Grady: Protesting the process where Tela Peralta was approved in Pinal County

Having many concerns about motives and methods with the Tela Peralta eco-resort project, my community of unincorporated folks who value the rural nature and natural beauty of where we live asked me to investigate the project. So, I did. On March 21 I attended and spoke at the Pinal County Planning and Zoning commission hearing on this project.

First, there was large public opposition; there were only two people who spoke in favor of the project at the P&Z hearing, the property owner’s agent, Rose Law Group, and a Gold Canyon developer.

Second, one of the P&Z commissioners stated at the hearing, prior to the commission vote, that “Supervisor Serdy really wants this.” It became very clear whose interests were being advocated for and supported, and it was not the public’s. A commissioner’s responsibility is to acquire the interests and concerns of the public and communicate those to the board without bias. With that statement, that commissioner did a disservice to the process, their responsibility and the public. Having said that, commissioners are subject to approval and removal with no reason by the supervisors. If you don’t agree with the supervisor or the supervisor thinks you aren’t doing their bidding, they can and will end your commission.

On April 24, at the Pinal County Board of Supervisors meeting, the project was approved to move forward, again with obvious bias for the project — not the public — when one supervisor exclaimed he liked this project. Nonetheless, I spoke again, not to oppose the project but to protest the process that by this time revealed itself to be highly flawed and suspicious.

As if this was not enough, the article linked here at https://roselawgroupreporter.com/2024/05/pinal-county-district-5-supervisor-jeff-serdy-visits-rose-law-group/, appeared in the Rose Law Group News. One week after the Tela Peralta project was approved, Rose Law Group sponsored a “mixer” to benefit, you guessed it, Jeff Serdy.

Nepotism cronyism, discrimination, bias, whatever you want to call it, is apparent here.

There are few laws specifically for this situation, but this behavior can and needs to be addressed.

First, the obvious bias needs to be confronted and punished. If our BOS cannot police itself for the good of the public, then they are no good. Second, hold feet to fire and be watchful. One of things that I have experienced with Jeff Serdy is he doesn’t pay attention to public input/public needs unless it suits his needs.

Many of the things requested in the Tela Peralta project require changing the Pinal County master plan. Jeff Serdy has violated the requirements laid out in that plan and the formal process for making those changes, he ignores the public protests of that, we need to stop that and the only way I know to do that is vote Serdy out.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.