GVCC to accept new area members

Since Green Valley is not incorporated as an Arizona municipality, it has no city limits.

But what many people and organizations here accept as its “city limits” is Pima County’s S-11 planning area.

Last year, the county expanded the Green Valley S-11 planning area, extending it south along Interstate 19 and including some White House Canyon Road area.

On Wednesday, the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council’s executive board approved extending the council’s boundaries to include communities in the expanded area if they want to join GVCCC.

Also Wednesday, the executive board heard plans are moving ahead for a citizens’ advisory committee to work with the Border Patrol, an idea floated here in late April.

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said the citizens group will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 27, at an office in the Green Valley Mall.

Homeowner associations that are located in the newly expanded area can now apply to be represented by the council, said President Russ Symes. There have been some inquiries by associations and residents curious about joining GVCCC.

The requests will be forwarded to the council’s governing board, the Board of Representatives, which will meet next at 9 a.m., Thursday, May 15, at the Desert Hills Center.

Until recently the S-11 planning area ran from about the mines on the west side to the center of the Santa Cruz River on the east and from Duval Mine Road to Calle Tres, north to south.

S-11 now runs south to the county line along the interstate and extends the eastern boundaries from the river to include the White House Canyon area.

S-11 is a county regulation dealing with building codes, placing height limits on buildings in Green Valley and calling for Southwestern style.

As for the Border Patrol, last April 8, an out-of-control stolen SUV carrying illegal entrants smashed into a house in San Ignacio Vistas at about 5:40 a.m. Many of the illegals escaped, and although the house was heavily damaged, no one was seriously injured.

Border Patrol Sector Chief Robert Gilbert and U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords met with homeowners and local officials to talk about the crash and to see about more patrols in Green Valley.

Since then, Border Patrol Station Chief Roger San Martin and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department have increased patrols in this area to help prevent similar incidents.

At the meeting, Chief Gilbert told citizens, “You should not live in fear if you live in this country.”

“Timely communication between law enforcement agencies and the residents they serve is absolutely essential.

“We all need to work together as a community if we are to get this situation under control.”

In a Thursday statement Giffords said she was pleased that the Border Patrol responded so positively and quickly.

Good communications with the Green Valley residnts is “absolutely essential,” she said.

She said the first meeting will be 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 27, in a meeting room near the GVCCC’s Green Valley Mall office.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749