New parking plan proposed for city, UA

But the Tucson city manager and a top city parking official were still at odds over the details of the agreement - or whether any plan existed at all.

Chris Leighton, coordinator of Tucson's parking program and a member of the Transportation Enterprise Area Management group, said a preliminary deal has been reached between the University of Arizona and the city.

The pact would stop Tucson from charging between $300 and $800 for parking on East First Street and East Second Street.

"The streets on the core of campus will most likely be turned over to the university," Leighton said last night. "That's the deal. As you can see, things change quickly."

But Luis Gutierrez, Tucson's city manager, said Leighton "must not understand the situation" and officials have not agreed to anything.

"There's nothing solid at all," Gutierrez said last night. "It's still subject to further discussion."

Assuming the new arrangement goes through, Tucson will not have to perform maintenance on the soon-to-be UA streets, Leighton said.

The deal has not been finalized, but "that's where it's headed," he said.

Leighton would not confirm that the UA may turn over property to Tucson in exchange for the streets.

"It's hard to say what will come out as far as a dollar value," he said.

Leighton said Gutierrez "made the decision" himself, but, reached at home last night, Gutierrez said he and UA officials have discussed the issue, and that "nothing's been finally decided."

Both Gutierrez and Leighton agreed that Tucson will still implement the original permit plan on campus-area streets other than First and Second streets.

"Anything north of (East) Speedway (Boulevard) is still city streets," Leighton said.

The Associated Students Senate questioned Leighton Wednesday night about the city's permit plan, and later unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the mandate, which is scheduled to take effect Feb. 1.

In Tempe for the Arizona Board of Regents meeting, ASUA President Tara Taylor said she's in "wholehearted" support of the possible new arrangement.

"I do know that they're attempting to strike a deal," Taylor said. "There's still issues to be dealt with in the outer boundaries. A complete win is to have the entire territory."

UA Parking and Transportation Director Marlis Davis was unavailable for comment last night.

David J. Cieslak can be reached via email at David.J.Cieslak@wildcat.arizona.edu.