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What's involved
● The development of a "big box" store, likely a Wal-Mart Supercenter, near East 36th Street and South Kino Parkway has caused a major controversy because of neighborhood and community conflicts over that type of development, and because it is linked to several other major projects there and at the University of Arizona's Science and Technology Park.
The law limiting placement of big-box stores had community support when it was adopted in 1999, but neighbors of this proposed South Side store favor it, and they want the city to approve a variance allowing it.
At 36th and Kino, there are also plans for a 65-acre UA biosciences park and a KB Home development featuring expensive homes.
Those developments, however, depend on city annexation of 573 acres at the Science and Technology Park and a land swap that would allow KB to build homes there in conjunction with a resort hotel and golf course the UA wants to build at its facility. The annexation is on hold because of objections to the UA's plans to use potable water on the golf course.

Arizona / West

South Side big-box flap spawns radio ad

Spot draws parallel to the Mideast war
By Rob O'Dell
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.29.2006
There's a new front in the battle over the proposed big-box store near East 36th street and South Kino Parkway, and it's on the radio.
A radio ad, made by Republican businessman Bruce Ash, compare the development dispute to the war in the Middle East.
The ad began running Wednesday on the John C. Scott show on KJLL 1330 AM.
The big-box project became a hot issue after Eastbourne Investments Ltd. announced that its plans are in jeopardy because of the city's refusal to waive its big-box ordinance, which limits the size of a grocery section in a retail store larger than 100,000 square feet. The company put the blame squarely on City Councilman Steve Leal.
Ash said in an interview the connection is that just as Hezbollah is Iran's proxy, Leal is the proxy of unions that hate Wal-Mart, the site's rumored tenant.
Leal said "more confusion and demagoguing" on the project doesn't help. "It's hard to say you're stopping anything when we've never gotten a proposal in writing" from Eastbourne, he said.
The ad starts with ominous music and says there are two opposing forces going into battle: "On one side is a global power that some feel will soon devour the world, and on the other side stands a politician driven by fear and his masters who use him as a proxy to fight their battle." It says the victims — local citizens — can only pray for the best.
"Beirut, Lebanon? Haifa, Israel?" the ad asks. "No, Tucson, Arizona."
It goes on to say Leal is doing the bidding of unions that despise Wal-Mart and says it's time for Leal and the rest of the Democratic City Council to "show some spine," stand up to the unions and support a project that will be an "oasis of shopping and new homes to help transform the South Side."
Ash said the spots will run until at least next Thursday on Scott's show, as well as on the Dennis Prager show on KVOI 690 AM and on the Emil Franzi show on the same station.
When asked if he thought the ads were over the top in comparing a political spat over a big-box store to a bloody conflict in the Middle East, Ash said he was trying to make the piece interesting, adding that there are some similarities.
"It was just clear to me that what was going on had little to do with a big box," Ash said. "This was about the unions who despise Wal-Mart."
Leal responded: "There's so many issues embedded with this. That's just one of them. It's not the driver."
To hear the radio ad go to www.azstarnet.com
● Contact reporter Rob O'Dell at 573-4240 or rodell@azstarnet.com.
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