And what you can do about it

As you have probably heard, developer Ross Rulney now owns most of the buildings on and near the corner of Tucson Blvd. and 6th St, and he is submitting a proposal to the City of Tucson asking for some new uses. The proposal is called a PAD (Planned Area Development), and requires a type of rezoning process. He wants to have a microbrewery associated with a “tasting room” (in a building on the west side of Tucson Blvd. just south of 6th St.) and a stand-alone bar (one that does not serve food) in the building immediately north of Bob Dobb’s. These establishments would be open until midnight on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

As you probably also know, because the businesses on the south side of 6th St. are so successful (especially Tumerico), there is insufficient parking in the immediate vicinity. Many people jaywalk, dangerously, across 6th St. to park in the lot on the north side of the street. Cars that are parked in front of Tumerico and adjacent businesses back out, dangerously, onto 6th St. Many cars also park in front of residences on 7th St and on Forgeus, making it difficult for residents to park in front of their own homes. Mr. Rulney wants the current parking situation to be declared acceptable in the PAD.

Also originally included in the PAD was a proposal for high-density multifamily housing and/or a parking structure on what is currently the parking lot north of Flora’s/Bob Dobbs. We (the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association) have hired an attorney, Tim Kinney, to give us advice on how to better understand the PAD proposal and how to express our concerns. Attached is a letter we just sent to The Planning Center and Ross Rulney expressing our concerns.

As a result of our concerns, we have been told that the potential for high-density multifamily housing and/or a parking structure have been removed from the proposal. The existing parking lot cannot be redeveloped without an amendment to the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Plan and another rezoning or major amendment to the PAD (if it is approved). But we want to be absolutely sure of this in writing and we have not seen the revised PAD yet. We also have expressed our concerns about adding two more establishments that serve liquor when there are already three liquor-serving establishments on the corner. And, we have made it clear, that some changes to the parking and pedestrian safety situation are needed.

The next step in this process will be a public hearing before John Iurino, the City Zoning Examiner, to be held on Thursday, 6 June, at 6 p.m. The hearing is VIRTUAL ONLY and we urge all neighbors who are concerned about this issue to attend. Members of the public may view, listen to, and participate in the hearing online by going to the Zoning

Examiner website and clicking “Join Meeting” at the top of the page. The Zoning Examiner website may be accessed at the following location: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Planning-Development-

Services/Public-Meetings-Boards-Committees-Commissions/Zoning-Examiner

Or you can use your phone: 1-346-248-7799 Meeting ID:824 9464 9853# Passcode: 281408

If you have difficulty accessing the hearing, please email TucsonRezoning@tucsonaz.gov for technical assistance. If you live within 400 feet of the proposed rezoning, you should have received a form explaining how to protest.

IF YOU WANT TO PROTEST, PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM AND PUT IT IN THE MAIL ASAP, OR YOU MAY SEND AN EMAIL TO TUCSONREZONING@TUCSONAZ.GOV STATING YOUR REASONS FOR PROTESTING. IT MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE CITY NO LATER THAN JUNE 5 TH 2024.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Gayle Hartmann, gaylehartmann4@gmail.com; Ross Wiegand, rosswiegand@aol.com; lleakatz2@cox.net; kimcrooks@gmail.com.

The pool is open!

Himmel Pool is open for the summer. It will be open June 1st - July 31st, closed June 19th and July 4th.

Hours: Wed - Friday 1 - 6pm; Saturday 1 - 7pm

Admission is free!

Himmel Parkrun goes global!

Himmel Parkrun is a free, fun, and friendly timed 5k every Saturday @ 7am (summer time) in Himmel Park. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it's up to you!

Fun fact: the combined distance run (or walked!) by the Himmel Park runners recently exceeded 40,075km - or the circumference of the earth! WOW! What an amazing, community effort - around the globe, four laps at a time around Himmel park.

Click on the link below to learn more about Himmel Parkrun, and to see other running events in town. Thanks for our friends at Himmel Park run for compiling this information!

Good news about potholes

Both parking lots at Himmel Park have been resurfaced. A big thank you to Tucson Parks and Recreation for this long awaited improvement!

Weeds and Trees

On April 25, Gayle Hartmann, Molly McKasson, Chris Craver, and I took a walk through Himmel Park with Tucson Parks and Recreation (P&R) Supervisor John Bonillas and irrigation chief Corey Martinez. We surveyed and discussed the turf and the trees, both of which need extra attention and care. We received a somewhat positive response regarding increasing the watering at the park for the benefit of the trees, some of which were turning brown, and the turf. While weeding at the park on May 27, I saw that the amount of watering has been increased in most of the park, including in some of the many barren areas. Unfortunately, there are still some barren areas that remain dry. Those areas probably need additional sprinklers and/or bubblers, which I intend to request soon. Thanks to Parks and Rec for meeting with us and increasing the watering.

The overall turf conditions at the park are, in all honesty, quite poor. Several different kinds of weeds have established themselves throughout nearly all parts of the park, crowding out the grass that used to cover most of the park. This is probably because, per our request, toxic chemical herbicides are no longer being applied at Himmel Park. The herbicides that had been used routinely contain neurotoxins which place the health of humans, especially children, as well as the health of animals, at great risk. Last year, Parks and Rec contracted with a company called West Consultants to apply non-toxic, organic soil conditioner at the park as a safer way to reduce weeds. According to P&R Director Lara Hamwey, P&R ended the contract because of performance and budgetary issues. Lara added "we will have to monitor and keep discussing options."

We also discussed replanting some of the trees that have died over the past few years. The original plan was to plant them this past fall, but the time frame kept getting moved later and later by Parks, until it became too late because the days got too warm. Hopefully, this coming fall the trees will get planted.

On the plus side, after 6 years of hard work, we've managed to eradicate most of the goat head weeds that have plagued the park for decades. They're not all gone yet, as a considerable number of seeds remain in the ground. So far this spring, I've pulled up about 250 of the nasty weeds (a relatively small number, compared to previous years). It's impossible to predict how many more goat head weeds will sprout between now and mid October, when they go dormant until the following spring. 

Gayle Hartmann and I have been pulling buffelgrass and goat head weeds around the Sam Hughes neighborhood every 2 to 3 weeks or so. A big thank you to Ned Egen, Bill Lucas, and Chris Craver for the help they gave us on two occasions. If anyone would like to help out, please email me at sakalasart@gmail.com

Vytas Sakalas

Friends of Himmel Park Committee of SHNA

** Read further down the newsletter to learn about the role of buffel grass and weeds as ladder fuels, and the risk of urban wildfires.

Karin Uhlich is our new council member

Tucson's Mayor and Council again has an active Ward 6 member following the appointment of Karin Uhlich to the seat vacated by Steve Kozachik in April. Uhlich is a former elected council member in Ward 3 and also served that ward in a temporary capacity during a previous vacancy in 2021. She was appointed during a special meeting on Monday, May 6. During interviews with the four finalists that evening, Uhlich, who has been living in Ward 6 since September 2022, said she will not run for office when the term expires at the end of next year. Her first meeting in her new role was on May 7.

A message from Karin upon her appointment

Dear Ward 6 and Tucson,



I'm honored to have been selected to serve the remainder of Council Member Kozachik's term (through December 2025). From the application process it's clear that there's likely to be a strong field of candidates for the position in the 2025 election. In the meantime, I'm immensely grateful that the Ward 6 team has agreed to stay alongside me in service to the Ward and city. Thank you Diana, Dora, Nadia, Ann and Mark for helping to shape our plans and work ahead to deliver our very best!

This week I met with former Council Member Kozachik. I thank him for taking the time to review with me numerous Ward 6 land use projects in the pipeline, as well as the status of the plastics recycling program and other priority initiatives. His openness to staying in touch and supporting a seamless transition will be invaluable, and clearly reflect his unwavering commitment to Ward 6 and Tucson.



I attended the Mayor and Council meeting on Tuesday, met with the City Manager and City Attorney, and have started touching bases with the Mayor and Council colleagues. All of us are focused on the budget for the near-term and beyond the horizon. I'll update you on Council agendas and decisions throughout the coming months.



Please continue to stay in touch with the Ward 6 team for assistance with resident and neighborhood concerns. We'll be huddling regularly and establish the best process to prioritize my calendar and focus moving forward as well.

Thank you,

Karin

Public Hearing July 8th

From Karin Uhlich's May 24th Newsletter

As anticipated TEP has been proceeding with alternatives to the proposed Midtown Line route and posed in Proposition 412. TEP has filed route options and their preferred route with the ACC line siting committee today. Further information can be found here (See Route B4):

https://www.tep.com/midtown-reliability-project/

and should be posted here soon:

https://www.azcc.gov/arizona-power-plant/line-siting-committee

Per TEP: TEP filed its application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) today with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).  It will now be reviewed by the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee in a public hearing scheduled to begin on Monday, July 8, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson – Reid Park, 445 S. Alvernon Way. A special public comment session is scheduled to begin that day at 5:30 p.m.

Time will likely be tight for public and city action to file responses with the ACC Committee, so I wanted to share with you what I know sooner rather than later. I’m sure my Council colleagues and the Mayor will want guidance from the City attorney in Executive Session at one of our June meetings as well. I’ll share more as I learn more.

Come and join us!

In December 2021 SH board member Carolyn Classen started up a Mah Jong Mondays game playing program in the East Room of the Ward 6 Council office, 3202 E. 1^st St. The previous Mah Jong Mondays program which she had founded at Himmel Park library from 2010 to 2020 had ceased due to the pandemic. This style of playing is called Hong Kong Simplified, not the American style.

The program has been a huge success with four tables (4 players each) every Monday, and is free & open to all SH neighbors and friends of all ages. Parking is also free around the Ward 6 office. This activity is especially enjoyable during the hot summer months since the Council office is air conditioned, with clean bathrooms. It is held every Monday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. except for City holidays.

Carolyn's friend Sarah Stephenson (a member of the TCCC - Tucson Chinese Cultural Center) has been teaching the beginner's table. SH neighbor Mark Greaves is Carolyn's assistant for this project. 

Carolyn has been a member of the TCCC since 2008. She is also the founder/teacher of Mah Jong Fridays at Asian Pacific American Student Affairs (APASA) office at the University of Arizona, since 2017.  

For more info, contact Carolyn at pololu@hotmail.com.

The Week starting July 7th

Time to start thinking about cleaning out the attic or doing some work around the yard. Brush and Bulky will be coming to Sam Hughes the weeks starting July 7th.

Wrought Iron Fence

A wrought iron fence will be installed soon around the perimeter of the water tower property on the corner of Tucson Blvd. and 1^st St.  The Tucson Water Department has informed us that work will start within the next month (probably mid- to late-June) and it will take about a month to install the fence.

Unfortunately, the chain link fence that surrounds the water tower building will remain.

We hope we can convince the Water Dept that it isn't necessary. There will be a large gate on the south side of the property but it will be for Water Department staff only.

However, we will continue to talk to the Water Department about the possibility of planting a few trees.



So, stay tuned.

Now includes snakes and coyotes!

Javelina are residents of Sam Hughes and your neighbors, too. They have everything they need in our neighborhood for a healthy habitat to raise their young.  Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association (SHNA ) is committed to helping Humans and Javelina coexist safely together.  SHNA is trying to track areas where Javelina live in our neighborhood and to limit dangerous encounters between Javelina and residents and dogs.  

If you see a Javelina, please report it to us! The information you provide will be added to a map of Javelina Sightings in Sam Hughes.  Residents, especially dog walkers, can then be aware of the most recent Javelina sightings and make decisions about what routes they want to take in the neighborhood. 

We are also now tracking snakes and coyotes, so please report them too!

It's time to start thinking about monsoon gardening! Our friends at Native Seeds recommend the following seeds for monsoon gardening in July: Amaranth, bean, cowpea, corn, cucumber, devil's claw, eggplant, melon, panic grass, sorghum, squash, sunflower, watermelon. You can also plant tomato and tomatillo plants.

Things are changing

From Karin Uhlich's May 31st newsletter

I’m sure everyone recognized that growing the effort from a single orange dumpster in Ward 6 to serve everyone across the city would pose challenges. Let me share with you where we stand at this point:

• The volume of material being dropped at the current 5 dumpsters across Tucson is 2 to 2.5 times the volume ByFusion agreed to haul away on a monthly basis (20-25 tons versus 10 tons per month)
• Unfortunately some industrial and commercial plastics are getting dropped in the dumpsters which we now know can make the load “contaminated” vs usable for reprocessing through ByFusion and the alternative Hefty Renew program

Continuing the recycling program under these circumstances simply would not be responsible or sustainable. The good news is that construction of the city/ByFusion processing plant to be located at the Los Reales Sustainability Campus is on track for completion in one year. That plant will have the capacity to process up to 200 tons of plastics each month.



Over the coming year, then, what’s our plan?

Here’s what we believe is the proper course of action:

• Beginning July 1, 2024, we will protect the integrity of the plastics being dropped off by curtailing it to Hefty Renew’s “orange bags” program. It (nor any reprocessing stream we can identify) cannot process all plastics; like the Ward 6 pilot, it’s targeting the recycling of household plastics that are not accepted in our existing “blue barrels” recycling program.
• Beginning July 1, 2024 any plastics deposited into the dumpsters that are not in the orange bags will have to be diverted to the landfill and will be considered as contaminant(s); we have to have this control in place to reinforce the household program parameters and volume of material, and to prevent industrial/commercial streams that contaminate entire loads.
• Our long term goal (at least one year from now) is to be able to to allow orange bags to be deposited into our “blue barrels” for curbside pickup and materials sorting into the appropriate processing stream.

Like the removal of waste and other plastics from our homes, there’s a cost associated with the Hefty Renew orange bags ($8 for every 20 bags). I truly wish there was some magic to divert the non-recyclable plastics consumed by all 550,000 Tucson residents for free. In fact, bringing the program to this stage has been made possible by the devotion and hard work of countless volunteers and partner groups: Rotary Clubs, neighborhoods, and many more. A year from now our plan is to cut the ribbon on the processing plant. It will be able to accommodate the goals of our community and the scaling of the pilot program in-keeping with the lessons we continue to learn along the way. It will be a model for other cities in Arizona and across the country as envisioned. Our success will depend on full transparency, necessary adjustments, and ongoing collaboration.

Got questions? Or answers? There will be a Town Hall about the plastics program on June 11th @ 5:30pm at the Ward 6 office. For more details, check out the flyer at the bottom of this article.

Check out the following!

• Parkrun - a fun, free, timed 5k every Saturday morning @ 7am (summer start time) in Himmel Park. parkrun.us/himmel/

• Mah Jong - Mondays @ 10am at the Ward 6 office. Contact Carolyn Classen @ pololu@hotmail.com

• Weed patrol - pulling buffelgrass and goat head weeds around the Sam Hughes neighborhood every 2 to 3 weeks or so. To help out, please email Vytas Sakalas @ sakalasart@gmail.com

• Little Free Libraries - visit samhughes.org/little-free-libraries/ to see the location of the Little Free Libraries near you

• Really Really Free Market - Cash-Free Community Sharing Event. 3rd Saturday of the month @ 8 - 10am (summer hours).

Himmel Park (east of tennis courts; E 1st Street between Tucson & Treat)

Contact Carol for details: clhintucson@gmail.com

• Pocket Park clean up - every 3 months at the NW corner of Country Club and E 1st. Contact Mike Walls for details: mkwalls1@msn.com

To find out what else is happening in our Sam Hughes neighborhood, visit our ongoing calendar on the SHNA website samhughes.org

Prepare your home and reach out to your neighbors

You may recall the power outage in Dallas, Texas, in 2021, and recent disasters from storms, wildfires, and record-breaking temperatures in unexpected areas of the nation. Our major weather concern in Tucson is extreme heat, and last summer saw the hottest month on record. Among many local records set in July 2023, we had:

•  Warmest average monthly low temperature of 80 degrees
•  Most days with highs of 110 or hotter: 14 
•  Most consecutive days with a low temperature of 80 or warmer: 10  
•  Most consecutive days with a low temperature of 85 or warmer: 4  

Extreme heat is still the deadliest of all weather-related disasters in the US. Extended heat waves cause hardship and can even kill. In the face of such events, neighborhoods where people know and can help each other have better survival outcomes.

Consider becoming a Block Connector – going to nearby neighbors to share the Household Checklist for Extreme Heat Preparedness. 

To learn how, you can choose either of these dates for a mini-training online:

 Tue June 4th, 4-5 pm

 Thu June 6th, 7-8 pm

 REGISTER HERE for the link

BaRN (Building a Resilient Neighborhood) includes leaders in nine Tucson neighborhoods. For more info, contact:

Stuart Moody, stuartfieldmoody@hotmail.com

Rosemary Bolza, rbolza@me.com

Gladys Richardson, gladys.richardson@gmail.com

Books are just the beginning . . .

Summer Learning is back!

UA Arizona Surplus Storefront

Did you know?

This may be Tucson’s best kept secret – the UArizona Surplus Storefront located at The Paul & Alice Baker Distribution Center on E 34^th Street.

Have you ever wondered what happens to surplus property from UArizona? The Surplus Property unit is responsible for the disposal and re-utilization of all excess University of Arizona property. This is a great place to find deals on office furniture, file cabinets, electronics, bicycles and other interesting items.

• Live Auction. The live in-person public auction takes place once a month on the third Tuesday of each month (dates may vary.)
• Storefront Sales. Items are available for in-person purchase during regular business hours.
• Special Bid Auction. Most of the items available through a Special Bid have a minimum price set for each item, and participation is through a sealed bid process.

The Surplus Storefront takes Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover, but not cash or any credit card with the PayPal logo.

Sign up here to receive the newsletter with information about upcoming auctions, special events, and to view sale items located in the store.

Hours and location:  Tues-Fri: 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Paul & Alice Baker Distribution Center, 3740 E 34th St

Tucson, AZ 85713; Ph: (520)621-1754

UA Neighborhood Hotline

If you need to reach the University of Arizona for any reason, even during the summer while most students are away, contact the UA Neighborhood Hotline at 520-282-3649.

Let's pull those dried grasses and weeds!

Urban Wildfires are a very real risk in the City of Tucson and especially neighborhoods with easements and alleys. Easements and alleys can become choked with dried grasses and weeds, dead trees and shrubs, etc. Plenty of fuel in our easements and all that is necessary for a fire to start is a source of heat.

There are many ways that heat can be provided to start an urban wildfire:

• Carelessly discarded cigarettes still burning.
• Drug users heating drugs on foil.
• Campfires
• Lighters, matches, combustable chemicals, lithium batteries
• Fireworks - Even a sparkler can start a fire.

WEEDS/GRASSES/BRANCHES = LADDER FUELS

"Ladder fuels" is a firefighting term for live or dead vegetation that allows a fire to climb up from the ground surface into the tree canopy or on to buildings and structures. Common fuel ladders include tall grasses, weeds, shrubs, and tree branches, both living and dead.

Urban wildfires are the number one reason to clean your easement or front and backyards of tall weeds and grasses. 

It's time to take action now to prevent urban fires

and survive them if they happen.

CLICK HERE for an excellent Arizona Daily Star article with tips on making your home safe from Urban Wildfires.

FROM TUCSON CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL: Cigarette disposal is a safety issue. Cigarette butts are one of the most frequently littered items thrown from vehicles in Arizona. It is one of the most dangerous types of litter due to the potential for fire damage nearly year-round, and certainly the most preventable. Please don't litter, please help prevent fires!

A huge thank you to our friends in the Garden District for this informative and important article.

Summer Volunteers Needed!

What makes Mobile Meals a standout from other meal-delivery options for home-bound older adults? Without a doubt, the secret ingredient is our volunteers.

The Mobile Meals mission statement says it all: Delivering nutritious meals to people in Southern Arizona through a network of caring individuals.

Our "network of caring individuals" is the lifeblood of Mobile Meals, and we can only fulfill our mission with the support of volunteers. And as summer approaches and snowbirds fly away, our need for volunteers has grown, there is an urgent need for individuals to volunteer this summer.

Mobile Meals “network of caring individuals” is made up of everyday people eager to make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling or just need a little help. Our volunteer network delivers homemade food tailored for medical conditions. Our drivers and delivery volunteers get to know the individuals on their route and are often the only person some of these people see each day. Their visits are, in fact, well-checks.

Mobile Meals CEO L'Don Sawyer is committed to strengthening Mobile Meals' partnership with volunteers. She instituted the Volunteer Ambassadors to improve communication with all volunteers and to better support their vital role at Mobile Meals. In addition, volunteer orientations are now held monthly (see picture above) either in person or on Zoom.

Make your own heart proud and brighten the lives of others by volunteering! Our clients need you! Mobile Meals' next volunteer training/orientation is scheduled for Monday, June 3 at 12 noon at 3355 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson. Call (520) 622-1600 to register or sign up on our website: https://www.mealdeliverysoftware.com/mmsa/volunteer-registration.adp

SHNA Monthly Board Meeting

June 18th @ 7pm.

Ward 6 office (3202 E 1st St)

and on Zoom

(Zoom link posted on samhughes.org)

SHNA is looking for volunteers

SHNA works on a wide variety of projects.

Newsletter * Himmel Park * Home Tour

Transportation and Mobility * Water Tower * Board of Directors

Please contact us at info@samhughes.org to volunteer, or if you would like to pursue something new with SHNA’s support.

Emergency: 911

Non-Emergency: 520-791-4444 (Monday to Friday; 8:00 am to 6:00 pm)

Lead Police Officers for Sam Hughes

Ofc. Cody York

Phone: 520-730-3845

Email: Cody.York@tucsonaz.gov

On Duty: Weekends, Days

Ofc. Garrett Behan

​Phone: 520-539-7250

​Email: Garrett.Behan@tucsonaz.gov

On Duty: Weekends, Nights

Community Resource CSO

Ramon Silvas

Email: Ramon.Silvas@tucsonaz.gov

Phone: 520-837-7428

Contact for Midtown substation:

Lobby hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

1100 S Alvernon Way, Tucson AZ 85711

Front lobby phone: 520-791-4253

Homeless Outreach Team:

To Report a Homeless Camp, use online reporting tool or call 520-791-2540

Recent Criminal Activity

For a list of recent criminal activity in Sam Hughes, visit https://nsn.soaz.info/incidents/zsamhughes.html

For crime data in Tucson, visit https://policeanalysis.tucsonaz.gov/