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We Love Community Pools!
This week while touring the Mansfield Pool with Ward 3 and Parks Department staff I remembered my first encounter with a community pool. It was memorable.
My family moved to Arizona during a very hot summer. My mother and I were very used to walking everywhere (she didn’t drive), so a three-mile jaunt to the community pool seemed easy. Unfortunately, the pool didn’t open until noon. And the mean streets of Scottsdale were boiling hot by mid-morning. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, we just didn’t grasp how dangerous it can be to take a long walk in the heat! I remember my mom’s strong concern when she saw me woozy and red as an apple, suffering from the first stages of heat exhaustion. Luckily, a popsicle from the snack bar and a quick jump into the pool was enough for a full recovery.
The rest of the summer we traveled to the pool in an air-conditioned bus or by hitching a ride from a neighbor. To this day, the smell of chlorine takes me back to fun I had meeting new friends, learning pool games, using my allowance at the snack bar, and learning the latest songs from pool’s loudspeakers.
From personal experience I understand that Tucson’s community pools are essential for the kids and families they serve.
At Mansfield we saw an old pool in great need of love, maintenance, and revival. A large slide is permanently closed and needs to be replaced. The pool’s bottom is covered in pockmarks and needs to be re-surfaced. Sugar Hill neighborhood leaders have already told Ward staff that getting the pool fixed, open longer, and reducing the fees for kids is important to them. Some residents remember the pool in its prime, and they want the city to bring it back to what it once was.
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Parks Director Lara Hemway and her staff told us they know the pool needs help. New filters are ordered and should be installed before this summer’s opening, but park staff are keeping their fingers crossed that supply chain and shipping delays won’t be a problem. Pool repair is part of the 2018 Park Bonds program passed by city voters, and the Parks Department are going through the process to get the pool earlier on the list of bond projects. The city is starting to recruit and train lifeguards (see below), but the historic low unemployment rate will present a challenge. Ward 3 staff has pledged to do all we can to get as much love and resources as possible to Mansfield Pool.
-Kevin
5th Avenue Greenway by Katie Bolger
This week our office was invited to take a walking tour on the 5th ave greenway in Sugar Hill.
Xochitl Coronado-Vargas, Brooke Bushman, Marlene Avelino, Dan Dorsey, CM Kevin Dahl, Katie Bolger, Kristin Woodall, Jon Choi
The greenway is a 6 block, tree lined path made of decomposed granite. It runs from Lee St. to Linden on 5th ave and is part of a larger walking path connecting downtown to Mansfield Park and North to Keeling neighborhood. It is an off street pedestrian path that is used by residents, students, dog walkers and an occasional baby in a stroller.
The project was funded over 15 years ago with a mix of Pima County reinvestment funds and Back to Basic money from the City of Tucson. The vegetation was put in without irrigation and was watered intermittently with the help of a water truck for the first 3 years in order to get the plants established. In the 12 years since, the mature vegetation has survived off of harvested rainwater from the below grade basins. Neighbors were worried in the summer of 2020 when the monsoons didn’t show and the temperatures soared, but the native vegetation survived. The walk-way has many large and beautiful Mesquite, Palo Verde and Ironwood trees along with other native shrubs -fairy dusters, triangle bursage, creosote, hedgehog and prickly pear cacti.
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The 5th ave greenway is a great example of how native vegetation, water harvesting and a little planning can produce shaded green space with pedestrian access and connectivity in our neighborhoods. Our office is excited to partner with our Ward 3 neighborhoods to expand greenway networks and we thank the neighbors who worked hard to make it happen🌵
Impact Fees by CJ Boyd
At this week’s city council meeting, Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Liz Morales presented a proposal to expand the city’s impact fee subsidy for developers of affordable housing.
An impact fee is a fee that the city charges developers for new developments in order to offset the impact that new development will have on current city infrastructure caused by growth. The money generated from this fees funds roads, public safety (fire and police) and parks.
As part of an attempt to attract more developers to build affordable housing, the city has been waiving impact fees for non-profit developers. However, there have been only 5 projects that have taken advantage of that fee subsidy since 2019. In order to increase that number, HCD has recommended expanding the fee waiver to include for-profit developers as well.
This proposal follows policy 6.2 of the Housing Affordability Strategy for Tucson (HAST) plan, adopted by Mayor and Council last year and endorsed by the Commission on Equitable Housing and Development. City Manager Mike Ortega also supports the plan with the caveat that, in the event this spurs a lot more interest in building affordable housing, we may need to cap it for budgetary purposes. At current, the fee subsidies are not capped, but they also have not reached the budgeted amount since being introduced in 2019. Those 5 projects comprise a total fee subsidy of $265,000, an average of $53,000 per project. Although the fee is “waived” to the developer, the City must cover the fee per State regulations.
Mayor and Council were generally supportive of this proposal, with some small adjustments. The current proposal stipulated that the for profit developers must maintain the affordable status of the housing for at least 15. Mayor Romero requested that this be extended to 20 years. The current proposal also requires developments to serve people making 80% or less of the area median income in order to qualify for the subsidy. Council member Kozachik requested that people making 100% of AMI (which is $53,000) also be included, given the current housing market, arguing that we can help more people in need of affordable housing by making the criteria more inclusive. HCD will return to Mayor and Council on March 22nd with revised language, at which time the ordinance will be voted on.
Director Morales said that adoption of the impact fee subsidy will make Tucson more competitive with cities in Maricopa County which to date have received the bulk of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit or LIHTC offered by the state.
Literacy Connects
Nestled in the Amphi neighborhood, in a beautiful building that used to be a church, is Literacy Connects - a volunteer-driven Tucson nonprofit serving Tucson communities through literacy and arts programming. Formed in 2011 by 5 local literacy non-profits with the mission of ‘Connecting people of all ages to a world of opportunities through literacy and creative expression’, Literacy Connects now serves over 46,000 children and adults.
Matt Tarver-Wahlquist, Marlene Avelino, Rebecca Werner, Kevin Dahl, CJ Boyd, Lupita Vasquez, Susan Friese
Literacy has been identified as a leading factor in financial health and quality of life, and Literacy Connects has taken on the challenge of supporting people on their path to literacy. With the guiding light of their core values - equity and social justice, creativity and imagination, collaborative relationships, joy, and transformational learning - they have developed five main programs that support literacy throughout one’s life continuum.
Starting at the beginning! Reach Out and Read is a national, evidence-based program that provides pediatricians with new, developmentally, and culturally appropriate books to give to children during their wellness visits while providing advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. Last year, Literacy Connects worked with 60 pediatric healthcare providers throughout Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz counties, as well as the Tohono O’odham and Yaqui Nations, to prescribe over 55,000 books and encourage 36,000 children and their families to read together.
Reading Seed focuses on Kindergarten through 2nd grade by partnering with Title 1 schools to support their students in developing healthy relationships with books and reading. Literacy Connects selects and trains volunteers to provide one on one coaching, emphasizing a positive, non-judgmental environment to increase students' confidence and skills. They also provide free books to students based on individual interests to encourage independent reading.
Stories that Soar! encompasses K-12 students taking their stories and turning them into videos with students taking the lead at every turn. With instructions and guidance from professionals, the students are able to develop the story from opening title to credits on their own, including acting, illustrating, filming, and editing. Pre-pandemic some stories were turned into live performances with professional actors!
Adult Basic Literacy and English Language Acquisition are programs that are tailored for adults. Basic Literacy focuses on helping improve reading, writing, math, and critical thinking skills, as well as preparing for GED exams. English Language Acquisition classes serve students from over 70 countries with educational levels that vary from college graduates to those who do not read and write in their native language.
The Literacy Connects campus includes a beautiful community garden, reading patio, covered basketball courts, lending library, and free library!
To learn more about Literacy Connects please visit: www.literacyconnects.org
And please consider being a volunteer!
Ward 3 Neighborhood and Coalition Meetings
Mountain First
Saturday
3/12/22
9-9:30 am
Zoom
SAMOS
Tuesday
3/15/22
6:30-7:30
Zoom
Hedrick Acres
Wednesday
3/16/22
6-7 pm
Navajo Wash Park
Balboa Heights
Thursday
March 17
3 PM
Placita de la Luna
204 W. Grant Rd Back Courtyard (outdoors)
Discuss re-starting Balboa Heights Neighborhood Association Neighborhood
Residents and Business Community are WELCOME!
Best parking is off Castro in the back parking lot.
Please bring a camp chair.
***Water and cookies provided.
Event Organizer: Susan Alexander email: tucsontat2@gmail.com text: 520 270 6351
Miracle Manor
Thursday
3/17/22
6-7 pm
Good News Church
Flowing Wells
Thursday
3/17/22
6-7 pm
Zoom
Jefferson Park
Wednesday
March 23
6:00pm
Zoom Meeting go to the link at: http://www.jeffersonpark.info
 The Ward 3 office is open from 9am-1pm M-F. Staff will answer phone messages, emails and requests for meetings by the next working day. Leave your message at 520-791-4711 or email at ward3@tucsonaz.gov.
Ward 3 Events
Sustainable Landscapes EXPO
March 19, 2022
REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND AND/OR FOR FREE RAFFLE ENTRY!
10am-2pm – 4210 N. Campbell Ave
(enter from Roger Rd., east of Campbell)
PARA ESPAÑOL, HAGA CLIC AQUÍ
This free, family-friendly event will include over 40 exhibits to increase your knowledge on efficient water usage and sustainable landscaping in the Southern Arizona desert. Enjoy educational, hands-on and interactive activities for adults and kids, a (free) raffle for items and services, and take home one of 100 FREE TREES from Civano Growers!
NEW EXHIBITORS, NEW ACTIVITIES!
The 2022 Sustainable Landscapes Expo is hosted by Pima Smartscape, Tucson Water and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, and sponsored by Civano Growers and Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply.
SEE WHO WILL BE EXHIBITING HERE!
Share input on transit-oriented development downtown and beyond
The greater downtown area has seen substantial investment as a result of transit-oriented development tools. Through a combination of transportation investments, land use tools, and economic incentives, downtown has seen substantial growth in housing, jobs and businesses since the launch of the streetcar in 2014. The Infill Incentive District, the zoning tool that has facilitated much of the development in the greater downtown area, is up for renewal in January 2023. Mayor and Council initiated a review and update of this zoning overlay on February 8, 2022.
At the same time, Tucson is planning for an expansion of our high-capacity transit network, with a 15-mile long North-South corridor connecting the Tucson Mall on the northside to downtown Tucson and to the Tucson Airport on the southside in the works. Tucson Norte-Sur is a plan that will work with Tucson communities to identify opportunities for equitable reinvestment and access along this corridor, including the downtown area. Attend one of these upcoming community events to share your vision for the future of this corridor:
- Friday March 18, 5-7pm, Armory Park
- Saturday March 19, 10am-12pm, Frank De La Cruz-El Pueblo Library
- Saturday March 19, 2-4pm, Limberlost Park
Check out a flyer for more info.
Food4Life Food distribution
This Saturday, March 19th, at New Life Community Church of the Nazarene (3367 N. Geronimo). Sign-up begins at 8 a.m. They have vegetables, fruit, packaged food, desserts, dairy, and some meat. You get to select your own food. There are no income, residency, or other requirements.
They also have a clothing distribution from 8:30 to 9:30.
Literacy Connects Neighborhood Clean Up
March 19
8:30-9:30 am
BICAS Youth Earn-A-Bike: Spring Break Camp Ages 9-13
March 14th-18th Monday-Friday 9am-12pm Enroll in our 5 sessions bicycle repair course and earn a bicycle, helmet, and lock to take home. All camps are sliding scale, scholarships available. Register at: www.bicas.org/camp
2001 N 7th Ave, Tucson AZ 85705
MAKE SHADE
Saturday, March 26
Tucson Clean and Beautiful, Trees for Tucson, Parks and Recreation and volunteers from Jefferson Park will plant 24 new trees on the east end of the Linear Park Trail. We need the muscle to plant the new trees. Please volunteer to help.
Chairperson: Joan Daniels jdchama@msn.com. Contact her with questions or to be added to the volunteer list.
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