Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Marana public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
9 issues in zoning
OVCN Twin Peaks Campus Rezone
The Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene won a 6-1 rezone to build a church, gym, and sports fields on 28 acres near Twin Peaks Road, raising the height limit from 30 to 40 feet. Neighbors fought it over traffic, noise, lighting, wildlife, and neighborhood character.
Legacy zones rezoning triggers
Marana's old Zone A-E designations are being phased out, but the 2021 code rewrite left a gap on when owners must rezone. This amendment restores the old triggers — doubling homes or business intensity, switching use types, or straining streets — but now requires a full rezoning instead of the old fast-track. Residents get full public review before big changes on legacy-zoned land.
Proposed Joint Planning Commission/Council Meeting
Commissioners want their first joint meeting with the Town Council in years to align on big-picture issues: the sign code, farmland-to-housing transitions, and making common development conditions part of the code. Staff will gauge Council interest.
Sign code ordinance amendments
Staff may bring changes to the town's sign code to a future meeting. Anyone who cares about sign rules around town should watch next month's agenda.
Community activity banners and rental signage in residential areas
Marana's sign code currently bans banners in residential areas and only lets subdivision sign programs advertise homes for sale. The proposed amendment allows HOA banners for events like yard sales and expands sign programs to homes for rent. It now goes to the Town Council for a final decision.
Accessory dwelling unit regulations
State law tweaks from 2025 forced Marana to revise its ADU rules, including how 'restricted-affordable dwelling units' are defined and when ADUs can be used as short-term rentals. Municipalities lost the fight to ban short-term rentals in ADUs, but newer ADUs used as short-term rentals must be owner-occupied. The rules take effect once Marana hits 75,000 residents.
Luckett Road Specific Plan referendums
The council met in closed session with attorneys about referendum petitions REF2026-02 and REF2026-03 challenging the Luckett Road North and South rezonings approved earlier this year. One speaker urged the council to preserve all 2,100 petition signatures.
Freestanding interstate signage at I-10/Ina Road
Lifted Trucks wants a 65-foot, 287.5-square-foot sign visible from Interstate 10 near Ina Road. Marana's code allows these signs only under tight conditions — minimum parcel size, distance from homes, rail lines and other interstate signs — and this site clears all of them. The commission approved it unanimously.
Marana Towne Center Specific Plan condition amendments
The council updated 2013 rezoning conditions for 462 acres west of Sandario Road — the town now handles Tangerine Farms Road itself, and the developer will pay the standard impact fee instead of a piecemeal contribution formula.