Tucson Region

140-acre set-aside on West Side OK'd

The Tucson City Council approved a proposal Tuesday to designate as open space 140 acres on the West Side valued at between $3 million and $8 million. The intent is to slow high-density growth in a dwindling rural enclave and reduce traffic on North Silverbell Road, which is now carrying its capacity of 19,000 trips a day. The property is west of Silverbell and north of West Ironwood Hill Drive. But the protection may be short-lived, as City Attorney Mike Rankin said a future council could reverse the decision and dispose of the property as it chooses at any time. City Real Estate Administrator John Updike said the property hasn't been appraised, but it could be worth anywhere from $3 million to $8 million, depending on the zoning and the topographical constraints on building. Republican Councilwoman Kathleen Dunbar voted against the designation, questioning the propriety of disposing of such a valuable public property with no public hearing or discussion. Democrat Jose Ibarra, who represents the area, said the set-aside is needed to protect Silverbell from becoming too congested and to stabilize development in the area while the city, Pima County and Marana refine plans for the area. He said taxpayer interests are protected because if conditions change after the plans are complete, a future council could re-evaluate how the land should be used. Dunbar said the fact that future councils could change the decision is unfair to those who buy property nearby, thinking they're protected by the open-space designation, only to have the city sell the land to a developer. The vote was 5-1, with Dunbar opposed and Republican Fred Ronstadt absent. Also during the meeting, Deputy City Manager Mike Letcher submitted a recommended $222.1 million construction budget for next fiscal year, which starts July 1. The recommended budget, which includes $151 million in new projects and $71.1 million in projects that will be carried over from this year, is $26.5 million less than this year. The plan includes nearly $13.5 million in new parks to be paid for with Pima County bonds, representing more than 69 percent of new park development planned for the year. The recommendation also includes $36.7 million in water system improvements to be paid for with bonds that haven't yet been approved by voters. The city has scheduled a $142 million water bond election for May 17. If the bonds are defeated, the budget will have to be scaled back when it's approved this summer. Other significant projects include the Fourth Avenue underpass and the start of the 22nd Street-Kino Parkway overpass, widening Harrison Road, widening East Broadway east of Downtown and the Pennington Parking Garage.