Oro Valley voters will decide this November whether to adopt a resident-written blueprint for the town's next decade, covering everything from housing density and water conservation to police response times and wildlife corridors.

Oro Valley's Path Forward General Plan is the product of more than 10,700 public comments gathered over three years of meetings and is meant to reflect resident priorities regarding public safety, water, development and more.

“I am often asked what my vision is for Oro Valley,” then Mayor Joe Winfield said when the town launched the planning process in 2023. “But the more important question is: 'What is Oro Valley's vision for the future?' It is our residents and stakeholders who define the vision, and that happens every 10 years in the general plan.”

State law requires each municipality to create and adopt a comprehensive 10-year general plan. Over the past decade, the town has worked to implement its 2016 Your Voice, Our Future plan, addressing the majority of its 310 included actions.

The 2026 general plan includes 286 specific actions broken down into four groups: community, sustainability, economy and development.

The community category includes character, arts and culture, parks and recreation, and public safety, aiming to foster a community of kindness that supports diverse interests, ages and backgrounds while maintaining the town's unique character.

It also outlines policies to grow and maintain outdoor and recreational opportunities, improve roadway safety, and uphold community safety through a quick-response police force and preparation for flooding and wildfires.

The sustainability category addresses environmental conservation, climate and energy, and water resources, with policies to maintain wildlife corridors, protect native plants and expand the town's conservation areas.

On climate and energy, the plan aims to promote waste reduction, encourage solar power and reduce carbon emissions over the next 10 years. It also aims to secure water availability by expanding conservation programs like diversifying water sources, limiting the use of natural grass and encouraging rainwater harvesting.

To maintain economic and financial stability, the plan addresses town finances as well as business and tourism, outlining policies to manage the town budget, diversify revenue sources, fill empty storefronts, support local businesses and diversify industries.

Finally, the development category addresses housing, land use and transportation, with goals to foster a diverse range of housing options, from townhomes to condos, while limiting construction of high-density apartment complexes.

It includes a detailed list of actions to balance Oro Valley's environment with community development, and on transportation, it prioritizes maintaining road quality, reducing dependency on vehicles through public transportation, and promoting both efficiency and safety.

If voters reject the plan, the 2016 Your Voice, Our Future plan remains in effect until a new plan is approved. The plan does not create new taxes or set the town's budget.

The plan will be voted on by Oro Valley residents on Nov. 3.

Allison Kuester is a student at Northwestern University and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at allisonkuester2029@u.northwestern.edu.

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