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OVCN Sports Complex Rezoning Approved Despite Missing Studies
By a vote of six to one, the Marana Town Council approved a rezoning last week that will allow the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene (OVCN) to build a large church campus and sports complex on 28 acres near Twin Peaks Road and Desert Falcon Lane.
The plan includes a gymnasium up to 40 feet tall—ten feet higher than current zoning allows—and shifts the land use from Low Density Residential to a Master Planned Area.
Many nearby residents, both at the meeting and in written impact statements, raised concerns about traffic, noise, lighting, and the loss of the quiet desert character that defines the neighborhood. Several council members acknowledged these issues, including Councilman Patrick Cavanaugh, the lone dissenting vote.
Despite these concerns, key studies normally completed before a project of this size were not finished or considered. There is no traffic impact analysis, no lighting or noise study, and no environmental report. The need for the 40‑foot height was also not supported by written documentation.
Under current zoning, the land could have supported about 33 single‑family homes—a far less intense use than daily sports programming.
With so many unanswered questions, the approval leaves residents without a full understanding of the project’s impacts.
If you believe major projects should be approved only after all studies are complete, speak up and get involved. Contact the Marana Town Council members who voted yes and ask them why they did not follow established protocols and if they intend to ignore them in the future.
Click here view for the entire council meeting. This agenda item begins at 55.39.
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