been set, said Brent Sinclair, community development director.

"When it comes to the waiver of application fees, that's something that would take council action," Mayor Paul Loomis said.

Councilwoman Paula Abbott requested that the incentive be removed from the code.

"I don't think it should be included as a tool in this toolbox. We're giving enough," she said.

Councilman Barry Gillaspie motioned to approve the code without the fee waiver incentive, and the motion was passed 6-0.

Vice Mayor Terry Parish was absent.

Removing the incentive "doesn't affect the code in any way. If anything, it improves it," said Baughman.

The first two properties the commission will consider for historic preservation will most likely be Steam Pump Ranch and Honey Bee Village, he said.

The town is to completely acquire and rehabilitate both locations with voter-approved Pima County bond funds by June 2007, according to the strategic plan adopted by the Town Council on Dec. 21, 2005.

Oro Valley is paying $4.5 million for Steam Pump Ranch — 15 acres on North Oracle Road between First Avenue and Tangerine Road.

Loomis talked about the historic importance of both locations during his Sept. 14 State of Oro Valley luncheon.

"The Hohokam site at Honey Bee Village is just one of many areas that deserve our attention," he said.

"I'm hopeful that by the time we get together next year, we'll be moving on a conceptual plan to keep Steam Pump Ranch as the historical birthplace of modern Oro Valley," he said.