An Oro Valley intersection known for crashes and a failed development proposal is back in the spotlight, this time with plans for road improvements and a possible new shopping center anchored by a Sprouts Farmers Market.

The Oro Valley Town Council discussed proposed improvements to the intersection of Tangerine Road and Rancho Vistoso Boulevard during its May 20 study session, with several residents in attendance to voice their concerns.

The study session came after a three-hour meeting that addressed several other issues, including the adoption of the Oro Valley Leisure Travel Management Plan.

Town engineer Paul Keesler presented plans for the proposed improvements to the intersection, which sees frequent collisions due to high traffic volumes exiting the Safeway parking lot east of Rancho Vistoso Boulevard, the sole southern access point to a nearby residential area.

"We have five to six accidents a year out there, and that's not good," Keesler said.

The improvements would cost $750,000 and include the installation of a traffic light where Rancho Vistoso Boulevard meets the northern access road to the parking lot, adding a two-stage left turn to the intersection of Rancho Vistoso Boulevard and Woodburne Avenue, and adjusting medians and traffic lanes on the curved section of Rancho Vistoso Boulevard to give more turn space to people exiting the Safeway.

After Keesler's presentation, two representatives from commercial real estate firm W.M. Grace Companies shared plans for a proposed shopping center called Vistoso Marketplace that is projected to cost an additional $750,000.

Senior Vice Presidents Tom Grace and Mike Pearlstein outlined plans for the nearly 10-acre lot anchored by a Sprouts Farmers Market and featuring a 12,000-square-foot retail strip mall. They presented two layout options for the southern section of the site, one with two small retail pads and another with a gas station and convenience store, along with renderings of what the finished Vistoso Marketplace might look like.

Some residents were skeptical in the wake of the failed Avilla Rancho Vistoso development in the area, which would have turned 88 acres of land around the intersection into a residential zone and was rejected in 2024 due to traffic concerns.

While public comment is not usually permitted during study sessions, Mayor Joe Winfield made an exception and allowed residents to provide feedback on both projects.

Rick Bolash said he didn't like that the plans would give traffic access to Woodburne Avenue from a commercial area, saying residents currently use it to take their children to school.

"Woodburne Avenue would become a raceway for people to sneak into whatever this development is going to be," Bolash said.

Shirl Lamonna, who previously advocated against Avilla Rancho Vistoso, said she is worried that a large commercial lot near the area would increase traffic congestion.

"We love Sprouts," Lamonna said. "We wouldn't mind having that there, but the entire shopping center puts it into a whole different ball game."

Some citizens took a harder line.

Marilyn Rego, a resident of the adult living community Sun City and president of the Sun City Oro Valley Republican Club, said she didn't want to see any changes to the area.

"I really don't want to see any more stop lights coming in," Rego said. "I really disapprove of any new road development in the area."

Council members expressed reservations about the traffic Vistoso Marketplace and the new light could generate but were more receptive to the proposals overall.

Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett said she worried about the stoplight being placed on a curved road, suggesting it be moved to the Woodburne intersection to prevent backups.

"It feels like we did all this work, and we came back with the same proposal that the citizens had spoken strongly against," Barrett said.

Keesler defended the improvements as based on a commissioned traffic study but acknowledged that past development decisions on Rancho Vistoso had limited their options.

"I think there were some short-sighted decisions that were made in the past that have now adversely impacted us today," Keesler said. "That's the bottom line, and we will strive to do as much as we can from a holistic standpoint."

Councilmember Josh Nicolson, who requested the study session, said he was interested in the economic potential of Vistoso Marketplace and the revenue it could bring to the town. He said Sprouts stores usually generate about $15 million a year, which would mean $375,000 a year in government revenue under Oro Valley's new 2.5% retail sales tax adopted in January.

"It's a four-year payback on our 1.5 million (dollar) investment, which is pretty good for government," Nicolson said.

He defended his decision to address these issues in a study session, saying it was a way to give the developers more time to discuss potential plans with the council instead of having to pitch the project in a single day after having already made financial commitments.

Grace and Pearlstein both emphasized that their plans for Vistoso Marketplace were preliminary and subject to change.

"The biggest reason we wanted to do (the presentation) is to get a read from you folks, because as councilmember Nicolson alluded to … we have to spend a lot of money to get to the next steps," Pearlstein said.

Councilmember Mary Murphy said the two most common businesses requested by residents are Sprouts and Chick-fil-A.

"If you could make that happen, I think there'd be a lot of happy people in this town," Murphy said.

Benjamin DePue is a University of Arizona student and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact him at bdepue@arizona.edu.

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