Ward 5 Update

By Councilmember Richard Fimbres

During the June 7 Mayor and Council meeting, there was an agenda item about the Cinemark Theater being built at the Bridges in Ward 5. This had to deal with an integrated architectural spire sign for the theater and a requested variance for this.
The Cinemark sign had the support of the four neighborhood associations, the Bridges Design Review Committee as well as City staff and a majority of members that were present for the Sign Code Advisory Appeals Board meeting but unfortunately due to vacancies on this committee, it needed a unanimous vote of the four present members, it received a 3-1 vote, for which the issue was brought to the Mayor and Council.
After the consideration of the materials and evidence from the hearing, I made the following motion:

“Thank you Mr. Mayor. First I would like to explain my motion.

“For more than the past ten years, the four affected neighborhoods, Pueblo Gardens, Las Vistas, Western Hills and South Park have worked with the developers to turn the Bridges from a dumping site with growing weeds and garbage, to the beautiful marketplace which is led to the renaissance of the south side.

“These four affected neighborhoods had no grocery store, no pharmacy and no opportunities and now through their work with the developers, there is a Costco, a Walmart Supercenter with a grocery store, a Culver’s restaurant, a mattress store, a Starbucks, and soon: The Cinemark movie theater, Lin’s Chinese buffet, a Planet Fitness and a Dave and Buster’s.

“These four neighborhoods have been the key cheerleaders for the changes at the Bridges. Their overwhelming support is shown in their letters to the Sign Code Advisory and Appeals Board for this proposal, and were joined by the Tucson Marketplace at the Bridges Design Review Committee, which also voted to approve the proposal.

“This spire is not a precedent setting case, the Mayor and Council had voted previously to allow St. Mary’s Hospital to place a new cross on its building on September 19, 2012,

“The spire is contextual in terms of the size of the overall development of the Bridges and would not obstruct the scenic view, since the theatre is being built on the parcel along I-10, which there are larger signs along both freeways, such as the Spectrum I-19 sign to name one example.

“The spire had been deemed an integrated architectural feature, being constructed within the building and extends from the foundation through the roof.

“And lastly, this decision would be solely for the spire only for the Cinemark Theatre.

“The Mayor and Council voted previously to approved the amended development agreement in 2010, resulting in the development and jobs for Tucson’s south side, it would be sad if this Council votes to rescind the decade long work of the four affected neighborhoods on Tucson’s south side, the developers and our City.

“So I move that the Mayor and Council reverse the decision of the Sign Code Advisory and Appeals Board granting the appellant’s request.”

The vote by the Mayor and Council was 7-0. I want to thank Cindy Ayala, Bernice Vanover, Bette Trahan and James Christopher of the Pueblo Gardens Neighborhood Association, Sara O’Neil with the South Park Neighborhood Association and Willie Blake for the Western Hills II Neighborhood Association for being there and for their work and the neighborhood’s work on the Bridges Development.
As your Ward 5 Councilmember, I have always worked with the Ward 5 neighborhoods on issues of concern. If a developer has a proposal, I’ve always sent them to the respective neighborhood association to discuss their idea and get the neighborhood feedback. If the neighborhood supports a proposal, I will then bring it forward to the Mayor and Council for consideration and work for its approval.

The Bridges Project is a shining example of collaboration between the four neighborhoods, the developers, the stores at the Bridges and the Ward 5 Council office and the City of Tucson.