Sahuarita library luring new readers

When the temporary Sahuarita Library opened in January, it took business away from the Green Valley Library, but not nearly as much as it generated. In many ways, it has opened up a new market, the town council was told Monday.

“The first month we saw about 1,000 items less in circulation (at the Green Valley branch) but over the first six months, Sahuarita circulated 25,000 and Green Valley was only 5,000 less then previously,” Green Valley Library Manager Amber Mathewson said. “That said that not a lot of our circulation in Green Valley was coming from Sahuarita in the first place. And because of the new cards (issued), it’s a whole new population to us.”

The library, south of the Post Office, issued 875 new cards in Fiscal Year 2009 which ended June 30, and has issued many more since, Mathewson said.

Mathewson said the temporary branch library, which functions as a satellite of the Green Valley branch, has added items to its collection, which now numbers 10,600. The branch has 13 computer monitors and wireless Internet access for those with laptops, and recently added a staff computer monitor to help library patrons with computer questions. The branch has been heavily used by people seeking employment help, Mathewson said.

Mayor Lynne Skelton said the numbers will help the town bolster its request for $6.75 million in Pima County bond funds for a permanent library. She reported that the town’s library request was well-received by the county bond committee at an Oct. 16 meeting in Tucson, but along with Town council member Rosanna Gabaldon, urged residents to attend the next bond committee meeting Nov. 20 in Tucson.

Vanessa Bechtol of the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance said a proposed heritage designation of the area by Congress could lead to increased tourism, access to federal funds, and better planning and marketing of tourism in the area from Nogales to Marana. Bechtol said the designation is intended to recognize large scenic and unique landscapes, not smaller historic sites or natural areas that might be designated as national monuments.

The House of Representatives has approved the designation and Bechtol said the matter is in a Senate a subcommittee on National Parks that includes Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has not yet taken a position on the proposal.

In other matters, the council approved, 6-0, with Council member Duane Blumberg absent, two measures that would assist Rancho Sahuarita in developing a 5.6-acre commercial area along the north side of Sahuarita Road east of Rancho Sahuarita Boulevard.

The area, on property long owned by the school district, will accommodate four building sites totaling 35,000 square feet of house commercial space, would not displace any classrooms, and would be separated from the school campus by a fence of seven to eight feet in height, Rancho Sahuarita lobbyist Michael Racy said. He added that the stores would not include bars, arcades, billiard halls or other businesses serving liquor. It would be served by two driveways on Sahuarita Road and one on Rancho Sahuarita Boulevard.

Racy was asked by audience member Heather Stahle, the wife of Town Manager Jim Stahle, how the new commercial area would affect the developer’s monument at the northeastern corner of Sahuarita Road and Rancho Sahuarita Boulevard.

“The existing monumentation will stay in place, and all (Rancho Sahuarita) design guidelines will apply,” Racy said.

The council approved a $552,949 contract for Wilson Engineers to prepare an application to the Department of Environmental Quality for a permit to expand to 3 million gallons a day (mgd) of the town wastewater treatment plant, which serves Rancho Sahuarita. The plant this year was expanded to 1.5 mgd and the town is required by its Sewer Service Agreement with Rancho Sahuarita to begin planning for the next expansion.

Public Works Director Farhad Moghimi said the town wants to start the permitting process now so that will be done before construction starts. He said expansion might be several years away. The town in the past failed to expand the plant fast enough to accommodate growth, which caused a state sanction and required construction of a temporary septic system and the town said part of the problem was the long time required by the state to approve such permits.

pfranchine@sahuaritasun.com | 547-9738