Civano shifts course

Tucson’s sustainable, new urban development loses its leading advocate. After constructing narrow streets, a neighborhood center, and about 250 energy-efficient houses, the developer of Civano may be backing away from the principles of New Urbanism and sustainability that guided planning in the ambitious Tucson project’s initial section. Fannie Mae, which has taken charge of the 818-acre project, has brought in a new design and engineering firm — Stantec, which has an office in Phoenix. Lee Rayburn, who managed the project under a previous owner and had continued as a consultant, was dismissed by Fannie Mae in July, according to Roger Schneider, principal planner for the City of Tucson. Rayburn had done much to ensure that the first 175-acre phase of the development — on desert land supplied by the state — adhered to concepts of New Urbanism and sustainability. In September Civano won an award from the periodical Energy User News for outstanding energy savings in residential and commercial buildings. “Lee did a real good job,” said Schneider. “His heart was totally in Civano.” However, Rayburn acknowledged two years ago that the developer was not making money on the project, situated about 15 miles southeast of downtown, and was spending about $5,000 extra per lot to meet environmental and new urban standards. Disappointing economics may be part of the reason why Judith L. Kilroy, director of the American Communities Fund at Fannie Mae, was named project manager of the development this fall. Kilroy has commissioned Stantec to work on the future phases of the development. She told New Urban News the first neighborhood “looks beautiful, it’s pedestrian-friendly, it slows down traffic.” But she said the initial neighborhood involved “mass grading” of the land, which she would like to avoid. “A great many people want to be in a natural environment rather than be part of the built environment,” she explained. Preserving the sense of being in the Sonora Desert may require “something of a departure” from New Urbanism, Kilroy said, though she added that she would like to “keep the connectivity” offered by sidewalks and biking and hiking pathways. anywhere usa? Schneider said a tentative concept plan from Stantec looked like a conventional “Anywhere USA” development, and he noted that the developer has talked about possibly “using conventional zoning for the rest of the project.” Whether Fannie Mae can win approval for substantial changes is unclear. Schneider noted the developer would have to persuade city staff, the city manager’s office, and the city council, and would also have to deal with restrictions the state placed on the development when the property was first made available. Approximately 500 people have already moved into Civano expecting “a certain type of project,” Schneider said, and they may react negatively is the original concept is greatly diluted. The developer has raised the possibility of altering requirements for solar orientation and other matters. Swaim Associates of Tucson has been chosen to provide architectural review in the first neighborhood. Five builders currently operate in Civano, constructing houses that range from about $115,000 to more than $200,000, according to Kilroy.