August 2012

1. Call to Order – Meeting called to order a little after 7:00 pm.

2. Sign in and Introductions

3. Treasurer Report – No treasurer present.

4. Announcements

Karen Greene announces that there will be a screening of The Avenue at the Screening Room on September 15 at 7:30 pm. It is a documentary about 4th Avenue and admission is $4.

Sky Jacobs announces that the neighborhood has received 1.26 inches of rain in the past several days.

Turtle announces that she has received to requests for newsletter submissions and wonders when would be best to have our yearly newsletter. Fall sounds like the best because of the mesquite breakfast and tree planting.

5. Discussion

(a) Reinvestment Project – Art – Cam Juarez of Pima County is here to discuss the public art component of the neighborhood reinvestment project. Cam first mentions a developing Neighborhood Leadership Institute. He is interested in seeing some neighborhood leaders represent Dunbar Spring there. The public art component seems to have made little progress over the past two months. We have been missing information and there has been poor communication between all parties. Cam is here to hear our concerns and present some information he has about the status of the component projects.

Ray Salas, who we have hired to create the sound sculpture, seems to have a new design based on our previous request for three smaller pieces that can be placed in the right of way. The sketches show a flat metal sculpture with four raindrop shapes with digits 1 through 4 representing a foot of water level. There does not appear to be any sound component. Because it has been months and our original requests are still not being addressed, there seems to be little interest in pursuing this project further.

Joe Lupiani’s fish sculpture has some design issues – the horny toad will require a larger foundation which will put the project over the original budget. It will require and additional $3000 which is less than 10% of the original budget. This is the first we have heard of this issue. We still want the toad, and Cam promises he will push for funding for it.

The Historic Crossroads sign is moving forward and should be installed in September.

As for the benches, Cade and Jesus are still working on a design based on feedback from our June meeting. We appear to have a sketch of Jason and Hiro’s chess bench. This sketch has not incorporated our requests to (1) remove the bike locking loops, (2) have storage drawers for the pieces, and (3) have two circles per bench on either side of the chess table, rather than one and three. We also have a new sketch of the Gila monster bench which basically looks like the picture we liked of a Gila monster superimposed on a picture of the location. Most are happy with this. Our requests for this bench are to (1) flip the direction of the tail to provide more sitting space, (2) move the bench closer to the property line, (3) use the originally poem, and (4) make sure the color is accurate. Cam confirms that an ADA ramp will be installed at that corner.

Turtle moves that we remove Ray Salas’s sound sculpture from the project, request the required $3000 to keep the horny toad in Joe Lupiani’s fish sculpture, approve Jason and Hiro’s benches with our comments, and ask for final sketches from both sets of bench artists by September 3 (Labor Day) so a mailing can be sent out by September 10. Karen Greene seconds. No further discussion and the motion carries unanimously. Cam will make sure that all artists are notified.

(b) Franklin Docks Development Proposal – Several developers including Town West are proposing a student housing development in the area bounded by 6th Street to the north, the diagonal railroad right of way to the northeast, Stone Avenue to the east, Franklin Street to the south, and Church Avenue to the west, and excluding the area occupied by the Steinfeld Warehouse. More information can be found by contacting Angie Rawie of Capstone Collegiate Communities at arawie@capstonemail.com. Sky has posted information about the project on the website at www.dunbarspring.org/content/proposed-student-housing-project-franklin-street-docks. Some concerns are expressed about the actual need for student housing. The consensus seems to be that they need to present more before we can take a position. We invite them to present at one of our meetings.

6. Committee Reports

(a) Downtown Links – There has not been a meeting. They are planning to begin construction on the St. Mary’s segment of the project, despite the massive number of construction projects currently taking place.

(b) Neighborhood Garden – No information. The pruning workshop was a success.

(c) Dunbar Coalition – They have been looking for an insurance reduction. The building is going to be used for a Grijalva fundraiser. They are still looking for board members for the school – it is no longer just a boys’ school and they plan to start K-3 and work their way up. Green Gourmet is no longer a restaurant but still catering and still planning on starting a garden program.

7. Approval of Minutes from June – Jacqueline Foxx moves to approve the minutes with corrections. Natasha Winnik seconds. Motion carries unanimously except one abstention.

8. Adjourn – Meeting adjourned around 8:30 pm.