Stop the South Tucson Cell Tower
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$1,400 raised of
5 donations
We are a humble group of neighbors in the City of South Tucson, Arizona, coming together to oppose the construction of a 70-foot Verizon cell tower planned for an industrial lot on South 10th Avenue. Although this tower is proposed for an industrial site, it would stand in the middle of a residential neighborhood, with an elementary school less than 600 feet away.
We believe this project would harm our community in lasting ways. The tower would create a seven-story permanent eyesore on the landscape, destroy property values, and put the health of nearby residents and students at risk. For the families who live here, this is not an abstract issue. It affects the place we call home and the environment around our children's school.
What happened
• February 25, 2026. The Board of Adjustment approved the tower 4–0 after a 33-minute hearing.
• The 50-foot limit. South Tucson's published zoning code allowed a tower in this zone only if it was 50 feet or less, along with other zoning restrictions. In June, the City's own Zoning Administrator put that limit in writing. This tower is 70 feet.
• May 19, 2026. Neighbors brought the record to the City Council. The Council agreed with us and voted to rescind the Board's approval.
• October 2026. The City issued permits for the tower anyway, in violation of its own code and ignoring the public outcry from residents.
We also believe there are serious code and zoning law violations, open meeting law violations, and other legal problems with this project. We believe city staff are acting in direct violation of the orders of the mayor and council.
For eight months we've done this ourselves. We requested 78 public records, compared the code line by line, and spoke at Council meetings. Everything is documented at peoplepowercost.com.
Now we need lawyers. The City has attorneys, paid with our taxes. Verizon has its own. We need ours. This fundraiser will help us pursue litigation to stop this project.
Exactly what your money pays for
• Our attorneys' fees, to challenge the construction of the tower and hold the City to its own code and the Council's vote
• Court filing fees, copies of records and other costs of the legal case
• Nothing else. No one is paid for their time except for the lawyers.
• Yard signs to put pressure on Magnum Paving to not go forward with this project. These will be made at Gloo Factory in South Tucson.
How the money is handled
• It's kept in a bank account used only for this fund.
• Every time we pay our lawyers, we'll post an update here with the amount paid and what's left.
• If we raise more than this stage needs, it stays in this fight. Whatever is left at the end goes to a Tucson legal aid organization.
Who we are
People Power South Tucson is a group of neighbors. I'm Bryan Sanders. I live across the alley from the site, and I'm organizing this fund. I'm paying the first $1,000 of our legal costs myself.
South Tucson is one square mile, working-class and mostly Latino. Small cities like ours rarely get a fair fight. This time we want one.
Donations are not tax-deductible. You can give anonymously.
If you care about protecting South Tucson neighborhoods, please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser. Every contribution will help our community fight for the safety, character, and future of this neighborhood.
— Bryan Sanders, for People Power South Tucson