At the corner of Tucson Boulevard and 6th Avenue, smack middle of the Sam Hughes neighborhood in Midtown, large yellow signs warn of a possible change.
They advertise a rezoning hearing that’s open to the public; and while the proposal plans to bring new business to the area, some neighbors are concerned the extra traffic both vehicle and foot could be negative.
The Village at Sam Hughes is classified as a local commercial zone (C-1) which means that it’s intended for retail and restaurants. Local developer Ross Rulney and development firm The Planning Center are proposing a rezoning to a Planned Area Development (PAD) which gives the developer more flexibility in designating the uses of the property.
But it also means there’s more government scrutiny over the proposal.
The PAD application for The Village at Sam Hughes asks for regulations similar to C-1 zoning with a few changes to allow for three new businesses to come to the area: a craftwork space, a bar and a microbrewery.
“The benefit of creating this PAD is that we are able to create a custom zoning designation that not only allows us to ask for only the uses demanded by the market but also restricts other uses that are currently permitted on the site and that are not compatible with the neighborhood, said a representative from The Planning Center.
The Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association doesn’t agree. President Gayle Hartmann pointed out how there were already three places serving alcohol in The Village: Bob Dobbs, Borderlands and Flora’s. She said neighbors are also concerned about parking and pedestrian safety.
Right now because theres not enough space on the south side [of 6th] to go to places like Tumerico people are parking on the Northside in the bigger parking lot,” Hartmann told KGUN9. “We have lots of photos of Jaywalking crossing sixth street which is a very busy street, so adding more businesses to this just doesnt seem like a very safe thing to do.
The next step in the rezoning process is a public hearing with the zoning examiner. After the hearing, the examiner has two weeks to recommend Tucson’s Mayor and Council approve or deny the PAD.
Hartmann and the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association is looking to slow down that timeline so any construction wouldn’t start until September.
Theres a lot going on here,” Hartmann said. “Its going to be summera lot of people are coming and going in the summer. We have a new city councilperson who hasnt had time to even hear about this issue, so were going to see if we can at least get a postponement for a month or two.