Local opinion: Help save our neighborhoods

Once again Tucson residents are being called upon to monitor new changes to streets and neighborhoods in established parts of town.

This issue involves the Campus Farm Neighborhood. This neighborhood’s boundaries are Campbell Avenue, Prince Road, First Avenue and the Rillito River.

Without a doubt the most well-known feature of this neighborhood is the U of A Campbell Avenue Farm, located between Campbell, Mountain, Limberlost and Roger. The Campbell Avenue Farm has been in existence far longer than any present-day Tucson native resident.

The U of A is a Land Grant College. The Land Grant College system was established in 1862 when the Morrill Act was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. This act established universities that had a focus on Agriculture and Mechanical Arts. Land Grant Colleges also provide experiment stations and Cooperative Extension.

I tell you this history because the City of Tucson is threatening to change this neighborhood by redesignating parts of two local streets, Limberlost Dr and Mountain Ave (between Roger Rd and Limberlost Dr) as collector streets. The new designation would allow higher density development along the proposed roadways. Changes that would mean the Campbell Ave Farm would be surrounded by collector streets.

We know from recent experience the University has been under great financial shortfalls. We know that previous University presidents have considered the Campbell Ave Farm property as a possible revenue source to overcome some of their money problems, i.e. sell the land for money.

How many of the recent University Presidents are from Tucson? How many of them understand what the farm means to Tucsonans and U of A Ag Students? As a U of A graduate with a degree in Agriculture the farm was invaluable to me as a student. My labs were held at the farm so I could gain hands-on experience in my field of Plant Sciences. As an ag student I worked for one of my professors at the farm. When I was a recent Plant Science graduate I worked for the Pima County cooperative Extension Service as an assistant Extension Agent. All of this work happened at the Campbell Avenue Farm.

If the farm were to be sold the street designation change would mean that developers could/would swoop in and instead of the green fields where sheep, cows and horses graze we would have multi-storied complexes adding hundreds of people to the area and hundreds of cars to the local streets.

If Limberlost and Mountain (north of Roger) become collector streets the neighborhood no longer has any say as to what could become of the property. The city would use the Community Corridor Tool to allow more intense development without consideration of neighborhoods or their Neighborhood and Area Plans. This is what they have done to other neighborhoods. Campus Farm Neighborhood would be left with no way to protest a massive development. A development that would change the entire character of the neighborhood and create havoc on our Tucson city streets.

Skeptics may say I am creating a problem where none exists. To them I say, where were our city leaders when Project Blue was being talked about? Where was our Ward 3 representative when the new STAR tent housing for homeless women location was thrust upon us? Where were our city leaders when the Zoning administrator was allowed to change the code and allow Adult Day Care providers to operate in Tucson without the State mandated license? Where were our city leaders when they used the designated money for the Blacklidge Bike Boulevard for another project and left all the affected neighbors out in the cold when the Federal funding they were counting on was taken away and the neighbors were never told?

Our “leaders” are listening to the developers/donors. They aren’t listening to the residents of Tucson.

We must hold them accountable. Please call, write and text the Mayor and all council members. Ask them to take Limberlost Dr and Mountain Ave (north of Roger Rd) off the table in the new update of the Major Streets and Routes Plan. Our city character and quality of life depend on your help.