I hope everyone has been able to take advantage of the beautiful weather we've been having! I had the opportunity to join Council Member Fimbres this week for the grand opening of the Newport at the Rodeo. A 77-unit affordable housing development, where residents monthly rent will be based on their income. The Newport at Rodeo will support our working families and community right on a major transit line, where they will have access to important resources and services such as Pima Adult Education, Rudy Garcia Park and the El Rio Health Center.
As we look forward to discussing our 2024 -2025 budget, I invite you to join our Budget Town Halls and share your priorities for our city. We want to engage and hear from our community through Budget Town Halls and survey.
By using this link, fill out the Budget Engagement Survey and let us know how you would prioritize City needs and services.
The City of Tucson will also be hosting three Town Halls.
A Virtual Town Hall will take place on March 26 from 6pm-7pm- link here for the event https://bit.ly/4cmxTEt
In-person Town Halls will take place on:
April 3 from 6pm-7pm, at El Rio Center at 1390 W. Speedway Blvd
April 4 from 6pm-7pm, at the Ward 2 Office, 7820 E. Broadway Blvd.
Lastly, I invite you all to attend the Arizona César E. Chávez + Dolores Huerta Coalition march and rally tomorrow! We will start at Pueblo High School (Pueblo High School, 3500 S 12th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85713), March down Veterans Blvd. to S. 6th Ave., left on S. 6th Ave. to Rudy Garcia Park (5001 S Nogales Hwy, Tucson, AZ 85706). Shuttles will be available from 8AM to 8:30AM at Rudy Garcia Park to the starting point at Pueblo High School. See you there!
I am thankful for the partnership with City Manager Michael Ortega over his remarkable nine years as Tucson's City Manager, and I wholeheartedly wish him the very best in his future endeavors. Through his unwavering support and leadership, we have significantly advanced the Council's vision. I am confident that the exceptional executive team he has built will continue to guide our community positively.
I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Tim Thomure as the next City Manager, a confident step forward in our city's leadership transition. This week, the Mayor and Council directed City Attorney Mike Rankin to begin the process of hiring Tim Thomure as the next City Manager of Tucson. Tim, who has served as Deputy City Manager, embodies the values and vision that are critical for guiding our city into the future. His appointment is a testament to our commitment to continuity and progress, ensuring that the priorities of Tucson's residents remain at the forefront of our agenda.
Tim brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of innovative leadership. His tenure as Tucson Water Director, where he championed water security and sustainability, demonstrates his capacity to listen to the community's needs and spearhead transformative initiatives.
Mayor and Council are looking forward to Tim taking part in a listening tour in every ward in our community. This will allow the Tucson community to ask questions and hear from Tim as he begins to develop his vision moving forward.
BUDGET DE LA GENTE
At this week's Mayor and Council meeting, Council Member Santa Cruz and their team presented on the Participatory Budget initiative, Budget de la Gente, that Ward 1 has created and engaged in. This process has provided community members the chance to play a direct role in deciding how public funds are spent. The goal is to increase community engagement, transparency, and build trust, ensuring that local government reflects the needs of its residents. Budget de la Gente marks a first for Tucson and Arizona by introducing participatory budgeting - a leap from traditional budgeting methods that empowers citizens to influence the allocation of public resources, signifying a significant advancement in community engagement and decision-making.
Ward 1 Angela Reyes, Community Outreach & Small Business Manager.
This initiative, led by the Ward 1 office in collaboration with LeadLocal, encourages residents of Ward 1 and Tucson to directly impact how a portion of the city's budget is allocated, creating a stronger bond between the community and its governance. Cycle 1 saw 132 ideas submitted, with 21 currently being implemented. Projects funded in this cycle included the Cushing Street Skate Park, Early Childhood Literacy for Ward 1 Families, the Beautification of Heritage Reach Walk along the Santa Cruz, Barrio Hollywood's Storm to Shade Planning, and the Menlo Park Improvements Community Visioning. Cycle 2 has received 146 ideas, with 29 set to be selected by Ward 1 participants. As part of the development process, volunteers serving as Budget Captains will refine these ideas into formal proposals.
Looking ahead, we are eager to explore how participatory budgeting can be adopted across other our city government, from the Business Services to Parks and Recreation. The possibilities are endless! It's important to keep engaging with our community because your insights and involvement are what will make our budgets successful. Our goal is to create a local government that is open, listens, and truly serves everyone. This is all about strengthening grassroots democracy right here in Tucson. Visit tucward1.com/participatorybudgeting if you’re a Ward 1 resident or if you would like to learn more about this exciting process.
(left) Robin Breault, from Lead Local, and Budget de la Gente Champions Julian Quijada, Melissa Cordero, and Lisa Floran.
Heat Summit
The implementation phase of Tucson Resilient Together has made significant strides, with an impressive $80 million directed towards both new and ongoing climate initiatives. Our advocacy endeavors have played a crucial role, resulting in the acquisition of federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding and Inflation Reduction Act resources. We advocated fervently before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to prioritize communities most impacted by climate change. Through cooperative endeavors with the Council and city staff, we've positioned Tucson as a leading example of effective climate action policies on a national scale.
As part of the implementation of Tucson Resilient Together, the City’s inclusive and community-driven Climate Action Plan, Mayor and Council requested that regular quarterly updates from the City's Resiliency Officer, aimed at keeping Tucsonans informed about the progress of Tucson Resilient Together implementation. This includes hosting quarterly community updates and listening sessions, exemplifying the city's dedication to community engagement within the framework of the Climate Action Plan.
This past February, the City’s Chief Resiliency Officer, Fatima Luna held another of these community listening sessions at the University of Arizona's Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building, inviting stakeholders to discuss one of the City’s biggest climate threats—extreme heat.
(Left) Ladd Keith Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Planning and Sustainable Built Environments
Faculty Research Associate, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, Liz Morales Assistant City Manager City of Tucson, Theresa Cullen Director Pima County Health Department, Fatima Luna Chief Resiliency Officer City of Tucson.
The Heat Summit was open to all members of our community. The aim throughout the daylong discussions was to foster collaboration and generate innovative strategies for enhancing heat resilience in Southern Arizona. Addressing the gathering of over 100 individuals, including esteemed guests, Chief Resiliency Officer Luna underscored the urgency of winter preparations for the impending summer heat.
Participants heard remarks from Assistant City Manager Liz Morales, Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Cullen, Ladd Keith, Mona Aurora, and Tom Dang. We were also joined by representatives from the Office of Governor Katie Hobbs, Pima County Board of Supervisors Districts 1 and 5, as well as Wards 1 and 3.
The group was split into five breakout rooms where conversation sessions were facilitated by University of Arizona doctoral students based on one of the following topics: public health and healthcare; community and neighborhood level action; workforce and heat protection; energy and our grid; and built environment.
July marked a historic milestone as Tucson experienced its hottest month on record, with temperatures averaging 94.2 degrees, a staggering 6 degrees above the norm. The National Weather Service documented a total of 14 monthly records either broken or equaled in July 2023, with an astonishing 29 days of scorching highs surpassing 105 degrees.
At the City of Tucson, we have been implementing heat mitigation and adaptation solutions, like:
Planting trees through the Tucson Million Trees initiative.
Successfully competing for federal funding, like our recently awarded $5M Urban Forestry Grant.
Increasing stormwater infrastructure through our Storm to Shade program .
Fully decarbonizing our bus fleet, reducing the heat-trapping gasses released in the transportation system.
And we are exploring the creation of resilience hubs in our city.
There is so much more work that needs to take place. It will take all of us.
The summit was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the City of Tucson, Pima County Health Department, Climate Assessment for the Southwest, Tucson Resilient Together, and various departments at the University of Arizona. Including the sponsorships from The City's Environmental and General Service Department, The Medical Reserve Corps of Southern Arizona, CLIMAS, The Center for Rural Health, The WEST Environmental Justice Center, College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture, Southwest Center on Resilience for Climate Change and Health, and Pima County Health Department.
Zoning ABCs and 123s By Manisha Bewtra, AICP
Planning, Development, and Mobility Advisor
Most of the places where you hang out in Tucson are regulated by Tucson’s zoning code. The code determines the height of buildings around you are, how close they are to the street, how close they are to each other, whether they are homes, offices, shops, restaurants, or manufacturing plants, or a mix of different things. Zoning regulations can be amended over time; however, any new development must follow current zoning regulations and procedures.
Just for fun, some “plannerd” humor. You can find this image and more, designed by Anirvan Chatterjee and Barnali Ghosh, at www.planninglove.org
Zoning may seem like a dry topic, but it governs a lot what goes where in our city! My hope is that breaking it down in this newsletter makes it a little easier to understand. - Manisha
The City of Tucson’s Unified Development Code – which we often refer to more simply as “zoning” or “the UDC” or even just as the “code” – is a series of policies and regulations established to “protect and promote the general health, safety, and welfare of all present and future residents of Tucson.” More specifically, the UDC is intended to:
Implement the General Plan (currently being updated and called Plan Tucson)
Guide new growth and redevelopment of the community in accordance with the policies of the General Plan.
Encourage the most efficient use of land through site sensitive design.
Reduce potential hazards to the public that may result from incompatible land uses or from the development of environmentally hazardous or sensitive lands.
Protect and enhance the City ’s natural, cultural, historical, and scenic resources; and,
Promote the economic stability of the community.
The UDC is accompanied by a set of Zoning Maps that show the boundaries of different “zones” and “overlay zones.”
Zones may appear in multiple locations throughout the city. Broadly, these are residence zones, office zones, commercial zones, industrial zones, open space zones, mixed use zones, and planned area development zones. Within each of these broad categories, each zone has different regulations for development regarding density, intensity, design, and compatibility with its surroundings.
Overlay zones sometimes allow for somewhat different uses than their underlying zoning, in exchange for other benefits to the developer – we use overlay zoning to incentivize certain types of development, such as the Sunshine Mile District discussed in last week’s newsletter, which led to the improvements at Zemam’s!
What’s allowed where, and what’s a “special exception”?
Within the regulations for each zone and overlay zone are a list of “uses” that are allowed, allowed under certain conditions, or not allowed in that zone.
Certain uses require a “special exception” – these are land uses that are “often desirable but may have detrimental effects on adjacent properties or neighborhoods or on the surrounding community if not properly designed and controlled.”
There are three types of special exception procedures defined in the UDC:
PDSD Director Special Exception Procedure: This procedure recommends a pre-application conference with city staff and a neighborhood meeting, notification of application mailed to property owners within 100 feet of the proposed development, a 10-day public comment period, and a decision of whether the proposal is in compliance with the Planning and Development Services Director’s findings and conditions.
Zoning Examiner Special Exception Procedure: The Zoning Examiner Special Exception Procedure requires a pre-application conference and neighborhood meeting. The PDSD Director makes a recommendation to the applicant and Zoning Examiner. Following acceptance of the application, the Zoning Examiner must hold a public hearing within 70 days, and once the public hearing is open, it must be closed within 30 days. The Zoning Examiner must make a decision within 5 days after the hearing is closed on whether to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application.
Mayor and Council Special Exception Procedure: The Mayor and Council Special Exception Procedure includes everything required in the Zoning Examiner Special Exception Procedure, except that instead of rendering a decision to approve, approve with conditions, or deny an application, in this case, the Zoning Examiner makes a recommendation Mayor and Council. Any person may request that the application be heard at a public hearing before Mayor and Council if the request is filed with the City Clerk within 14 days after the date of the Zoning Examiner’s public hearing or reconsideration public hearing. Public notice must be provided for this hearing.
Special Exception decisions must be based on land use, traffic circulation, available infrastructure, compliance with Plan Tucson and any applicable sub-regional, area, or neighborhood plan. Conditions that can be imposed include:
Requirements to reduce or minimize any “potentially injurious effects” on adjacent properties, neighborhood character, or the health, safety, or general welfare of the community.
Requiring additional screening and landscaping
Limiting height, size, lighting, hours of operation, use of loudspeakers
Requiring the dedication of necessary right-of-way for streets, alleyways, drainageways, and utilities
While there is some subjectivity in these criteria, any denial or conditional approval must be based on “reasonable and appropriate” safeguards. There are opportunities to appeal as well.
Recent example of the Mayor and Council Special Exception Procedure
Mayor and Council, voted to amend the UDC so that marijuana dispensaries wishing to locate in the City of Tucson would need to follow the Mayor and Council Special Exception Procedure. Mayor Romero advocated for this as a way to ensure more neighborhood engagement and opportunities for the public to weigh in, along with making adult use/recreational marijuana retail dispensaries legal in Tucson. Now, medical, adult use, or dual (medical and adult use) marijuana retail establishments that are either new or existing businesses looking to expand or relocate must follow this special exception procedure.
At Tuesday’s Mayor and Council, we saw a successful application of this special exception procedure in Ward 1 near I-10 and Starr Pass. The owners of an existing dispensary wanted to relocate from a 1,270 square foot retail building to a larger 3,758 square foot building on the same property. The new location would be more visible from the street.
Representatives of the dispensary met with the neighborhood to address any neighborhood concerns. Because of the special exception procedure, stakeholders could have requested a public hearing – but since their concerns were addressed through neighborhood meetings, this was not necessary. The relocation was approved unanimously by Mayor and Council.
Neighborhood Spotlight: Iron Horse Neighborhood Association By: Eryck Garcia Community Engagement Advisor
Happy Friday!
Earlier last month I joined the Iron Horse Neighborhood Association at their monthly board meeting at the Iron Horse Fabricators alongside Ward 6 Council Aide, Diana Amado, Pima County District 5 Community Engagement Director, Elvira Suarez Din, and our very own Office Intern Ben Reid.
Tucked away between historic Fourth Avenue and Downtown Tucson, Iron Horse Neighborhood is surrounded by some of Tucson’s all-time favorite local businesses and providers of fun.
Community gather for the Iron Horse Neighborhood meeting.
This weekend is the 55th Annual Fourth Avenue Spring Street Fair! Over 350,000 people visit Fourth Avenue for food, entertainment, and scenic strolls in the decadent Tucson Spring climate. Iron Horse Neighborhood Association is a proud member of the North Fourth Avenue Merchants Association, a local nonprofit that produces the Street Fair each year. The funds from the Street Fair are used to to support the Avenue’s infrastructure, invest in local neighborhoods, non-profits, and to produce programs and events that promote arts, culture & community. If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend with friends or family, consider stopping by the fair!
Now back to the meeting...
Iron Horse Neighbors discussed neighborhood improvements, including their 2021 petition to get a speed hump in the neighborhood. Thanks to the help of neighbors and the Ward 6 office, Iron Horse was able to get an additional speed hump at the discounted price of $500.
Did you know that thanks to Prop 411, the City of Tucson is investing $150 million for enhancements that make our streets safer for all pedestrians, cyclists, and all forms of mobility?
Prop 411 also includes projects for street lighting, bicycle network enhancements, traffic signal tech updates, and traffic calming features. If you’d like to learn more about it, visit the Tucson Delivers website.
Curious about getting speed humps in your neighborhood? Here's a step-by-step guide to make it happen:
As a neighborhood or association representative, kickstart the process by completing the Speed Hump Request Form.
Submit the Petition: Once your request is received, a petition form and a highlighted neighborhood map will be sent to your mailing address. Gather 60% approval signatures from neighbors on abutting streets to support your cause.
Scan and email the completed petition to neighborhoodtraffic@tucsonaz.gov or drop it off at ATTN: NTMP 201 N Stone Avenue – 5th Floor.
The Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) will conduct a thorough study on approved applications to assess the need for speed humps.
If your street is approved, the contact person or liaison will be notified. In case of denial, an explanatory email will be sent.
Approved applicants will receive an email with a payment link. Once payment is received, a construction date will be established and communicated to applicants.
Residents can request speed humps but must bear the permit and installation cost.
The cost ranges from $4,500 to $5,000 per speed hump and $5,000 to $5,800 per speed table.
Some speed humps may not be approved due to potential flooding issues or other circumstances.
Thanks to the Mayor and Council, a Speed Hump (SH) Program was initiated, reducing costs for residents to $500 per speed hump. This program covers up to 30 installations City-wide, with the Tucson Transportation and Mobility Department Streets Division handling installations instead of external contractors.
Every Council Office has the authority to award up to 5 speed hump installations per Ward, putting the power in local hands. Applications can be obtained through the Tucson Transportation and Mobility Department’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP), ensuring a straightforward process for residents.
Iron Horse NA members also discussed updates to Iron Horse Park including the recent upgrades for the Park garden’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure. Some neighbors mentioned concerns over homeless encampments at Iron Horse Park.
The City’s 311 non-emergency phone line is another helpful resource, available 24/7. It is active and connects you to various City of Tucson services, thanks to a navigator system. This initiative, a top priority for Mayor Romero, was funded in part by American Rescue Plan dollars allocated from her office, marking a significant step in putting the right work with the right hands.
311 connects residents to services ranging from the Department of Transportation and Mobility, Tucson Water, Environmental Services, Housing First, and Community Safety, Health & Wellness, and other non-emergency responders.
