The continuing legal action by the Hedrick Acres Neighborhood Association (HANA) against the City of Tucson about the trash created by homeless people living in the Navajo Wash Park has come to an end of appeals. The Arizona Supreme court refused to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling against the City declaring Tucson has neglected to enforce laws against people living in parks.
Full disclosure: I live in Hedrick Acres, but I am not now nor have ever been active in the Hedrick Acres Association — EXCEPT for one time in 2022 when as a member of the Trashy Divas environmental clean up group I spent a morning in the wash helping 3 people on the HANA Board clear out debris in the wash. The trash was mostly dead branches as well as soda cans, cigarette packages and fast food wrappers. We did not encounter any drug paraphernalia.
Here is what it looked like then. (The woman in the photo is a Trashy Diva member; not someone who lives in Hedrick Acres.)
Immediately after the tree massacre in 2023 which was done by chainsaw on the instruction of members of the HANA Board this, below, is what the wash looked like:
When the Supreme Court’s decision was announced the President of HANA was pleased and he suggested that people could begin to use Navajo Wash as a park again. I don’t think so. It looks awful now — not like a park at all. It’s ugly and unfriendly–not a welcoming escape. The photos at the top of the post and on the left, below, are looking north; on the right, below, looking south from the middle of the wash. One young woman, in the left photo, was tucked under a tree looking at a book or her phone, but she didn’t appear to be camping or living there.
A few of the stumps left by the HANA chainsaw massacre in 2023 have begun to regrow. Other are just ugly stumps.
It is ironic that the description of Hedrick Acres on the city website reads: “At the heart of Hendrick Acres is Navajo Wash Park.” And the description goes on to mention that the neighbors built the park back in the 1990s.
Shortly after the trees were cut down Councilman Dahl said the city would replant trees. I assume this hasn’t been done yet because of the continuing legal battle. I hope the city now takes action to help restore Navajo Wash to it’s earlier, greener condition. The HANA board have copies of the park plan from back in the 1990s that can be used as a reference.
If you are a Tucsonan and would like a starter tree for $5, go here for more details.
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