A change in zoning laws passed by the Arizona state legislature is causing anger among some Tucson residents when it comes to building a new Fry’s supermarket.
Previously, critics of urban sprawl could collect enough signatures to force city zoning boards to have a supermajority of votes before unabated commercial development. But changes in Arizona state law now give zoning boards more leverage.
Roy Johnson is a retired National Park Service scientist. He’s joined a group of concerned citizens who are protesting the building of a new Fry’s in Tucson.
"It would be a grave injustice to allow this plot of desert land to be turned into an urban heat island complete with sterile blacktop, interruption of the current wash that now runs through the plot and the hustle and bustle of city traffic and other problems as now planned by Fry’s" Johnson said.
Tucson City Council is scheduled to vote on the Fry’s grocery store proposal Tuesday. The vote to move forward will now only require four instead of six affirmative votes.
