The final decision on the rezoning of the city block on the southeast corner of Campbell and 6th was made at the November 10, 2003, meeting of Mayor and Council. Go to the Zoning Info page to see a copy of the ordinance. The rezoning allows for a mixed use development of residential, office, and commercial space that we hope will bring new life to that edge of the neighborhood and much needed amenities to be enjoyed by us, our neighbors in Rincon Heights, and University employees.
For those of you new to the discussion, the entire block between Campbell and Norris and 6th and 7th is being redeveloped by Town West Realty. Their first proposal was for a 46 unit student housing project, which the neighbors hated. As a result of neighborhood input, the developer and his chief architect came up with 4 alternatives, all but one of which would require changes to the zoning as well as to the neighborhood plan. The neighbors chose a mixed use plan with a cluster of commercial buildings at the corner of 6th and Campbell, about 45 condos with the rest being office and commercial. If you'd like to learn more, click on the link above.
While this kind of development is becoming common in other major cities, including the Phoenix area, it is still brand new here in Tucson. As a result, city Land Use Code was unable to provide the kind of protection that SHNA and the nearby residents required to approve so much new commercial activity in our midst. Working with city staff and the developer, SHNA has developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to govern the property. This MOU is part of the conditions of rezoning, and we hope it will serve as a nucleus for changes to the Land Use Code that will make small, neighborhood-scale commercial areas more attractive to neighborhoods all over the city.
We in Sam Hughes treasure our old-fashioned, pedestrian oriented-lifestyle, which includes a great many restaurants, food shops, and other services within walking distance of our homes. The corner of 6th and Campbell did not participate in this active life and plans to develop it into student housing would have added nothing. We believe that the current agreement provides the correct balance of activities to keep the corner attractive without damaging the quality of life for those living in existing homes