

Saguaro National Park officials believe a development proposed to be built across from the Rincon Mountain Entrance to the park, and the Cactus Forest, is too close/Kurt Repanshek Saguaro National Park officials believe a development proposed to be built across from the Rincon Mountain Entrance to the park, and the Cactus Forest, is too close/Kurt Repanshek

Should there be a development buffer around national parks? That's a tough question, particularly when you look at West Yellowstone's proximity to Yellowstone National Park or Gatlinsburg's presence at the Sugarlands Entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

At Saguaro National Park, officials say a development proposed for a 45-acre parcel across from the Rincon Mountain District entrance is too close.

Across the National Park System you can find development on the doorstep of national parks. Bar Harbor, Maine, is within easy walking distance of Acadia National Park, West Glacier, Montana, is on the western border of Glacier National Park, Three Rivers, California, nudges up to Sequoia National Park, and Front Royal, Virginia, is just outside the northern entrance to Shenandoah National Park.

In most of those cases, the towns were in place before the parks were established. West Yellowstone was an exception, being founded in 1908, nearly four decades after Yellowstone landed on the map.

At Saguaro, officials in their opposition to the proposed Bike Ranch development are trying to preserve open space around the entrance to the Rincon Mountain District. The property is located in the Pima County Buffer Overlay Zone, which preserves and protects the open space characteristics within one mile of public preserves, according to park staff.

Saguaro officials opposed the original plan presented to the Pima County Hearing Administrator in May, when the land owners proposed the Bike Ranch resort that would include 49 units, training facilities, retail space, and a restaurant. The plan now being proposed includes an additional seven home sites on the western half of the property, according to a park release.

"Saguaro National Park is charged with ensuring the protection of natural and cultural resources, and providing quality visitor experiences for all visitors," said Saguaro Superintendent Darla Sidles in the release. "The park is concerned that the amount of development, density, and traffic of the proposed Bike Ranch is incompatible with the surrounding area's rural residential character, however we are willing to work with the county, neighbors, and land owners to identify alternatives."

Other park concerns include safety concerns due to traffic near the park entrance, impacts to wildlife corridors to and from the park, protection of dark night skies, and concerns that a new commercial use directly across from the park entrance would set a precedent for allowing additional commercial development adjacent to park boundaries elsewhere.

Attempts to reach park staff about the development issue on Friday were unsuccessful.

The park welcomes bicyclists and recreational cycling in and around Saguaro National Park. Infrastructure has been improved over the last few years to better serve the growing bicycling community, including adding the Hope Camp Trail as a multiple-use trail, building a ramada near the park entrance as a rest location for bicyclists, adding filling stations for reusable water bottles in the ramada, and adding safety features to the historic loop road to better handle bike traffic. Statistical data collected since 2012 shows that the park welcomes over 24,000 bicyclists annually into the park.

"We understand and appreciate the concept of the Bike Ranch. At the same time, the National Park Service is mandated to ensure the protection of park resources and provide for a quality experience for all visitors," the superintendent said.

The current land owners are presenting their proposal to the Pima County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday at 9 a.m.