On September 12th, 2024 and September 14th, 2024 Menlo Park Neighborhood Association and Barrio Sin Nombre Neighborhood Association respectively voted to approve the following letter reaffirming our mutual support for the Menlo Park & Barrio Sin Nombre Neighborhood Plan process.
September 12, 2024
To Whom it May Concern:
The purpose of this letter is to confirm that representatives of Barrio Sin Nombre and Barrio Menlo Park have worked closely together since 2018 to develop the Menlo Park Neighborhood Plan, now called the Menlo Park & Barrio Sin Nombre Neighborhood Plan (MPBSNNP).
The further purpose of this letter is to affirm the intent of the leadership of both Barrios, and of their representatives on the MPBSNNP Steering Committee, to continue to collaborate seamlessly in 2024 and future years to assure that the research- and community-based recommendations contained in the MPBSNNP, when it is complete, will set the standards and guide the future of both neighborhoods, and indeed of the larger community that comprises Tucson’s West Side.
Throughout both Barrios, over the past five years, this collaborative work has included monthly Steering Committee meetings, regular Workshops, Professional Trainings, and multiple Community events such as Open Houses, Arts Festivals, and Neighborhood In-Service days. Volunteers from both Barrios, working closely with representatives of the City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department, Ward 1, and The Planning Center, have studied, discussed, debated, and agreed upon carefully crafted recommendations in eight areas:
> Land use
> Transportation and other infrastructure
> Historic and Cultural Preservation
> Parks, Recreation, Trails and the Natural Environment
> Housing affordability and gentrification
> Economic Development (Jobs, Workforce Development, etc.)
> Neighborhood Character
> Strategies for Plan Administration and Implementation
All these activities were designed to further the core purpose of the Plan, as articulated in the May 7, 2019 Preliminary Draft Outline: “To provide guidance for the preservation of the natural, historic, and human resources of the area, and to establish guidelines and policies for future development of Menlo Park that will assure equity, sustainability, and empowerment of all Menlo Park residents and businesses, assuring a high quality of life for the entire community.”
Following City of Tucson guidelines, Barrio Sin Nombre has recently established itself as a free-standing Neighborhood Association, distinct from Menlo Park. This process was undertaken through clear, transparent, inclusive and mutually agreed upon procedures, and is now complete.
These two adjoining Ward 1 Neighborhood Associations commit to continue to work closely together for the foreseeable future to assure that the values we share, which we believe represent the shared values of Tucson’s entire West Side, are preserved and respected.
Both of our Neighborhood Associations strongly affirm our continuing commitment to the preservation of open space throughout the West Side, as detailed in the Menlo Park Neighborhood Plan, in particular the Tucson Birthplace portions of our neighborhoods.
We look forward to working collaboratively with the City of Tucson, its several departments and elected and appointed leadership, to assure that the cultural, environmental, historical, and economic interests of all our residents, property owners, and businesses are well served.
Signed,
Barrio Sin Nombre Neighborhood Association Members
Menlo Park Neighborhood Association Members