Petition in Support of Oracle/Suffolk Rezoning & Conditional Use Permit

LaiDar Developments, LLC (“LDD”), is proposing a new project in Oro Valley that is family friendly and community based. LDD is a local family raising their kids in Tucson. As parents themselves, they understand the needs of families and have thoughtfully tailored this project to meet those needs.
LDD owns approximately 4.7 acres of property at the northeast corner of N. Oracle Road and W. Suffolk Drive, APNs 225-51-018A & 225-51-4720 (the “Property”) within the Town of Oro Valley (“Town”). The Property is along Oracle Road, a major commercial corridor and State highway with a traffic light already in existence at Suffolk and Oracle. The Property is currently vacant and is zoned Residential Service District (“R-S”). LDD is interested in developing a family-oriented, indoor recreational use on the Property (the “Private Recreation”). In addition to the Private Recreation use, the development will include a restaurant and retail/service spaces. The Project requires a rezoning to the Town’s Neighborhood Commercial District (“C-N”) along with a Conditional Use Permit (“CUP”). LDD intends to process the rezoning and CUP concurrently.
Project Description:
LDD’s vision for the Property is to create an inviting, family-friendly commercial and recreation center. LaiDar for Kids, LLC will be a franchisee of KTR. KTR is an action sports indoor playground that has a sport court, trampolines, ninja obstacle course, skateboarding, scootering, BMX, parkour and tumble tracks. It is a place where kids of all ages can challenge themselves, build confidence, learn new skills, discover their inner athlete, build friendships and just have fun. Classes will be provided to help individuals learn, grow and thrive in a skill. Kids can aspire to be the next Jagger Eaton, two-time Olympian skateboarder, from Mesa, Arizona, trained by his father, Geoff Eaton, the founder of KTR.
While KTR will anchor the center, the Project will also include a restaurant and several retail/service spaces that are intended to complement the family-oriented recreation use. The buildings will surround a central outdoor plaza with turf play/respite area. All the proposed uses are permitted in C-N zone, although the proposed 25,000 square-foot KTR building exceeds the maximum 5,000-square-foot gross floor area allowed by a single business in C-N zone. A CUP is required to permit the additional building square footage proposed by the Project.
The buildings will be up to 25 feet in height, as permitted in C-N zone, and has been
placed as far west and north on the Property as possible to maximize the setbacks adjacent to residential uses to the east. Minimum required building setbacks are exceeded on all sides, with a generous 100-foot setback provided along the eastern Property line, adjacent to existing residential uses. In addition to the 100-foot setback on the east, there is also an intervening 20-foot public alleyway, resulting in a separation of over 120 feet between the nearest residential property line and the Project’s building. Fifteen-foot landscape buffers will be provided along the north and east Property lines, and 30-foot landscape buffers will be installed adjacent to each roadway.
A 5-foot masonry screen wall will be located interior to the landscape buffer along the eastern Property line (meaning the landscaping will be along the alley to benefit the neighbors). Loading and refuse collection areas will be screened with 6-foot masonry walls. There will be two driveway access points into the Project, one on Oracle Road and the other on Suffolk Drive. Vehicular circulation will surround the building, and parking will be distributed around three sides, exceeding the required ratio of 4.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet. Parking areas facing the public right-of-way will be screened with a 3.5-foot masonry screen wall. An underground storm drain culvert will be installed to manage all wash flows to the southwest corner of the Property, and other drainage features/areas are also identified at the south end of the Property.
LDD’s vision for a family friendly destination featuring an indoor children’s play and recreation area, retail, and dining options, will greatly benefit our community. It will be a safe place where young families with young children to grandparents with grandchildren can gather and enjoy year-round.