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Broadway Widening Project: Residents Speak Out Against It… Again

March 22, 2015 by Pamela Powers

An estimated 80 Tucsonans attended the public meeting of the Citizens Task Force (CTF) for the Broadway widening project last week. The main event of the meeting was a potential vote on the latest maps which show a wiggly, six-lane Broadway snaking around and through historic properties and strip malls.

Prior to the meeting, people were asked to submit opinions in writing regarding the latest version of the maps. (Read comments here. See the maps here.) According to the Broadway Coalition’s count, 171 comments raised concerns about widening Broadway to six lanes or were outright opposed to it; four comments were ambivalent; and only 12 were supportive of the city staff-proposed alignments. Attendees have told me that the call to the audience speeches were eloquent in their opposition to this project. (Unfortunately, no one videotaped the meeting.) The CTF did not approve the controversial maps last week; there will be another meeting this week on March 26.

This has been the history of the project. Over and over again in writing and at public meetings, Tucsonans have said very clearly that they don’t want Broadway expanded to look like the giant suburban intersections on the east side or on the northwest side AND they don’t want to lose the charm of the historic buildings along the Sunshine Mile coming out of downtown. Public comments and a report from the Broadway Coalition after the jump.

Every Gun Has a History: Don’t Repeat It (video)

March 22, 2015 by Pamela Powers

Would you buy a gun that was used in the Sandy Hook massacre or one that was used by a small child to accidentally kill his baby brother?

Check out this powerful video that was shot secretly at a gun shop in New York City.

Tucson City Council: Ill-Conceived Ordinances Wiped from Agenda (video)

March 20, 2015 by Pamela Powers

The Tucson City Council was scheduled to vote on two ill-conceived ordinances at their St. Patrick’s Day meeting this week. The Crowd Management Event ordinance would have given the police chief considerable discretion in controlling groups of 100 or more people. The second ordinance would have outlawed urban camping on all city property, thus criminalizing the homeless.

When word got out via email blasts, Facebook posts, and the blogs, public outrage built against these two measures. Social media posts called for protests and for phone-calling to Council members. A Facebook event to protest the Crowd Management Event ordinance had more than 100 potential attendees on Monday afternoon. An hour before the protest, the Tucson Sentinel reported that the city had taken that ordinance off the agenda.

Before the Tuesday meeting, 20-30 homeless and homeless advocates gathered outside of the Council chambers. When I arrived with my video camera, one of my homeless Facebook friends told us that Councilman Steve Kozachik had talked with them just a few minutes earlier and said the camping ban ordinance would be tabled.

We went into the meeting anyway because my husband and I had both planned to speak against the ordinances. Between us we represent two major progressive groups– PDA Tucson and the Arizona Democratic Progressive Caucus– and we wanted the City Council to know that progressives stood against both of these measures.

Broadway Widening: Citizens’ Task Force Meeting March 19

March 19, 2015 by Pamela Powers

The Broadway Citizens Task Force (CTF)– the city-appointed residents and business owners who have been working on the Broadway widening project– will meet at 5:30 today, March 19, at the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church at 1200 N. Campbell Ave.

The focus of the meeting is to review the latest round of plans and maps for widening Broadway to six-lanes and knocking down 37 buildings in the process. You’ll remember a week ago, Sustainable Tucson, Blog for Arizona, and others were encouraging everyone to comment on those maps that show staff recommendations. All comments made by the March 11 deadline were sent to the CTF members before today’s meeting, but comments are still being gathered at this address: broadway@tucsonaz.gov.

There will be two calls to the audience at tonight’s meeting, and if an agreement on the maps is not reached tonight, there could be a subsequent meeting next week. Here’s the back story on the current maps. Details, maps and agenda here.

Come on down and speak out for “human scale” improvements to Broadway.

Below is the background and important future dates from the Broadway Coalition (the group of citizen activists who are pushing for modest, less destructive improvements to Broadway).

A Walk through Safe Park (video)

March 12, 2015 by Pamela Powers

Safe Park– the homeless camp located on the sidewalks of downtown Tucson– has been a political hot potato since a Tucson District Court ruled the sidewalk protest was protected speech in December 2014. With that ruling, Safe Park grew and coffin-like boxes called “dream pods” started rolling in–much to the dismay of city and county leaders and local businesses.

Debates raged– in the Arizona Daily Star, on Facebook, on the streets, and in multiple Tucson Mayor and Council meetings– about the validity Safe Park as a “protest”, the moral character of the primary leader, the overarching problem of homelessness, and what the city could or should do about the situation. Park residents and the City Council have been in negotiations to move Safe Park from the sidewalks of the Rio Nuevo business district to another a vacant lot within a mile of downtown, where this homeless community could camp and have access to bathrooms and showers. Safe Park Director and long-time homeless spokesperson, Jon McClane had asked for a homeless camp in each ward, but said that they were willing to move if the city could find a spot not far from downtown.

As the search for a suitable city-owned lot continued, recent developments have changed the political landscape. Police conducted a sting drug operation near Veinte de Agosto Park and arrested McClane and others on charges of possession of marijuana and possession for sale. The Arizona Daily Star. continued its character assassination against McClain, dredging up stories about his children and painting him as a charismatic opportunist, rather than a crusader. The US District Court Judge, who initially called Safe Park protected speech, issued a clarification that allows the city to remove the dream pods and tents. The latest news is that Safe Park dream pods and tents must be removed by Friday, March 13.

This blog post isn’t about the ongoing homeless controversy or the integrity of any of the leaders. It’s about the people I met at Safe Park last Thursday night.