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TRRG – SEPTEMBER 2020
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE !!
Public’s Guide to City of Tucson Land Use Development Proposals:
Plan Amendments and Rezonings
Over several months in 2019-2020, members of TRRG wrote a guide to assist the public in understanding the process, timelines, and meetings that are part of rezoning land use proposals and plan amendments in the City of Tucson. Copies of the booklet were to be presented to the Mayor and Council at the TRRG annual meeting this year, but in-person meetings were halted before that date.
In August, the TRRG Board decided to post the Guide online to make it readily available for anyone who needs help with a rezoning or plan amendment request. It can be accessed by clicking on the box at the top of our home page (https://tucsontrrg.org) or by going to the following link: https://tucsontrrg.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/trrg-zonningbookletsep2020.pdf. We ask members who use the Guide to give us feedback as to its usefulness, ease of use and any errors found.
TRRG thanks the Gloo Factory for their expert assistance in laying out and printing the guide for us. We have a limited number of printed guides for distribution but feel free to download and print the PDF for your or your association’s use. We are looking for a way to display the Guide as a booklet and to enable users to print it as such. Until then, please see the footnote below for information on how to view the guide as a booklet. It will still print as standard 8½” x11”
What is the status of TRRG Planning Efforts in Collaboration with the Planning and Development Services Department?
Board member Ruth Beeker recently contacted the City Manager to ask about the status of the planning efforts that were in progress when the Covid19 virus caused a change in how we can move forward with community efforts. Specifically, she asked about the work on Neighborhood Plan updates, the training sessions assisting the public in navigating City Tech Tools and how updates and new content for Plan Tucson is proceeding.
City Manager Michael Ortega explained that priority for PDSD staff is currently to reduce the backlog of building permits currently in the system. He predicted that it will be another 60 days or more before there is a semblance of normalcy that will permit them to focus again on long-term planning efforts. He also stated “In the meantime, I would encourage those neighborhoods working on their plans to continue doing so. We will support them as best we can given our current situation.”
PDSD director Scott Clark described work that is ongoing with the Menlo Park NA to develop a new neighborhood plan, contact with two other associations (Sam Hughes and Rincon Heights) that are working to update their existing plans and exploring ways to use the UA Drachman Institute to support community planning efforts.
The Neighborhood Resources web page is also being revised to make it more accessible to the public and some virtual workshops have been planned to support neighborhoods, based on their responses to a survey. Rebecca Ruopp, Neighborhood Engagement Specialist, is available as a resource person for neighborhood questions and assistance (Rebecca.ruopp@tucsonaz.gov).
The City’s work on the new General Plan was not addressed in the responses, but they were reminded that TRRG remains committed to lobbying for a chapter on Sustainable Neighborhoods in the next Plan Tucson document. The City Manager and PDSD Director were also reminded that TRRG members are anxious to assist in providing public input into the new plan.
Other Neighborhood Efforts
Although the pandemic has made it more difficult for groups to meet and conduct work, there are numerous neighbors who are working on issues concerned with gentrification (and how certain developer “incentives” contribute to that), water distribution agreements with residents who live outside the City limits and rezoning proposals that greatly impact existing residents. TRRG applauds these hardworking individuals and groups who are seeking a better future for all of us.
Next TRRG Board Meeting
Next TRRG Board meeting is scheduled for November 5, 2020 from 3:30-5:30PM. If you would like to “attend” this virtual meeting, please contact us by email (ken@kmtaylor.com) to request a link to the meeting.
Thanks to all of you for your support. Stay healthy. If you can, help those who are in need during this time of crisis. Wishing you all a beautiful start of fall and some cooler temperatures.
Bonnie Poulos
TRRG Chair
Footnote: To view the Public’s Guide as a booklet, save the PDF to your computer and open it using Acrobat Reader. Click on “View” at the top left of the page and click on “Page Display”. Then check the following “Two page view”, “Show gaps between pages” and “Show cover page in two page view”. As you scroll down, the pages will display as a booklet.
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