Pima County is preparing to buy 172 acres of land in the Rincon Valley on the far southeast side of Tucson.
The Board of Supervisors will vote on the deal today.
The land is on the west side of Old Spanish Trail about 1 1/2 miles northwest of the Rincon Valley Farmers Market and close to the Saguaro National Park boundary.
The county offered to buy the land for its appraised value of $1 million from owner Diamond Ventures, said John Bernal, deputy county administrator for public works.
The county will pay for the land from Flood Control District funds to prevent undesirable development and flood problems, he said.
The land is where the Rincon Creek meets the Pantano Wash, a floodway that includes riparian habitat, wildlife movement corridors and possibly archaeological sites, said Suzanne Shields, the county's flood control director. There are also several smaller washes and springs on the land, she said.
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The land will be preserved as is for now, but in the future a small part of the land could be developed as a park, Shields said.
The planned purchase is part of the county's long-term Flood Prone and Riparian Habitat Land Acquisition Program.
The land along Rincon Creek was once part of the Rocking K development plan for nearly 12,000 homes, four major resorts and associated work and shopping complexes.
The rezoning case, more than 20 years ago, was one of the most controversial in Pima County history.
One public hearing had to be shut down when 350 people who couldn't get into the overcrowded hearing room threatened to break down two large picture windows keeping them out.
A second had to be called off after more than five hours of testimony following a bomb threat.
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Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@azstarnet.com or 573-4346.
