Vista Del Monte Neighborhood Association

Vista Del Monte Neighborhood Association

HISTORY AND FOCUS

 ** The officers and approximately 20 street reps make up the Neighborhood Council.
 ** Annual Events may include: Neighborhood Clean-Up inconjunction with the free City Brushy Bulky Pick-Up, one or two Potluck parties per year, and an annual neighborhood wide yard sale.

Highlights:

  **  Our neighborhood received a Back-to-Basics grant from the City of Tucson in 1998.  The residents worked together to decide how to spend the money to improve our neighborhood.  The funds were spent on traffic mitigation (intersection circles and speed humps), street lights and sidewalks along Columbus Blvd., new bus stops and benches, identifying street sign project, neighborhood beautification (tree planting and  2 art projects), residential yard lights, improvements to neighborhood park (bulletin board and lighting), and below market interest rate loans program for house improvements.   

  ** A group from our neighborhood got a small grant from PRO Neighborhoods to present a Cistern Building workshop to the residents.  This Water Harvesting Project was completed in 1999.

  ** In 2007 a Neighborhood Park Committee was formed to oversee McCormick Park improvements and enhancement.  CDBG funds were used to replace outdated park playground equipment.  The Committee used grassroots organizing techniques to plan and facilitate neighborhood gatherings and visioning meetings.  As community organizing activities continued, a sense of pride grow.  The Committee successfully applied for a PRO Neighborhoods Planning & Design Service Award, which would partner the neighborhood group with professionals who would donate their time and skills to produce a concept plan to guide revitalization of the park over time.  The professional team in conjunction with the Committee would asses such matters as the sense of place, recreational use, placement of fields, walkways, Ramada's, barbecues, drainage, landscaping, and placement of public art.  The end result, the conceptual plan, will showcase improvements, identity, and prioritize small project ideas.  Now that the conceptual plan is finished, the hard work begins.  Funding these small projects will be next.  The professional team put together a Resource List for the Committee to use.  There are many development opportunities for the future.  (The Park Committee received an Appreciation Award.  At Rodney Glassman's Ward 2 second annual Neighborhood Appreciation Holiday Party - December, 2009 - the Committee was awarded the Community Project of the Year Award.)   

Some of our goals include:

 ** Increasing neighborhood safety through traffic calming and lighting projects.
 ** Promoting neighborhood pride through clean-ups, developing a unique neighborhood identity and youth art projects. 
 ** Increasing communication among neighbors using street representatives, business and social get-togethers.