September 13, 2006 - Unusual circumstances often make otherwise insignificant pieces of real estate relevant. Little Round Top, Midway Island, Dien Bien Phu - all small hunks of dirt who's importance rested on their physical relationship to someplace else.

For Pima County, try 29 parcels north of Cholla Air Park running along Turtledove Road currently classified by Oro Valley as "Annexation Area L." Full disclosure - I live on one of those parcels and have no desire to live in Oro Valley.

Area L is a peninsula formed by the residue from other annexations. It would bring Oro Valley a little revenue sharing money from the dozen or so families living there now, and a few impact fees when the vacant parcels are developed. Some of the non-resident land owners may hope for future rezonings they couldn't get from Pima County which would increase the town's take, but the costs of servicing the area would still more than outweigh that financially.

The town's biggest problem would be the acquisition of a non-dedicated dirt road. Turtledove has no easements or rights of way and is a geological nightmare.

Bringing it to any acceptable standard would be far more costly than any economic gain to the town.

Annexation proponents misinformed residents that paving would come with annexation, something the Oro Valley Council at its Aug. 16 meeting made abundantly clear was not going to happen. Nor will water hook-ups to the town's water system, also part of the promotional package of the proponents. Bottom line, no road maintenance, water maybe but at your own expense,

Assuming that the proponent's motives are pure, what's in it for OV, besides compliance with a policy that says they really like straight lines on their borders? More important, what's in it for OV residents?

State law prohibits leaving annexation islands, so the strategic importance of that little finger of 29 parcels becomes apparent when you notice they're necessary to get to other unincorporated pieces along Turtledove between Hawk Canyon and Como.

That's the route discussed in both this newspaper and the Dec 10 Arizona Daily Star. The Star story by Tony Davis was titled "Build Pinal road across Tortolitas, Oro Valley urges." Davis quoted then Oro Valley Town Manager Chuck Sweet who all but rhapsodized over the possibility.

Maybe that's good deal for soon-to-be Pinal County.commuters - not so good deal for Oro Valley taxpayers.

As reported earlier in this column, a cursory glance at the map indicates a gap of only several hundred yards between Tortolita Mountain Park and the Stone Canyon Golf Course. That's the only place the "Pinal Road" could go, ultimately hooking up with La Cholla. The cost - financially, environmentally, and in lifestyle destruction - would be astronomical.

I've been assured by some members of the current Oro Valley Town Council that building this road is not their intention. I find that heartening, but inadequate. As Eliza sang in "My Fair Lady," Show Me."

The Pima Association of Governments conducts an ongoing "Loop Study" seeking alternatives to current high traffic routes. It is PAG's policy not to over-ride the desires of any member entity. If Oro Valley really has no plan to build the road Sweet promoted, as Davis reported, than all it needs to do is formally request that PAG drop any consideration of the Pinal Road over the Tortolitas. through their town.

This can be done by a simple majority vote of the Oro Valley Mayor and Council. Failing to do so would lead to the rational conclusion that the intentions reported in the December stories still exist.

A really good time to do that would be before any further consideration of the annexation of Area L.

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EMIL FRANZI

EMAIL FRANZI

BUT WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!

About Emil Franzi

Emil Franzi is the owner and host of "Inside Track" on KVOI - 690AM and KAPR - 930AM in Douglas. The program airs on Saturdays from 12 pm till 5 pm.

Franzi currently writes a weekly column for the EXPLORER (formerly the NORTHWEST EXPLORER). He filled the TUCSON WEEKLY with close to a million relevant words from 1993 to 2004 and was an OpEd regular with the Az Daily Star from 1994 to 1998. His writing has also appeared in PHOENIX Magazine, ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, and the late CITY MAGAZINE in Tucson.

But then, Franzi is an iconoclast.

This website is Franzi's baby, put together with work, faith, and a little help from his friends, like Tom Danehy, Joyce Downey and Mike Tully. The concept -- politics, books, humor, the Old West, movies, "Pet Talk" and letters -- is Emil's. This unique brew seems to work. This website averages more than a thousand "hits" a day and keeps growing.

You can read Emil Franzi's views on all things political and cultural, as well as opposing views, on our "Politics and More" page.