Neighborhood News – Page 2 – Armory Park Neighborhood Association

Downtown Development/Transportation Updates

Here are two PowerPoint presentations from the City on the Infill Incentive District and Transit-Oriented Development. These both have a major impact on our neighborhood. For those who are interested, there will be a Transit-Oriented Development presentation at the Armory Park Center on Friday, March 18, 5-7 PM.

The Infill Incentive District update: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/pdsd/boards-committees-commissions/PRS/March2022/IID_Update_Presentation_-_3.10.22.pdf

The Transit-Oriented Development presentation: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/pdsd/boards-committees-commissions/PRS/March2022/eTOD_overview_pres_3-10-22.pdf

375 S Stone Ave Rezoning Proposal

There will be a Neighborhood Meeting Tuesday, November 30 at 6:00 PM to hear about the proposed mixed-use project at 375 S Stone Ave and adjoining properties. The meeting’s physical location will be All Saints’ School at 415 S 6th Ave. The meeting will also be available virtually at https://arizona.zoom.us/j/84743521961

APNA/APHZAB Board Meetings/ Elections November 9!

APNA and APHZAB are each holding a meeting Tuesday at 6:30. See the ZOOM link at the end of this article.

APNA has three main items this month:

1. Presentation by Peach Properties for their proposal for properties that include the old Casa Vicente Restaurant and parking lot (375 S. Stone), the old All Saints Church on the west side of 6th Ave. at 14th St., the old religious education building on the east side of 6th Ave. at 14th St. and the old rectory on the NE corner of 6th Ave. and 15th St. We will have 15 minutes to hear their proposal. Please save your questions for their presentation to the neighborhood and general public that they will announce.

2. Nomination for APNA Officers and beginning of their election. At this meeting we will have the slate presented by the elections committee and take nominations from the floor. All nominations will be entered into the ballot and sent to all members of APNA so they can vote. Please see the email by Vice President Liz Burden for more details of how this will work.

3. Green Infrastructure Committee Report. As promised, the Green Infrastructure Committee will present on future tree trimming in the neighborhood. Please sign in to the meeting to hear the proposal for how to harmoniously have our trees and vegetation pruned correctly and will respect to property owners and pedestrian rights.

The Armory Park Historic Zone Advisory Board will have a short meeting at the start of the APNA meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81404567629?pwd=dU82b2hSY094MStEWjJlMk05eHlkdz09

Take an Armory Park Survey!

A message from the Ward 6 office:

Hello Armory Park Neighbors,

In partnership with Tucson Police Department, we are conducting a Park Survey so that we can measure how addressing current concerns effect the area as a whole. Signs with the information will be place around the park and in the neighborhood this week. We are asking that you please share this survey on the neighborhood email group.

The more feedback we can capture the better. We are interested in hearing from neighbors and businesses about Armory Park over the last month. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes. Please answer honestly. Results will be used to better target resources to improve the neighborhood parks.

The survey can be taken using the QR code on the actual signs or on the attached PFD. You can also use this link: https://arcg.is/1meq840

Thank you, SteveK & Diana

Ward 6 Staff of Council Member Steve Kozachik

3202 E 1st StreetTucson, AZ 85716

Ph: 520.791.4601

A Message about the Listserv

A message from the APNA President about the Armory Park neighborhood listserv:

Dear Armory Parkers,

At the APNA board meeting Tuesday night we discussed the listserv’s administration and the problem that arose with one listserv member being sanctioned for political posting while others were not. The following motion was made and approved with six votes in favor and one abstention.

To 1) expand the size of the oversight committee from two members to at least three people; 2) have the oversight committee clarify the guidelines for posting comments with attention paid to inviting multiple perspectives (i.e., do not limit free speech but strive for comity and civility; 3) delineate the duties of moderators and protocols to be followed and 4) that future suspensions, if they occur, will be handled privately and not announced publicly.

We accepted one new volunteer to work with the existing two listserv moderators. The committee was charged with revising the guidelines so that we do not have fairness issues again.

One last task remained, to send an apology to Amanda Maass. Over the last two days the board voted 5 in favor, with one abstention and one no vote to send the following apology. The apology is at the end of this message.

Your Armory Park Board’s hope and goal is to be as fair and open as possible with the governance of the listserv and all our other actions. Regrettably there are hurt feelings. We hope to now move on.

Sincerely,

David Bachman-Williams
APNA President

(Letter)
August 14, 2021

Dear Amanda,

We, the Directors of the Armory Park Neighborhood Association, wish to apologize to you. In retrospect it is clear that the warning and suspension of Amanda was arbitrary and selective enforcement of the ban on political posting. In addition, we regret the public announcement of the suspension.

Sincerely,

David Bachman-Williams
APNA Board President

APNA, APHZAB Challenge Children’s Museum Fence

7/8/21 UPDATE: Good news! At Wednesday’s meeting, the Mayor and Council upheld the Armory Park Historic Zone Advisory Board’s appeal of the Children’s Museum’s plan to fence off 4,000 square feet adjacent to the Museum, closing it to the public. The fence will not be built and the area will remain open to the public.

ORIGINAL POST: A message from Armory Park Historic Zone Advisory Board Chair Martha McClements:

I hope you have seen the announcement concerning the Children’s Museum’s proposal to enclose part of the grass area along 13th Street for private use.
The Armory Park Historic Zone Advisory Board (APHZAB) voted to appeal the decision of the Planning Director (7 for and 1 opposed) and the Armory Park Neighborhood Association paid the fee out of funds held for Historic Preservation. At the time of the APHZAB meeting in May, we got 14 responses opposed to the fence. At the Plans Review meeting there were several letters in support of the fence.

The APHZAB appeal has to and is based on Historic Preservation. The other neighborhood concerns raised were placing public property behind a paywall (like the Reid Park Zoo expansion and Barnum Hill) and the lack of public input (the only review process was through the three Historic reviews, two of which opposed the enclosure). Please consider sharing your opinion on this matter (again) with the City Clerk – cityclerk@tucsonaz.gov – by 5pm on July 6 (Tuesday). If you wish to speak, email the City Clerk your request to speak by noon on July 7. Please do not send any comments about this appeal to members of the Mayor and Council. I do ask you to spread the word.

Those who wish to “attend” the meeting may do so at https://www.tucsonaz.gov/gov/mayor-and-council-live?fbclid=IwAR2EFhkMq-rJW_k3rvUsAB7scfqUINjOsKsz_SDX_Vw3EHFbGFpuF200ZbE

The meeting is July 7 at 5:30 PM. The appeal is #10 on the Agenda. https://tucsonaz.onbaseonline.com/1801AgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1540&doctype=1

APNA Board Meetings

A reminder: The APNA Board holds monthly meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (except January), at 6:30 PM. Because of COVID-19, APNA Board meetings are currently being held on line, at APNA Meeting Stream .

Meetings are open to all residents. Attending them is a great way to stay informed about issues of neighborhood-wide interest. We encourage you to attend!

Neighborhood Tree Planting Project

Have you been taking more walks in the neighborhood than ever before because covid’s got your cooped up? Can you believe it is still in the 90s in November? After the hottest summer on record no less! Well…Armory Park has a wonderful opportunity for you to join in and try to beat the heat, green our streets and take a stab at climate change by planting street trees!

WHAT: Armory Park is partnering with Trees for Tucson to do a one-day tree planting project.

WHO: Residents can have a tree (or three) planted out front of their house along the sidewalk and/or help volunteer to plant trees! We also need volunteers to help get out the word.

Click here to learn more about the project and order a tree.
Click here to sign up to volunteer (flyering or tree planting).

GOAL: We hope to plant 60 trees on planting day with 30 volunteers. Will you join us??