Dunbar Spring letter to the City Council : AZ IMC

Dear Mayor Walkup and council:
Since the abrupt introduction in January 2008 of the Downtown Links Alignment 3.d, the Dunbar/Spring neighborhood and other affected citizens and groups have been vocal in our opposition to this alignment.
Alignment 3.d would destroy important community buildings and organizations, create a barrier between our neighborhood and downtown and increase noise and air pollution and visual impacts to our neighborhood.
This opposition has been consistent and expressed by a majority of Dunbar Spring neighborhood residents and others most impacted by this alignment.
Instead, we have proposed a series of alternative alignments that minimize impacts while still providing vehicular capacity. These alternatives have not been adequately studied and merit further analysis.
Our opposition to Alignment 3.d has been constant and documented. The Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood Association on Jan. 28, 2008, unanimously adopted a formal position opposing Alignment 3.d; Dozens of Dunbar/Spring residents have attended many Citizens Advisory Committee meetings to voice opposition to 3.d and to advocate for a more thorough exploration of alternatives; Many residents registered written and verbal objections to 3.d at the open house held on March 11 and the most recent CAC meetings on May 12, June 9 and June 23.
Neighborhood representatives have met with other neighborhoods and stakeholders who share our distress over the blow that alternative 3.d would deliver to our downtown community.
We wish to reiterate our opposition to the 3.d alignment and submit the attached petition, containing signatures of more than 200 Dunbar/Spring residents who oppose this alignment. We urge you to support our request for more time to develop a better alternative than 3.d.
Despite our repeated requests for TDOT and the CAC to consider better alternatives, we know that the CAC has recently voted its support for 3.d and that further development of this alternative is possible.
It is worth noting that the CAC approved the 3.d alignment only six weeks after it pledged to spend three months studying and discussing alternatives. Should the council also decide to support this alignment, we request that a budget breakdown be made public which shows that the roadway will be fully funded before any buildings are demolished.
We also request and propose the following mitigation measures to enhance quality of life for those living, working, schooling and visiting in the Dunbar/Spring and Arts Warehouse project area:
1. Replace any and all demolished buildings, spaces and businesses with the same square footage, occupancy and use in very close proximity to their current locations, and within the same neighborhoods where they stand now. These include professional artist studios, low income, affordable, live/work/creative space and the Originate business.
A. Design and locate all new replacement buildings on an east-west axis for optimal passive heating and cooling, and in a design evoking the rich historical character of this warehouse district.
B. Establish and execute a Land Trust for all existing affected buildings, which are currently being used as live/work art space and studios, to ensure that they will maintain their current creative use, however the real estate market fluctuates.
2. Protect and enhance all existing buildings, neighborhood businesses and housing so that they are not harmed or diminished in any way during any demolition and construction activities:
A. Replace and improve ADA-accessible entrances and exits on south side of the Citizen Transfer Building to offset any loss of ADA-access on the north side of the building.
B. Replace all paved parking areas, a new outdoor welding shop and a bike-in movie screen and viewing area at the Citizen Transfer Building site to replace those spaces and uses which would be destroyed or impacted by the new roadway.
C. Construct and widen the proposed bike/pedestrian platform/bridge over the proposed roadway to extend all the way to the north side of Citizen Transfer Building to become available for more multiuse space .
3. Construct and improve bicycle and pedestrian paths, lane, bridges and linkages throughout the area and crossing the roadway project to enhance, rather than inhibit, nonmotorized connections between area neighborhoods, schools, work, entertainment, etc. These multiple crossings/linkages are in addition to what is currently shown on the 3.d plan and should include:
A. Construct an at-grade (current grade) bicycle and pedestrian path that parallels the downtown links roadway and railway line for the portion that would be buried under the railroad. This should be in addition to any on-street bicycle lanes that travel under the rail line.
B. Construct an at-grade (current grade) bicycle and pedestrian path that parallels the downtown links and railway line from Main Avenue to Broadway Boulevard/Diamondback Bridge.
C. Resurface Ninth Avenue south of Sixth Street to improve the bicycle connection into downtown and ensure that this important bicycle route is not impacted by any future development.
D. Construct bicycle/pedestrian enhancements at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Franklin Street and Church Avenue including ADA-accessible pedestrian/bicycle ramps and a path diagonally across the median at Franklin Street and Church Avenue, along with the potential abandonment of the right turn lane north of the median.
E. Construct a raised landscape median and pedestrian refuge island on St. Mary's Road at the intersection of Main Avenue to allow safer pedestrian crossing of St. Mary's Road.
F. Narrow Main Avenue north of St. Mary's Road with water-harvesting pullouts planted with native shade trees and enhanced diagonal on-street parking.
G. Construct crosswalks and pedestrian refuge islands at the intersections of University Boulevard and Main Avenue, Second Street and Main Avenue, (and) First Street and Main Avenue. Design of all refuge islands should take into account the desire to maintain left turns both east and west.
H. Construct a bicycle/pedestrian underpass at west end of University Boulevard beneath the railroad tracks. This underpass should be designed wide and safe like the three bicycle/pedestrian underpasses beneath Speedway Boulevard north of the University of Arizona.
I. Enhance the north-south alley to the west of Main Avenue and east of the railroad tracks to create a tree-shaded bicycle/pedestrian route linking University Boulevard to Second Street and 13th Avenue.
J. Construct a bicycle/pedestrian path across Estevan Park to link 13th Avenue south of park with the existing Speedway Boulevard overpass paralleling the railroad tracks to improve linkage with Barrio Blue Moon.
K. Construct a contra-flow bicycle lane and signage to allow bicycle traffic to travel in both north and south directions across the Speedway Boulevard overpass, while restricted auto traffic to south-bound travel only.
L. Construct ADA-accessible ramps at all sidewalks on all sides of the Speedway Boulevard/railroad underpass. Currently travel in wheelchair from Barrio Blue Moon and Dunbar/Spring to the Westside/Barrio Anita is impossible along the existing sidewalks due to a lack of ramps.
M. Construct and enhance the diagonal dirt path running from the southwest corner of the Main Avenue/railroad crossing to the northeast corner of the intersection of Davis Street and Van Alstine Street. Landscape this vacant lot with native vegetation within water-harvesting earthworks to shade the path and create a beautiful entry into Barrio Anita. This path would link up with the sidewalk on west side of Main Avenue north of the railroad tracks that currently ends abruptly.
N. Construct an overpass or underpass crossing of Downtown Links roadway and railroad tracks linking the corner of Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue to Grosetta Avenue at Toole Avenue.
O. Construct an overpass or underpass crossing of the Downtown Links roadway and railroad tracks linking corner of Fifth Street and Eighth Avenue to the west side of the railroad station depot.
4. Replace and enhance the Creative Commons community platform performance space located southeast of Sixth Street and Ninth Avenue (old loading docks and former proposed El Mirador site).
5. Replace and enhance the proposed railroad park located at the northwest corner of Ninth Avenue and Sixth Street in very close proximity to the current location.
6. Construct examples of Street Edge Alternative/Natural Drainage/Water Harvest systems planted with native vegetation along Dunbar/Spring streets and public rights-of-way. These systems can lower ambient temperatures by reduce the heat-island effect, minimize flooding, reduce water consumption and reduce the need for expensive drainage infrastructure.
As you can see from this list, there are many affected buildings, businesses, community groups and user groups who would be negatively affected by Alignment 3.d. At the same (time), there are opportunities to improve this vibrant community with new arts warehouses and businesses space, better pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and smarter roadway design.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Ian Fritz, President
Dunbar Spring Neighborhood Association