The yellow shelter has since been removed, leaving only the bike racks.

An unhappy Sam Hughes Neighborhood resident and a vote by the neighborhood association prompted Tucson Parks and Recreation officials to remove the bike parking shelter installed at the Himmel Park Library in August.

Although the shelter is gone, a compromise was reached to keep the bike racks, which act as overflow bike parking for the Himmel Park Library.

According to Ed Stokes, a neighborhood association board member, the neighbor who lived closest to the park thought the shelter was an eyesore and wanted it removed.

Peg Weber, an administrator in the city’s Parks and Recreation department, said the neighbor was upset because he could no longer see his grandchildren playing in the park.

Weber said she was told by the library director who has since retired that the neighborhood wanted the covered parking, but she said it became clear after the 9-3 vote on Oct. 19,  asking that the shelter be removed, that not everyone was on board.

According to Stokes, lack of communication may have contributed the board’s vote.

“The neighbors were surprised,” Stokes said. “It would have been nice to let us know. I am sure that didn’t help.”

Tom Thivener didn’t find out that the shelter had been removed until last week but said he had heard some of the neighbors didn’t like the shelter because they thought it was ugly.

“I guess racks are fine, but they don’t want an old ugly bus shelter,” Thivener said.

The parks department and the neighborhood compromised by leaving the bike racks there, but removing the shelter.

Weber said she liked the shelter and didn’t believe it was ugly, but said it is important to work with the neighborhoods and ultimately bicyclists still got the extra parking for the library.

Thivener and Weber said they will begin looking for a new, useful place to put the shelter.

Stokes, who rides, said he liked the shelter and was happy to hear they wouldn’t scrap the idea.

“I think it was a great idea,” Stokes said. “Pam said she could find another place for it and it wasn’t going to go in the landfill, so I don’t think most of the people felt bad. ”

If you have a recommendation about where to put the shelter, email Weber with your suggestions.

17 thoughts on “Neighbors spark removal of bike parking shelter”
  1. So the benefit to one outweighs the benefit to many? Yet another embarrassment for Tucson and Arizona!

  2. I was riding around that neighboorhood and I saw a whole bunch of quickly made signs which read “eyesore”. They were everywhere.

  3. I was wondering why the shelter was gone the other day when I ran by the library. That neighborhood seems to be good at finding ‘eyesores’ and getting rid of them. I also wondered about the placement of the bike racks and shelter though. It wasn’t exactly the most logical place…

  4. Why doesn’t the grandfather GO TO THE PARK with the kids instead of just watch them from his house?! He sounds like someone who should live in a subdivision with hoa rules if he has a problem with other peoples tastes. If I lived next door I’d make sure to put some “eyesores” in my yard just rile the old coot up!

  5. I live in Sam Hughes and run through the park all the time. I thought the shelter was great. This neighbor is embarrassing.

  6. How much money is wasted putting up and then tearing down a structure such as this? It bothers me that people have nothing better to do than petition for the removal of a sun/rain shelter. Your property value is screwed regardless of “eyesores” because the Tucson real estate market is completely tanked. Tell your grand-kids to play 4 feet to the right or something.

  7. Oh, brother. Isn’t that just typical of Sam Hughes.

    OTOH, my neighborhood center’s bike racks are out in the bright sun. Any chance of moving that bus shelter over here?

  8. Perhaps we should tear down the library; surely it obstructs the neighbor’s view. And then there’s all those trees… And the tennis courts…
    I’m having a hard time understanding why the 12(?) people on the Sam Hughes board can dictate what facilities are provided in a public park used by thousands.

  9. So basically the 9 people in Sam Hughes who voted no get to set policy about what features are placed in a public park next to a public library.

    When did the City of Tucson sell Himmel Park to the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association?

  10. Let’s certainly not encourage anyone to ride a bike to the library. Hope the grand kids like the additional auto fumes.

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