July 2018

Treasurer’s Report: $2,351.01

There’s a question of how we get funds. Grants (for map of buildings that 100 years old), home tour funding, traffic mitigation money.

Announcements:

Union on 6th is applying for individual parking plan. Send in comments about parking plan by tomorrow (July 17) 5pm.

Glenn from the City, has notes about the 11th Ave housing project. He is talking to Ward 1 about next steps about the RFP.

Barrels on 1st and 9th are gone. ADQ was doing water testing. Left barrels. But they are gone now.

Gentrification event will be at El Rio neighborhood center. Saturday, Sep 15th 9am – 1pm.

Erik Shapiro from Zinman’s Food Shop has announcements: There will be an event on July 28th Saturday evening at Zinman’s. Benefit/fundraiser for the Mariachi Miracle (film). All the proceeds will go toward finishing the film.

Erik has drawings of the proposed Ramada for Zinman’s.

Centennial celebration for Dunbar School will be November 11th.

Discussion:

a) Speed mitigation options for 1st Street—Traffic circle is back on the table for speed mitigation. John Burr from Armory Park has designs for a traffic circle that is less disruptive of water flow and cheaper. Dunbar payed 10k per traffic circle. Perhaps we can do a traffic circle and speed hump. Unsure if we can do speed humps because of water flow on 1st. Bunny Signs: Natasha brought an example of what our sings could look like. Natasha has been looking at signs and measuring them. Bicycle route signs are 18 inch wide. Speed hump signs 18 inch. Kids at play signs are 15 by 15 inches. No parking signs are 12 inches wide 15 inch tall. Either 12 or 15 inches wide seem good. wide for the signs for the proposed bunny signs. If we get aluminum sings we could get. 10 for $200. PVC we could ten for $100. Reflective and diff color to not make it look so official. Three spots on 1st that could work for bunny signs. Will probably have to pay for poles separately. Where are they going? Rights of way? Do we need permission? Natasha will look into price of special poles. Permanent poles need to be breakaway poles if someone crashes into it. Karen asks if we need regulations for where to put them. Karen will do more research in terms of traffic circles. Don’t want to apply for a permit because it could be too much of a process. We do need to ask neighbors who are connected to the rights of way for permission.

b) Shannon from Popcycle is present. Has copies of the community benefits agreement (CBA). Discussion of the Union project. There will be retail on the corner on 4th Ave. Three stories at the corner and then five stories back and then seven stories back. They don’t have to go through the traditional zoning requirements. But they have to fulfil certain obligations. EdR is the developer. Multifamily housing. There will be studios, one bedrooms, two and three bedrooms. They also bought the District. Don’t have to go through student or group housing steps. But because they multifamily they do not have to go through mayor and council.

Historic 4th wants to start a coalition and create a community benefits agreement that sets a precedent for this and future projects. What they’re asking is having the new residents be integrated into the community. Union has a large retail space 3800 square feet. Not doable for local business so the CBA is asking to divide the space into three smaller spaces. Maybe more. Joanna asks: Is 4th Ave Merchants Association (FAMA) involved in this CBA? Is there a split between constituencies? Who is this coalition representing?

Shannon: FAMA leadership was reluctant to certain aspects of the CBA. Didn’t want to ask EdR for more than that. Independents merchants started talking to Luna, Ironhorse. They came together to create official CBA. Took it back to leadership. They were going to participate in negotiating with EdR. But had to back it up after parking meeting. Then City got involved and backed up CBA. Now since the city is involved FAMA leadership got on board enthusiastically. City is saying EdR won’t get tax incentives if they don’t adhere to this CBA. GPLET- tax incentive: The GPLET can provide up to eight (8) years of property tax abatement. This incentive is available for projects located in the Central Business District that result in a property value increase of at least 100%. Tax incentives are where the City has leverage. EdR is also asking for reduced parking. Code requires EdR provide one space per unit so that would be 240. But they’re asking .7 space so 180 total.

Matt: Regarding parking. EdR wants to reduce the parking. The CBA requires EdR to dedicate some of their parking to the community? Is this correct?

Shannon: No. Because EdR owns the District, they don’t use all their parking. It was overbuilt for parking. So they have 100 empty parking spaces. They’ll use that to meet their quota if they don’t get their reduced parking request. 4th Ave Merchants are trying to reduce parking and car traffic. Want to promote public transport. Earlier negotiations between FAMA and EdR. FAMA asked EdR to let FAMA use spaces for permitted parking spaces. This was left in the CBA because that’s a big deal to FAMA leadership. FAMA wants to see EdR’s marketing plan to see if they advertise to more demographics. Union will have 12 month leases but concerned that they’re not marketing to anyone besides students.

Matt: Expresses concern about fair housing violations if the CBA discourages students from moving into Union.

Shannon: Not trying to discourage students from moving but are they marketing to other people? Seniors, families, a wider population? The District is only marketed to students. If they’re multifamily housing then why aren’t they marketing to families? Matt: Are any of these benefits negotiated with EdR currently?

Shannon: They were supposed go into negotiations last week of the month. EdR agreed to market to local businesses first.

Joanna: Some of the details seem like a stretch for a developer. Like 100K to the City. Who is overlooking this?

Shannon: 100K would be for traffic and safety mitigation. Money to deal with traffic problems. Any funds not spent will go back to EdR after five years. What is the biggest stretch in the agreement? Streetscape. Asking a lot in regards to that. For example: building new sidewalks not in front of their lot to match their sidewalks. If you’re using our infrastructure, why not maintain it? EdR is going to be building this for 16 months.

Natasha: People had asked for, but thought was impossible was putting trees and planters along fourth as a buffer. But EdR is building to lot line. That comes down to the design review committee. EdR is asking to build to lot line. Right to the sidewalk. Not in IAD but they’re asking for it.

Natasha proposes that Dunbar could agree with the principles of the CBA. Throwing support behind idea of this. Good precedent to set. To vote in support of it.

Sky: How long is the negotiation process?

Shannon: EdR’s IAD just got kicked back from historic preservation. Didn’t like the mass and scale of the building. Going back on the 26th. Design review committee is last hoop EdR has to jump through. They want to break ground in August 2018. This deal is not done. Still in escrow. But very unlikely it won’t happen. Room for negotiation. Could take or leave some things. All are aspects of the CBA are priorities for the coalition. Obviously local business is a priority and local artists being used for future projects in regards to the building.

Karen calls to end discussion. Motion? Does Dunbar want to support the CBA?

Dunbar Neighborhood statement will read: “The Dunbar Neighborhood voted at the July 2018 neighborhood association meeting to support the process of the FAHDC pursuing a CBA with EdR and would like to be represented on the coalition as appropriate. We look forward to being part of these discussions and negotiations to ensure our mutual interests and shared concerns are addressed in the Union on 6th development.”

Natasha puts it forward as a motion. Sky seconds it. Ready to vote.

All those in favor of supporting the coalition with the CBA and negotiations with EdR? 8 for, none opposed, 2 abstained.

c) VOTE- Sky needs reimbursement for website domain cost. Sky hosts the domain for free but has to pay for the domain and has put up the cost for the next two years. 2-year renewal for $29.34. Karen puts forth motion for reimbursement for the 2-year domain renewal. Natasha 2nds. 10 vote in favor.

d) Complete streets workshop discussion— Living Streets Alliance has been charged by the City to help come up with a complete streets policy. Present for approval to mayor and council. Want to have workshops with the public for public input. Ward 3 and 6 are doing workshops. The alliance wants to have a variety of folks there. There are presentation and working groups. Can to it on a weeknight evening. Snacks will be provided. Does the neighborhood want to do one of these?

What to these workshops entail?

For example: What are complete and incomplete streets. How do you imagine Tucson in 5 years if we had this policy in place. You actually draw what a complete streets looks like to you. That all goes back to transportation department. Approved as policy. Will go to mayor and council.

Natasha suggests that we do one with barrios Anita and Blue Moon. Karen will follow up.

e) Monthly cleanups. Natasha has volunteered to a cleanup at the alleyways by Main and Alder. Main and Alder. Alder and 11th. Proposes August. Possibly a Sunday. Eva is asked if Habitat could be involved with this one as well. Eva says that she will look into it and connect the neighborhood with the Volunteer manager and neighborhood cleanup leads to see what is possible.

Christy Vogel has volunteered to a host a cleanup.

Debi Chess Mabie – Wants to a cleanup for 11th Ave and 1st. Unsure when she will host one. Sky volunteers to do one in January on 4th street and 10th Street. Sky suggests we reengage with Tucson Clean and Beautiful. Karen has reached out to them and no one has gotten back to her in regards to cleanups. Sky will reach out to Rocky about this.

Committee Report:

a) DNARC – City manager Michael Ortega came and spoke. City has budget cuts. Lost a lot of staff. City realizes that they need to innovative. The city does little planning. Karen asked if this will change? Not a clear reply. It was mentioned that the deck will definitely not be taken out of the project. Tucson plans need to be updated. They need to have community conversations and be more clear in their process. They’re proposing 311 hotline for city. For anything from city lights going out or trees are obstructing streets and need to get cleared.

b) Downtown Links – Deck will definitely not be taken out of the project.

c) WAMO – still a mystery if WAMO still exists.

d) Neighborhood Garden – There is no leak. There was a $939 bill. Not due to a leak.

Situation is resolved.

e) Dunbar Coalition – Renovation upstairs will be finished by end of August because the Idea School and other groups are moving in. All the rooms upstairs will be leased. There is old water damage in the walls. So they need to level out the ground. There’s a leak near the barber college. Talking about serious trash problems. Cleaning up trash around the school. Debi Chess Mabie wants to have more police presents around the school. Cox cable will install internet. Everyone will have wifi. Everyone will have mailboxes.

Gospel Centennial Celebration Brunch. 1-4 after church because it’s a Sunday in November.

Zinman’s offers to donate food for that.

f) Walkability/Neighborhood Foresters – monthly cleanups covered this. Foresters did some work on 10th Ave and 5th Street recently. (Foresters and Walkability will now be one line).

Vote to approve June minutes - 7 approve June with corrections, 7 in favor/2 abstain