Developer plans 140-unit luxury Elephant Head community

GREEN VALLEY--A Tucson developer is acquiring about 580 acres in Elephant Head for a "conservation development" of some 140 luxury houses, but acknowledges that hurdles include the lack of utilities and access.

Joel Abrams said his Elephant Head Partners, which also includes a Tucson lawyer and an accountant, have acquired the Amado Ranch and are in the process of acquiring other private land. The property starts about 1.25 miles east of the end of Hawk Way.

Abrams, of Inland Ventures, said in a phone interview that the project would not block public access to the popular hiking and equestrian trails on state and federal land surrounding the project. He said he plans to create or upgrade equestrian trails on the property that would tie into existing trails and would build a small public parking lot on the property.

"We will be build some (equestrian trails) throughout the project and will tie into existing ones, connecting with Forest Service trails. We will try to enhance the lifestyle and fit the natural beauty there," Abrams said.

"We are going to provide parking for the public next to where the trails go into state and federal land now. Part of what we are dedicating as open space is parking and a trail head. We won't be closing that," Abrams said.

Abrams said developers would promote the project as an upscale one, with custom homes to be built on 4.13-acre lots that sell for $100,000 or more.

"The quality of the land is rare. We think people will desire it. With the size of the lots it will be mostly custom (homes). The lots will be priced competitively with Green Valley custom home lots," Abrams said.

Plans to preserve nature

"It's really a unique area. We want to minimize the impact we have on that natural area, close to the forest and the canyon and wash," Abrams said.

"The county has a provision for a conservation subdivision. We'd probably approach this property as a conservation subdivision. That essentially means you set aside and dedicate half the property as open space," Abrams said.

A major problem to be worked out is the need for public access across state land to the development area. Abrams said he hopes to either buy or obtain a perpetual lease on that 1.25 miles of state land between Hawk Way and the development.

Another problem is telephone service. Abrams said Qwest does not want to annex the area into its service territory, but said he hoped to work out a combination of cellular phone and satellite Internet service that would satisfy prospective homebuyers.

"We may have to either go cellular or a combination of cellular and satellite system. We are a thinking of setting up a system. I don't know if it's been done. It seems to be that technology is coming of age, may take time to get all pieces of the puzzle in place.

"Cellular is pretty viable out there. You can have a a home system with boosters and antennas.

"On Direcway [related to Direct TV] satellite you can get Internet service on satellite, and with that you can do voice (telecommunications) over the Internet," Abrams said.

The current zoning, RH, would remain, which means no more than one house for every 4.13 acres.

Under Pima County's conservation subdivision ordinance, at least 50 percent of the land must be set aside as open space, but this permits the developers to cluster the houses on smaller lots. Abrams said he is not sure whether developers would dedicate the open space to the county or put it under control of some other entity, such as a homeowners association.

"Fifty percent of the land has to be open space and within that, lot areas have to be limited. By giving up half the land, you can make the lots smaller without rezoning but you cannot increase the number. By clustering the houses on smaller lots you are preserving the land. I don't know yet if we will set up a common area or dedicate it (open space) to the county," Abrams said.

Abrams said soil testing indicated some groundwater and so he expects to set up wells and a small water company serving the subdivision. Because the zoning is RH, homes can use septic tanks for sewage.

Abrams said it is too early to discuss a timetable, in part because land acquisition is not complete and there are so many infrastructure details to be worked out. He hopes to bring a subdivision plat to the county development services department within 18 to 24 months.

The conservation subdivision option has only been available under county regulations for a few years. An example of one of the earliest projects approved under that arrangement is Sycamore Canyon south of Sahuarita Road and west of Houghton Road.

Abrams said he and his partners have developed smaller residential projects before, including the 28-unit Maya Estates on the Northwest Side of Tucson and the 63-unit Whetstone Ranch on one-acre lots in Vail. In addition, Abrams was a minor partner in the 75-unit San Joaquin Ranch on the West Side.

Abrams acknowledged he has not worked on a project before that involved such raw land and was so lacking in infrastructure.

"It's a challenge. We like challenges. It should be rewarding. It takes a lot of vision, work, capital and risk, no doubt about it, but I just think it's a special place. We've hiked all over it," Abrams said.

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