By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The town of Oro Valley is launching a new program intended to make it easier to build a home. Anyone looking to build a casita or single-family home in Oro Valley can now pick from the town’s Community Model Home Library.
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The town says the designs mean shorter reviews and lower fees than a custom build.
“Ultimately it creates a more efficient process that should save you money and at least a year’s worth of time,” said Bayer Vella, Oro Valley planning manager.
Residents pick an ADU or single-family home design from the library and buy the building plans directly from the designer. They submit those plans and a site plan to the town, pay the required fees, then build.
The plan creates new options for Oro Valley families, whether it’s a rental for extra income, space for aging parents, or a place for adult kids moving back home.
For residents who want to change a model design, those changes go through additional review before construction.
“If you like what you see you can go fast, if you like what you see but want to make some changes, you can still go fast, but it’ll take a few extra steps,” Vella said.
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Homeowners associations can also have their own separate standards, so residents will have to run their plans by them.
Vella called the program a win-win-win: Residents save money and time, local architects get more business, and the town continues to grow and offer services to the community.
The president of the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association says the plan won’t solve Arizona’s housing crisis but is a creative step in the right direction.
“You are going to have to find a builder, they’ll need to source the materials, source the labor. So it’s not a magic wand by any means, but I do think it’s a really good first step,” said David Godlewski, Southern Arizona Home Builders Association president and CEO.
The library is planned to offer duplex and triplex plans early next year. Godlewski also recommends that anyone interested in a plan like this do their research on every step of the process.
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