Grant Road Land Use Planning
The City of Tucson is currently planning for an expansion of the
Grant Road Investment District
GRANT ROAD INVESTMENT DISTRICT URBAN OVERLAY DISTRICT
On September 5, 2018 the City of Tucson Mayor and Council voted to approve the Grant Road Investment District (GRID) Urban Overlay District. As of October 5, 2018 the GRID Optional Urban Overlay District is effective and may be utilized.
The following are documents related to the GRID:
**PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE**
CITY OF TUCSON ZONING EXAMINER PUBLIC HEARING: PROPOSED REZONING
C9-18-13 Grant Road Investment District (Urban Overlay District)
EXISTING ZONING: R-2, R-3, C-1, C-2, C-3, & I-1
PROPOSED ZONING: Optional Urban Overlay District (UOD)
DATE: July 12, 2018
TIME: at or after 6:00 PM
LOCATION:
Mayor and Council Chambers First Floor, City Hall
255 West Alameda Street, Tucson, Arizona
A rezoning case has been filed for the establishment of an urban overlay zone for the area shown on the attached map. The proposed optional Grant Road Investment District will not change the existing zoning on parcels within the zone, but will establish an alternative zoning tool that provides regulatory flexibility for development, in exchange for meeting certain requirements intended to further the goals of the Grant Road Community Character & Vitality Corridor Vision: Oracle Road to Swan Road (found here(PDF, 7MB)).
A Zoning Examiner’s public hearing has been tentatively scheduled for July 12, 2018, at 6:00 P.M. in the Mayor and Council Chambers, 255 West Alameda. The file is available for review during regular business hours at the Planning and Development Services Department, 201 North Stone Avenue, 3rd Floor, or on the internet at https://www.tucsonaz.gov/pro/pdsd/activity_search/. After accessing this link, click “Activity Search” and enter the “C9” case number in the activity number box.
MOST RECENT DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE GRANT ROAD URBAN OVERLAY DISTRICT: ORACLE ROAD TO 1st AVENUE
DRAFT Grant Road Investment District Urban Overlay Document Dated June 11, 2018(PDF, 322KB)
**NOTICE**
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
REGARDING REZONING GRANT ROAD URBAN OVERLAY DISTRICT (UOD): ORACLE ROAD TO 1ST AVENUE
To be held on May 9th and 15th at 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the
Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center, 2160 N. 6th Avenue
BACKGROUND
On May 5, 2015, the City of Tucson’s Mayor and Council endorsed a two step-approach to move land use planning forward for the Grant Road Corridor. This approach included (1) adopting a Corridor Vision based on input from the Task Force and the public, and (2) achieving the Corridor Vision through development and implementation of land use planning tools, including an overlay and other tools phased with the roadway design. On September 9, 2015, Mayor and Council adopted the Grant Road Community Character & Vitality Corridor Vision: Oracle Road to Swan Road for the area between Oracle Road and First Avenue, and staff began working on initial planning of an optional overlay zone in consultation with the Grant Road Citizen Task Force.
The Grant Road Urban Overlay District (UOD) is an optional zoning tool that allows regulatory flexibility to developers in exchange for meeting certain requirements intended to further the goals of the Grant Road Community Character & Vitality Corridor Vision: Oracle Road to Swan Road. Building upon the lessons learned from existing overlays such as the Infill Incentive District (IID) and Main Gate District (MGD), along with input from stakeholders, the proposed Grant Road UOD for Oracle Road to 1st Avenue is intended to be a pilot tool for what could potentially be used along other similar transportation corridors throughout the City.
Since the fall of 2015, staff has conducted an extensive public outreach program to develop the Grant Road UOD. This has included:
- Five Grant Road Citizen Task Force meetings
- Four stakeholder interview meetings with developers, neighborhood representatives, designers, IID study group representatives
- Two public workshops on land use tools
- Two public reviews of the UOD document
- Several individual meetings with local stakeholders, residents and businesses
MOST RECENT DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE GRANT ROAD URBAN OVERLAY DISTRICT: ORACLE ROAD TO 1st AVENUE
DRAFT Grant Road Urban Overlay Document Dated April 28, 2018 - Clean Copy(PDF, 413KB)
DRAFT Grant Road Urban Overlay Document Dated April 28, 2018 - Marked-up Copy(PDF, 491KB)
Responses to Questions and Comments Regarding the January 25, 2018 Draft Grant Road Urban Overlay Document(PDF, 402KB)
WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO ENACT THE GRANT ROAD URBAN OVERLAY DISTRICT: ORACLE ROAD TO 1ST AVENUE?
To enact the Grant Road Overlay District: Oracle Road to 1st Avenue, it must go through the City of Tucson’s rezoning process, which includes a neighborhood meeting, a Zoning Examiner Public Hearing, and a Mayor and Council Public Hearing. This notice is for the neighborhood meeting. You will be mailed a separate notice of the date of Zoning Examiner Public Hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for late June / early July.
WHERE AND WHEN ARE THE MEETINGS?
The City of Tucson’s Planning and Development Services Department will hold the neighborhood meeting twice to allow for greater participation. The two meetings will be
at the following times and dates:
May 9, 2018 – 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center
2160 N. 6th Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
May 15, 2018 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center
2160 N. 6th Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705
The neighborhood meeting purpose is to gather additional public input on the subject area and the proposed zoning option. You may express your opinion on the subject area at these meetings and at the Zoning Examiner Public Hearing. The Zoning Examiner will make a recommendation to the Mayor and Council on the proposed UOD.
Once the neighborhood meetings and the Zoning Examiner Public Hearing are held, the Mayor and Council will make a decision on the UOD at a public hearing tentatively scheduled for August or September, 2018.
QUESTIONS?
Please send all questions and comments to Dan Bursuck at Daniel.bursuck@tucsonaz.gov or Rebecca Ruopp at Rebecca.Ruopp@tucsonaz.gov. If you prefer to phone, please call Dan at (520) 837-4984 or Rebecca at (520) 837-6973.
Notificación de Audiencia Pública del Examinador de Zonificación
Para oír y tomar en consideración el siguiente caso: Grant Road Urban Overlay District
Cambio de Zonificación Solicitada: Creación del distrito urbano de superposición.
Ubicación: Las propiedades afectadas en el área se encuentran a lo largo de Grant Road, entre Avenida N. 15th y Avenida N. Park.
Desarrollo Propuesto: El Examinador de Zonificación se acopia información pública adicional sobre el futuro de zonificación en este área.
Las reuniones de vecinos se llevará a cabo en el Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center 2160 Avenida N. 6th, Tucson, AZ, 85705 en la Sala C del sótano el 9 de mayo y 15 de 2018 de 5:30 pm a 7:30 pm.
Si usted deseo de obtener información en español, por favor llame al número de teléfono: 791-5550.
Optional Grant Road Urban Overlay District (Oracle to 1st) Updated Preliminary Draft Posted
Documents:
Grant Road Urban Overlay District (UOD) Document(PDF, 2MB)
Comments from Dennis Caldwell dated 1/26/18(PDF, 63KB)
Comments from Colette Altaffer dated 2/15/18(PDF, 26KB)
Rio Nuevo and Project for Public Spaces presentation to Mayor and Council(PDF, 3MB) suggested for submission by Task Force Member John Anderson
Presentation from Grant Road Citizen Task Force Meeting held on 2/22/18(PDF, 1MB)
Staff at the City’s Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) would like your thoughts on the Updated Preliminary Draft for the optional Grant Road Urban Overlay District (UOD) for the area along Grant between Oracle Road and 1st Avenue (click here for link(PDF, 2MB) to preliminary draft of UOD). Preparation of the Preliminary Draft was informed by (a) lessons learned from several iterations of overlays in the city – with the most recent being the Infill Incentive District (IID), (b) the Grant Road Community Character & Vitality Corridor Vision: Oracle Road to Swan Road, (c) Plan Tucson, City of Tucson General and Sustainability Plan, (d) area and neighborhood plans, and (e) feedback from the Grant Road Task Force, stakeholder interviews, and public workshops. For additional background on the Grant Road land use planning efforts please visit the following web page: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/pdsd/grant-road-land-use-planning.
Review and Comment Schedule & Procedures: This Preliminary Draft will be available for public review and comment through Friday , February 16, 2018. Please email all questions and comments to Dan Bursuck at Daniel.bursuck@tucsonaz.gov or Rebecca Ruopp at Rebecca.Ruopp@tucsonaz.gov. If you prefer to phone, please call Dan at (520) 837-4984 or Rebecca at (520) 837-6973.
Redlines and Comments in UOD Document Margins: As you are reviewing the document, everything in red and underlined are changes from the previous draft. Additionally, there are boxes with comments on the right side of some pages. These comments provide staff’s explanations about particular terminology and about topics identified to date that are proposed for further elaboration in future iterations. Some changes made since the previous draft include the following:
- Repurpose the Design Review Board to function as the Design Review for the UOD, with local input
- Retain the required Mayor and Council Special Exception for group homes
- Retain historic and neighborhood regulations to anticipate future Historic Preservation Zones and Neighborhood Preservation Zones
- Revise definition of Adaptive Reuse
- Remove of story and replace with exact building height
- Review non-exact language for removal when not necessary
- Overall process changes to allow for standardization for future UODs
Topics Suggested for Particular Attention: While we encourage you to read the full document, which is only 18 pages, you may want to take particular note of the following topics, which have come up most frequently in public discussion:
- Group dwellings and/or student housing (Section B-2.b.11, Page 7)
- Building orientation (Section C-2.A.1, Page 9)
- Development transition standards (Section C-2.B, Page 10)
- Parking relief / requirements (Section C-2.E, Page 11)
- Building height (Section C-2.O.1.a, Page 14)
- Landscape standards (Section C-2.I, Page 13)
- Setback relief (Section C-2.O.1, Page 14)
- Environmentally conscious design practices (Section C-2.M, Page 14)
Next Steps: Staff will compile all comments received for use in revising the Preliminary Draft Grant Road UOD for further public review. The revised draft will be presented first at a Grant Road Task Force meeting in late February / early March, and then at public meetings. Notice of the Task Force meeting and the public meetings will be sent to everyone on the City’s Grant Road contact list and to the Ward 3 and 6 Council Offices.
Next Grant Road Task Force Meeting on Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 5:30PM
The next Grant Road Task Force Meeting will be on October 19, 2017 at 5:30pm, and located at the Donna Liggins Center (2160 N 6th Ave, Tucson). The agenda for that meeting will be to provide updates on the Phase 2 of the roadway construction project and the land use planning efforts.
Please find the following materials from the meeting:
Comments submitted regarding the preliminary draft UOD:
Thank you and we hope to see you there.
Status of Preliminary Draft Urban Overlay District for Grant Road Oracle Road to 1st Avenue
Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) staff previously indicated that a Task Force meeting would be held in May to review comments received on the preliminary draft of the Urban Overlay District (UOD) document for Grant Road between Oracle Road and 1st Avenue. However, we need more time to evaluate how to properly integrate this overlay into our current administrative and review processes. We now anticipate holding a meeting with the Task Force in Fall, 2017 to further consider the preliminary draft UOD.
During the review period for the preliminary draft UOD, PDSD received thoughtful comments from members of the Task Force and the general public. This feedback will be invaluable as we move forward.
We would also like to thank everyone for their time and attention to the preliminary draft UOD, as well as for their ongoing hard work on the Grant Road project.
Wishing you a pleasant summer,
PDSD Staff
Grant Road Preliminary Draft of the Urban Overlay District Document
Staff at the City’s Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) would like your thoughts on the Preliminary Draft for the optional Grant Road Urban Overlay District (UOD) for the area along Grant between Oracle Road and 1st Avenue (click here for link(PDF, 720KB) to preliminary draft of UOD). Preparation of the Preliminary Draft was informed by (a) lessons learned from several iterations of overlays in the city – with the most recent being the Infill Incentive District (IID), (b) the Grant Road Community Character & Vitality Corridor Vision: Oracle Road to Swan Road, (c) Plan Tucson, City of Tucson General and Sustainability Plan, (d) area and neighborhood plans, and (e) feedback from the Grant Road Task Force, stakeholder interviews, and public workshops. For additional background on the Grant Road land use planning efforts please visit the following web page: Grant Road Land Use Planning.
Review and Comment Schedule & Procedures: This Preliminary Draft will be available for public review and comment through Monday, April 17, 2017. Please email all questions and comments to Daniel Bursuck at Daniel.bursuck@tucsonaz.gov or Rebecca Ruopp at Rebecca.Ruopp@tucsonaz.gov. If you prefer to phone, please call Daniel at (520) 837-4984 or Rebecca at (520) 837-6973.
Comments in UOD Document Margins: As you are reviewing the document, please note that there are boxes with comments on the right side of some pages. These comments provide staff’s explanations about particular terminology and about topics identified to date that are proposed for further elaboration in future iterations.
Topics Suggested for Particular Attention: While we encourage you to read the full document, which is only 18 pages, you may want to take particular note of the following topics, which have come up most frequently in public discussion:
- Building height (Section C-2.O.1.a, Page 14)
- Development transition standards (Section C-2.B, Page 10)
- Landscape standards (Section C-2.I, Page 13)
- Group dwellings and/or student housing (Section B-2.b.11, Page 7)
- Setback relief (Section C-2.O.1, Page 14)
- Parking relief / requirements (Section C-2.E, Page 11)
- Environmentally conscious design practices (Section C-2.M, Page 14)
- Building orientation (Section C-2.A.1, Page 9)
Next Steps: Staff will compile all comments received for use in revising the Preliminary Draft Grant Road UOD for further public review. The revised draft will be presented first at a Grant Road Task Force meeting and then at public meetings. Notice of the Task Force meeting and the public meetings will be sent to everyone on the City’s Grant Road contact list and to the Ward 3 and 6 Council Offices.
We appreciate your time and look forward to your feedback.
Thank you,
The Grant Road Citizen's Task Force held a meeting on Land Use Planning March 2, 2017. Please find materials from that meeting below:
Presentation from the March 2, 2017 Citizen Task Fore Meeting on Land Use Planning(PDF, 2MB)
Grant Road Land Use Planning Update
The Grant Road Community Character and Vitality Vision: Oracle Road to Swan Road, which was adopted by Mayor and Council in 2015, provides guidance for land use planning in the project area. Following completion of the Grant Road Vision, members of the Grant Road Team from the City's Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) turned their attention to land use planning for Phases 1 and 2.
A Grant Road Citizen Task Force (Task Force) meeting was held on September 30, 2015, and staff introduced the topic of land use planning tools. On June 23, 2016, staff returned to the Task Force to receive input on upcoming stakeholder interviews designed to help develop appropriate tools, as well as to review the next steps in the land use planning process. In late July and early August 2016, staff held a series of four meetings in which property owners, developers, and neighborhood representatives were interviewed about opportunities and constraints regarding future development in the project area.
Drawing on the Grant Road Vision guidance and input from the interviews, staff focused on further exploration of two land use planning tools that seem best suited to encouraging reinvestment between Oracle Road and 1st Avenue. The first tool is an optional Urban Overlay District (UOD) that could provide some development flexibility in exchange for a higher level of design to help achieve the Grant Road Vision. The second tool is the use of Requests for Proposals (RFP) in the sale of several City-acquired remnant properties considered potentially catalytic for shaping the area's character. Using an RFP allows the City to lay out development goals for a particular site. Staff presented these two tools at the September 14, 2016, Task Force meeting, and held public workshops on November 16 and 17, 2016, to provide introductory presentations on the two proposed tools and conduct breakout groups to share ideas about future development along Grant Road between Oracle Road and 1st Avenue. Staff is now in the process of preparing an initial draft of an Urban Overlay District to be reviewed at the Grant Road Citizen Task Force meeting scheduled for March 2, 2017.
Grant Road Land Use Workshop Materials
Grant Road Workshop Powerpoint Presentation(PDF, 2MB)
Grant Road Workshop Urban Overlay Board(PDF, 4MB)
Grant Road Workshop Request for Proposals Board(PDF, 3MB)
Boards and Comments from each of the breakout groups
If you have any questions please email Dan Bursuck at daniel.bursuck@tucsonaz.gov or call 837-4984.
Grant Road Land Use Workshop
Staff at the City’s Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) is in the process of considering land use tools that would help encourage reinvestment along Grant Road between Oracle Road and 1st Avenue. Staff has shared two proposed tools with the Grant Road Task Force and received support for bringing these tools to the public for input. The first tool is an optional urban overlay district (UOD). A UOD could provide some development flexibility in exchange for a higher level of design that could help achieve the Vision adopted for Grant Road (found here(PDF, 7MB).) The City has experience with UODs and has learned some valuable lessons for a Grant Road UOD. The second tool is the Request for Proposals (RFP). RFPs are being proposed for three vacant City-owned parcels. The RFP process allows even more opportunity to help shape the future development of a site and help to achieve the Vision adopted for Grant Road.
WHAT: YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE GRANT ROAD LAND USE TOOLS WORKSHOP, at which PDSD staff will give presentations to help everyone understand the tools proposed and will facilitate activities designed for participants to share their opinions, observations and suggestions regarding proposed tools to spur redevelopment along Grant Road from Oracle Road to 1st Avenue. Staff will use the input received in refining the proposed tools for further public review.
WHEN: The Workshop will be offered on the following dates and times. Please select the date and time that is most convenient for you.
Wednesday, November 16th – 8:00 to 10:00 AM
or
Thursday, November 17th – 5:30 to 7:30 PM
WHERE:
Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center
2160 North 6th Avenue (between Sahauro Street and Waverly Street)
Tucson, AZ 85705
RSVP: If you are able to participate in the Grant Road Land Use Tools Workshop please RSVP to daniel.bursuck@tucsonaz.gov with your preferred date. This will allow staff to make sure there are sufficient materials for everybody. Upon receipt of your RSVP, you will be sent a confirmation email, and a few days in advance of your selected workshop date, you will receive a reminder.
QUESTIONS: Please contact Daniel Bursuck at Daniel.bursuck@tucsonaz.gov or Rebecca Ruopp at Rebecca.Ruopp@tucsonaz.gov.
Grant Road Task Force Meeting September 14, 2016
Grant Road Corridor Planning Task Force Meeting September 14, 2016 Slideshow(PDF, 971KB)
Grant Road Corridor Planning Task Force Meeting September 14, 2016 Agenda(PDF, 28KB)
Grant Road Task Force Meeting September 30, 2015
Grant Road Corridor Planning Task Force Meeting September 30, 2015 Slideshow(PDF, 3MB)
Grant Road Corridor Planning Task Force Meeting September 30, 2015 Agenda(PDF, 200KB)
FINAL GRANT ROAD COMMUNITY CHARACTER & VITALITY CORRIDOR VISION(PDF, 7MB) (finalized September 23, 2015).
Note: This final document includes (a) the Mayor and Council adopted revision to text on page 40 of final draft (page 41 in final version) as documented in the Legal Action Summary (Item #13) for the September 9, 2015, Mayor and Council regular meeting and (b) corrections to scrivener errors.
Following are comments received during the public review period for the August 2015 Community Character and Vitality Corridor Vision.
The red-lined version depicting the changes made between the June 2015 Draft Corridor Vision and the August 2015 Corridor Vision.(PDF, 7MB)
Background Information
Historic Properties Assessment for the Grant Road Improvement Project, Oracle Road to Swan Road(PDF, 12MB)
The Draft Corridor Vision is a revised version of the Draft Community Character and Vitality Report prepared in 2011. That document, which laid out an overarching vision for the Grant Road Corridor, represented extensive work and input by the Grant Road Citizen Task Force and the public. The report, however, was never completed and shared with Mayor and Council for adoption.
At the March 18, 2015, Grant Road Citizen Task Force Meeting, the Task Force discussed and approved the following two recommendations related to moving the land use planning associated with the Grant Road Improvement Project forward:
- Recommend that Mayor & Council adopt the Grant Road Corridor Vision based on the Draft Community Character & Vitality Report, with modifications to streamline and update process, address dated information, enhance maps for readability, and remove some detail to create policy-level document.
- Proceed with a phased approach to developing and implementing land use planning tools based on the roadway design phases.
At the May 5, 2015, Study Session, the Mayor & Council endorsed the above two Citizen Task Force recommendations.
Following Mayor and Council’s endorsement of the Citizen Task Force’s recommendations, the Grant Road Project Team modified the 2011 Draft Community Character and Vitality Report consistent with the Task Force’s recommendation and provided the revised draft to Task Force members for initial review and comment.