Area #1 - Mary Worthen, [email protected]

WHEN: Tuesday August 22nd, 6 - 7.30 pm.

WHERE:  Ward 3 office, 1510 E Grant Rd, Tucson.  South side of Grant, 2 streets east of Mountain Ave

     

This will be organized by a volunteer group of neighborhood leaders.

Come learn about the current status of the Grant Rd widening project and how it will affect you and your neighbors. This will be an informal meeting where you can ask questions and we hope the information we share will answer questions like:

 

1) PAG is continuing to work with us on funds for the Heritage and Health trail (involving Banner, Jefferson Park and area neighborhoods; we need to sustain the City's commitment (already approved as an exception by RTA/PAG given City plans to keep it as Park) to HOLD AND NOT MARKET/SELL the remnants between 1st and Campbell (Tucson) as leverage for the project.  While the National Parks grant did not come through, there are opportunities for funding (state and federal) that are being pursued.

 

2) see below; the State Dept of Forestry has encouraged applications from PAG/City/JP. The first small grant proposal is next FRIDAY under their TREES program and must be submitted under the auspices of the City. JP is drafting and we will get that to Mike's office to submit (I am assuming no other City proposals are in the queue; let me know)

 

3) PAG/Farhad has agreed to serve as lead and submitter of other proposals (with City as key supporter/collaborator.

Could you please confirm through a reply to this email that this will be our plan moving forward? Through we did not secure the National Parks Grant we can also resubmit next year and it is clear we can identify other potential funding sources to fulfill the exciting and meaningful vision for this area. I know we share the desire to demonstrate that corridor redevelopment can be integrated with appropriate land use that preserves value and enhances quality of life for urban residents. This project is a valuable chance to enact that principle, in-keeping with both City and RTA goals."

(copy of e-mail dated 7/21/2017)

Central Segments:  the blocks between First and Tucson Blvd. These "segments" have the most  residential impact of the entire Grant Road project.

Remnants - the left-overs, usually 1/2 lots after the roadway is cut, many of which can not meet the size requirements for building in NR-1.

R-1, NR-1 zoning - The zoning that is residential and adjacent to the neighborhoods.  All zoning in the central segments will stay as is with no upgrade to commercial (unless already zoned as such). NR-1 zoning is special for Historic Districts, of which Jefferson Park is one. This decision is as a result of a Mayor and Council amendment to the Grant Road Vision in 2015, requested by the Grant Road Coalition and supported by Council Person Uhlich.

Health and Heritage Walk/Bike Proposal - This proposal was first presented as a white paper (2015), then submitted as a grant to the National Park Service (we did not receive funding), now presented to the State Forestry Division, Tucson Clean and Beautiful, and the City of Tucson.  It visions a linear parkway connecting existing businesses with a greenway for walking and biking (bikes ABOVE the curb in the parkway).  

Jefferson Park Bike/Walk History Loop - This proposal is to install signage along a bikeway within the JP neighborhood, including the Banner greenway, to be installed on the southwest boundary of the neighborhood. These signs would tell the history of Jefferson Park including the Polo Fields, TB tents, Lester homestead, "tree" street names" by Annie Lester which now extend to all of Tucson (i.e. Waverly, Linden).

Grant Road Coalition, Central Segments - a group of neighborhood leaders who have been meeting for 3 years, discussing, learning, communicating.  Those neighborhoods share a common concern- how the Grant Road Project can be a model,innovative addition to the Tucson Community. Participating neighborhoods are: Mtn/First,Cortez, SAMOS, Jefferson Park, Catalina Vista, Campbell/Grant.

RTA - Regional Transportation Authority, The state agency that gave the money to TDOT to complete the project.  They are the deep pockets.

TDOT - Tucson Department of Transportation.  These are our engineers, consultants, etc at the city who are charged with the project, keeping it on schedule, keeping it on budget etc. etc.

Brush and Bulky will NOT collect:

Stone/bricks/concrete/aggregates

Flooring/roofing/insulation/sheetrock

Construction debris

Wire fencing

Hazardous waste like paint/oil/pesticides/solvents/liquids

Glass/mirrors

Television and computer monitors

Compressed gas/air cylinder(s)

Vehicle parts

Commercially generated material

Also, speaking of residents' responsibility - It is the resident's responsible to maintain the property that they live on from the curb to the building.  Yes, that pesky strip between the curb and the sidewalk is yours to maintain!   And, if you are on a corner, you have TWO curbs to maintain. Also, the easement or alley behind your property is your responsibility to maintain to the half way point.  An overgrown easement invites fire and bad guys using it to travel and hide their movements and stolen items. 

One weed to especially watch out for is buffelgrass, a noxious weed that causes a severe fire hazard. Learn how to ID buffelgrass with this handy brochure available in English and Spanish. 

(Amended from Garden District, E-news)

The Tucson Water Rainwater Harvesting Rebate will reimburse up to $2,000 for residential rainwater-harvesting systems. This includes systems installed through Watershed Management Group Co-Op. To qualify for the rainwater harvesting rebate, the system must have been installed after September 27, 2011. Visit the City of Tucson website for further information about the  residential rainwater harvesting rebate program.

Did you know? As of July 1, 2015 Tucson Water has made two important additions to their rebate program. Customers can claim rebates on rain gardens that harvest stormwater from the street! These streetside features, which were previously excluded from the rebates, qualify as passive water-harvesting systems that are eligible for rebates of up to $500. The other exciting change allows multi-family and small commercial customers to access the rebates too. This applies to any property with a 3/4" meter or smaller (contact Tucson Water if you are unsure of your meter size).

The Tucson Water Greywater Harvesting Rebate will reimburse up to $1,000 for residential greywater systems. To qualify for the greywater rebate, the system must have been installed after January 1, 2013. (Systems installed after January 1, 2011 still qualify for the lower rebate amount of 1/3 of costs, up to $200.) Attending this session or any WMG Co-op greywater workshop fulfills the required educational session for this rebate. Visit the City of Tucson website for further information about the  residential greywater rebate program.

The Metro Water Rain and Greywater Rebate will reimburse customers $200 for rainwater or greywater systems. Visit the Metro Water District conservation website for  more infomation on available rebates (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

FREE CLASSES TO QUALIFY FOR THE REBATES AT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT GROUP.   CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.

(once again, Thank you Garden District Enews)

HB 2116 - Rezoning Rules Changes

On May 10th, the governor signed HB2116, a bill that will change some of the rules surrounding rezoning decisions. More specifically, it changes how protests are calculated, and how many votes are needed at M&C to sustain a protest.

Currently, if the owners of 20 percent or more of the lots on any side of a rezoning (within 150' of the proposed change) submit a protest, it triggers a supermajority vote of M&C. Right now it requires six of us to vote in favor of the rezoning in order for it to be adopted. All of that changes under 2116.

Under the new rules, 20 percent of property owners within the zoning area - not just from one side of the project - must file a protest in order to require a supermajority vote to adopt the rezoning. And the supermajority vote is no longer six of the seven of us. It's five to sustain the proposed rezoning.

Questions have already been raised by members of Tucson Residents for Responsive Government (TRRG) about the effects of this new bill. I'm joining my colleagues in TRRG and hosting a public discussion of the changes. It'll be held on Wednesday, August 30th at 6 p.m. here at the Ward 6 community room. We'll have our city attorney present along with Dan Bursuck, a lead planner from our planning department. Together they'll walk through the former current rules, taking questions along the way so everyone knows the new ground rules the state just put into play.

Rezonings are often challenging discussions. I mentioned the Honors College above. We've got tough zoning discussions coming related to the Fry's Food Store out on the east side, and ongoing talks about some commercial/residential work being proposed right down the street from the Ward 6 office. Knowing the rules of engagement is important. Please put this date on your calendar and plan on coming to take part in the conversation.

If you'd like to do a little pre-meeting homework on the bill,  this link will take you to a fact sheet produced by the fine folks up in Phoenix.