State of Mesa 2010: Councilmember Dennis Kavanaugh- District 3

This year, we have brough back the "State of Mesa." We have offered the mayor and each councilmember an opportunity to submit their own editorial on the state of their District to be posted on Mesa Issues. Here is Councilmember Dennis Kavanaugh's State of District 3:

In this new calendar year, Mesa Council District 3 is a busy place in terms of events, activities, construction and economic development opportunities.

On February 27th, District 3 residents are joining with volunteers from Districts 1 and 5 to create a pool of over 1,500 volunteers who will work on a variety of cleanup and beautification projects, ranging from alley cleanups to painting walls to helping elderly residents with the appearance of their homes and addresses. This is the second annual “Top to Bottom” event sponsored by the city.

Marlborough Mesa residents are continuing to set the bar for acting as volunteer code compliance “eyes and ears” and have developed a great web-based program to anonymously report code violations.

Dobson Ranch residents continue to offer seasonal recreation and entertainment activities for their residents. Their retiree club is particularly active.

Mesa Community Colleges is bulging at the seams with a 10% jump in enrollment this semester.

Our district will see changes in the education system with the closure of Powell Junior High School, the transfer of 8th graders from junior high schools to high schools, as well as programming changes in a number of elementary schools.

Many residents and students are anxiously awaiting the opening of the new Rhodes Pool in May with its popular “Flow Rider” attraction.

Students at Rhodes are participating in “Project Citizen” and will be speaking before the City Council Community and Neighborhood Services Committee on the adoption of a public policy in the city which would ban retail use of plastic bags due to their harm to the environment.

The Dobson Ranch Golf Course has been named the best public course in Arizona.

City construction projects will include the improvement of the Dobson/Guadalupe intersection, new bus pullouts and shelters at Dobson/Baseline and Dobson/Southern as well as a new bike lane system on part of Dobson Road.

We expect a final decision to be made this spring on the location and cost of the new Dobson District Police Substation. Following that decision, design and programming decisions at the new station will occur with construction starting probably in early 2011.

This spring, the City Council is expected to approve new street signage, streetscape and landscaping in the Fiesta District, including improvements to Southern, Dobson, Alma School, Longmore and Extension. However, the old Fiesta Village site continues to be a thorn in the city’s side with the property owners in no apparent rush to sell or redevelop the site.

Planning work continues with stakeholder groups on taking light rail from the Sycamore Station to past Mesa Drive. Their recommendations will be coming to the City Council later this spring.

In terms of economic development, Mekong Plaza and Julio Cesar Chavez Compeones are successful examples of adapting big box retail to new uses. Both have been supportive of many community organizations and events.

Southwest Ambulance, which has its corporate headquarters in District 3, is set to announce the transfer of more than 140 jobs from Scottsdale to a new site in District 3.

The city is working with a developer who proposes to reopen the theater at Poca Fiesta Plaza into a dinner/first-run movie theater which will also have a beer and wine license. This is a concept that has recently proved successful in several Texas locations.

Mesa Public Schools and Mesa Community College continue to refine their plan for a new event center and joint athletic facilities on the campus at MCC. The City of Mesa has been helping to facilitate these discussions.

District 3 continues to be one of the most diverse areas of the City of Mesa and I look forward to working with its residents, businesses and organizations in the coming year.