2nd Ave. residents plead for road improvements; City to seek grant funds
Residents of South 2nd Avenue aren’t giving up. They again appeared before the Yuma City Council to ask for improvements to their road.
They noted that 2nd Avenue is not an isolated street but a major thoroughfare, especially during parades and large-scale events on 4th Avenue, and close to major corridors, city facilities and shopping districts.
Resident Juan Leal-Rubio first presented the council with a petition with signatures from a majority of neighbors during an April citizens forum. He found a sympathetic ear when he spoke about the lack of street improvements on 2nd Avenue, including a lack of curb gutters, sidewalks and lighting between 10th and 12th streets. The former county island was annexed by the city in 2007.
He said the lack of sidewalks is a safety concern for children who walk to the bus stop and in mud during rainy days. He also mentioned nighttime security issues due to lack of lighting.
The council brought up the issue during a May 1 work session while discussing the preliminary Capital Improvement Program for fiscal years 2019-23. Councilman Mike Shelton asked about including 2nd Avenue in the plan, recalling that the residents had asked the council to intervene on their behalf.
CIP Manager Larry Halberstadt said that the proposed plan, which has since then been adopted, would be changed but
that another project would have to be delayed.
City Administrator Greg Wilkinson explained that the city hadn’t formally assessed that project, which would have to be a total remake, and that there wouldn’t be enough time to do an assessment for this CIP cycle.
“It’s going to go over a million dollars for that one section,” he noted.
He also pointed out that other city roads were in worse shape and that a lot of areas in the city don’t have sidewalks.
Shelton asked about doing the project in incremental portions. “We can look into that,” Wilkinson said.
Other council members said they wanted improvements done to that area. Deputy Mayor Gary Knight noted that other adjacent streets were in a similar situation but that residents formed a district to pay for street improvements. Wilkinson explained that improvement districts are normally how improvements are made to former county islands.
Knight said his biggest concern was setting a precedent with the city paying for improvements, when other neighborhoods have “gone through the proper channels” and formed improvements through districts.
The council also discussed a collaboration where the city can help residents pay for some of the improvements.
Leal-Rubio and a handful of residents again spoke during the May 16 regular council meeting. Leal-Rubio addressed the council during discussion of the CIP. He noted that residents have been trying to get improvements for 20 years.
“Why has this centrally located urbanized neighborhood been neglected for so many years? Every other street in our neighborhood has been improved ... It doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “Please consider this petition ...Do it for the children that live in our neighborhood. Get it on the CIP.”
He again pointed out that the street serves the whole community, not just their neighborhood. “You should see all the traffic we get,” he said.
An improvement district would be a financial burden for some of the neighbors, he added.
Councilman Edward Thomas expressed concern with going against the precedent that has been set by the city, which requires annexed county islands to form improvement districts. Wilkinson said that once the city annexes areas, it will maintain what’s there but won’t make improvements due to lack of funds.
He said that the city can look into grants, in particular the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program, to pay for improvements on those couple of blocks. However, Wilkinson reiterated that it would be a major project because it would required redoing the whole street, not just putting in gutters and sidewalks, and will cost at least $1.2 million.
Councilwoman Karen Watts asked if it would be possible for the city to subsidize a portion of the project with grant funds and have property owners contribute toward the cost. Leal-Rubio said he couldn’t speak for the other residents.
Knight said he would like the city to pursue a grant, even if the city has to do one block at a time, which would take time. Shelton said the city needs to find ways to get it done.
Wilkinson said it would take about a couple of years to secure grant funding.
Other residents spoke during the Call to the Public. Joe Espinoza, a thirdgeneration resident of 2nd Avenue, said neighbors been dealing with “mud and dirt and bad asphalt’ for many years and at least one garage gets flooded and another resident gets 6-8 inches of mud in his home every time it rains. He said the residents are looking for help and he agrees the grant is probably the best way to go because some families are on fixed incomes and contributing an improvement district would be hard for them.
Annette Roscoe said she has lived there for about 70 years, probably longer than anyone else. She listed problems with potholes, heavy traffic and lack of sidewalks.
“We do need the sidewalks for our children and grandchildren, and we have some elderly people that like to go outside and walk but they’re on walkers and they can’t get around but they do anyway in the middle of the street. So any help you can give us we would really appreciate it,” Roscoe said.
Nancy Espinoza added, “We like the north end. We want to reside in the north end. We have a lot of family history so we would love to have those improvements done. We have been patiently waiting for a lot of years.”
The last speaker, David Hernandez, noted that the area is really dark at night. “My concern is safety. I would feel bad if somebody got hurt or lost their life. I’m sure you would too.”