Posted October 14, 2022
My staff tracks proposed new developments for me. There are big ones that make the news, the three proposed for the Agua Caliente and Tanque Verde Valleys, for example. These are long processes that often involve negotiations between neighbors and developers.
A lot don’t make the news, and you’d be surprised at some of the things that have to be referred to the zoning examiner. Once, my office dealt with a special exception for a shed for a resident’s model train collection. The point is that even regular citizens, without consultants and lawyers, need to file some complicated paperwork.
There are also permits that my office doesn’t necessarily see for more minor work on a property. These are often necessary for health or safety, but that is no reason to make it difficult for a homeowner or small business owner.
To that end, The City of Tucson will launch an all-new permitting system, Tucson Development Center Online (TDC Online), on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022. TDC Online replaces the current system, which has been in use since 1999.
The new permitting system is a partnership between Planning & Development Services, Tucson Fire, Tucson Water, Transportation and Mobility, and Code Enforcement. TDC Online will feature a self-service portal that provides customers with an entirely online process.
TDC Online will provide customers transparency throughout the permitting process with email notifications and a personal dashboard to track applications from submittal to issuance. Customers can also make real-time payments, schedule inspections, and create templates for frequently used applications.
The transition means that only emergency permits will be issued between October 21 and October 30. We will still be carrying out code inspections during that time and that work will be logged on Map Tucson for those of you that use it.
TDC Online will be live at 7 am on October 31.
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What’s your vision of Tucson in the year 2045? Sustainable Tucson is starting a new initiative: ST2045 - Envisioning our Sustainable Future. For this, we will hold two workshops this Fall (and two more in the Spring) for community members to work together to express their vision of the future we want for Tucson.
You are invited to be part of one of these workshops. Led by UA Professor Kathleen Kennedy, workshop participants will use a creative and stimulating collage process to create images of Tucson now and the Tucson they expect and want to see in 2045.
Following the workshops, you’ll also have the opportunity to be part of a “special interest group” to explore key visions further, focus on a specific issue of interest, and recommend first/next steps for action. The workshop results will also help Sustainable Tucson plan what to focus on next year, to help make our community’s vision a reality. This year, ST2045 will take the place of the Envision Tucson Sustainable Festival.
Workshops will take place Saturday, October 22, 2:00-4:00 pm, at the Murphy-Wilmot Library, (530 N Wilmot Rd), and Saturday, November 12, 10:00 am-noon, at the Ward 6 Office, (3202 E 1st St). We hope you can participate. If you’d like to be part of this new initiative, use the link below to register for one of these workshops. For more information, please contact Tres English at tres@sustainabletucson.org.