We are neighbors of the proposed Quail Canyon (QC) development, in which Katrin McGrath described in her March 12 op-ed the need for creativity to help with the housing crisis. She agrees with her premise that new housing developments in southern Arizona are well suited to landfills where roads and utilities her infrastructure resides.

Be creative with infill development sites, but also ensure existing topography (including conservation of natural water bodies and riparian areas) and adjoining road conditions suitable to accommodate additional population It also requires creativity. These two considerations present challenges to the potential filling space, including proposed QC development, for reasons explained below.

Geography: The Pima Canyon Wash runs through the Quail Canyon grounds.

It is normal for neighbors to be concerned about flooding and erosion on their Pima Canyon Wash property as the wash is modified due to QC development. QC-specific plans include embankment and/or dyke protection in areas where new homes and apartments border the floodplain. The QC plan predicts an increase in water elevation and velocity (elevation may increase by 1/10 foot and velocity by 10%).

How much additional erosion and soil loss will this increase cause on neighboring private property? Why should current property owners suffer losses to their properties due to new construction? Questions like these bring emotion and negativity to the hearing. Property owners adjacent to developments are understandably concerned about changes to their property and local environment. Often they feel they are not listening to the county or developers.

The private property directly adjacent to the apartments also receives rainwater runoff from the development. The QC plan assumes the first flush water retention (first he half inch of precipitation) on site. The rain then finds its way onto adjacent properties, carrying contaminants from apartment areas that were not retained in the first flush. What if this poses a problem for current property owners in the future? What steps will they take?

Adjacent Road Conditions: Rudasill Road is the northern end traffic entry/exit for the QC development.

During monsoon rains, the Pima Wash floods across Rudasil Road within half a mile east of the proposed apartment building, making it impassable. Pima County must address this issue and allow Rudasil to accept vehicles during and after the storm.

Also, less than half a mile east of the apartments and just after the point where the Pima Wash floods across the road, Rudasil is a pinch point between Oracle Road and Williams Drive, surrounded by steep hills on both sides. A shoulder or sidewalk for traffic, pedestrians or cyclists. This contradicts the Pima County Road Design Manual (2014), which states that the recommended shoulder width for two-lane rural roads is 10 feet. In our opinion, Pima County has not improved the road infrastructure necessary to accommodate QC development.

New neighbors in apartment complexes will find walking or biking east on Rudasill Road to be dangerous and basically impossible due to the lack of shoulders and sidewalks. Also, how can Rudasil be designated as a shoulderless bike path?

To be constructive and creative, Pima County needs to fix short shoulders and prevent flooding of adjacent roads before approving new developments. Our tax dollars should be used to fix these flaws before they drive more people onto dangerous roads.

About the housing shortage: Another big issue contributing to the housing shortage is the increased purchase of homes by investors. By 2021, 31% of single-family homes in Arizona will be purchased by businesses. Another creative solution to the housing shortage is to impose regulations that allow families to buy homes, rather than being outmatched by corporate cash investors who do not use homes as their primary residence.