More on Field of Dreams

The AZ Republic has an editorial on the proposed Field of Dreams site that will be situated next to Highland Groves. It is quite a complimentary editorial:

Big League Dreams USA LLC scored big last Tuesday when it won unanimous approval from the Gilbert Town Council to operate a sports complex at Elliot District Park.

After more than three months of negotiations and lengthy discussions, the deal can be perceived as a win for the California-based company that develops small replicas of major league ballparks like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.

Opponents of the project should not dismiss that Gilbert has scored, too.

The deal demonstrates town officials' attempt to develop a recreational amenity for all residents to enjoy. It boosts economic development at the same time.

Officials are lauded for their efforts to add recreational opportunities, including adult and youth sports, while creating an economic development project that's expected to attract visitors from the region and pump dollars into the economy.

So far, the deal sounds like a win-win situation.

Only time will tell on that score. You can read the rest of the editorial for their thoughts on the boon it will be. As I mentioned before, we will be keeping a close eye on the site plan details.

Traffic Control

Controlling traffic must be challenging at any time, but especially in a town growing as fast as Gilbert. The construction locations constantly change, and so I am constantly revising my route of travel to bypass it. The town council has just approved some temporary controls at the busiest intersections, and you can read about that in today's AZ Republic, here.

One thing the Mister has noticed about traffic control in Morrison Ranch is that is isn't necessarily consistent. For example, in Higley Groves East, the parkway has 4 way stops. In Higley Groves West, the parkway has 2 way stops. We can have a little bit of input, but the final decisions for traffic control do not rest with us. However, the Mister hopes to have some input on the sign at the entrance to Higley Estates off Higley:




Somehow the placement of this traffic sign doesn't seem very aesthetically pleasing...

I often wonder how these millions of little details get handled in other communities; what if the guy who dreamed up the community doesn't live there, seeing every little issue and trying to make it right? When I asked the Mister, he laughed and said either the details aren't noticed, or the residents have to handle it. I guess I much prefer to be in this situation.

Trespassing Update

School is out for the summer, and in light of the temptations that presents, we have hired a security service to keep an eye on the grain tanks. Hopefully, word will get around pretty quick and the midnight climbers will find something else to do.

It's Looking Good

It always takes longer and costs more. That’s the first principle of community-building that I learned, and it actually applies to almost any project that we undertake. The second thing I learned is that the end result almost never comes out the way envisioned, or at least not exactly. So when we dream of something, and then the end product looks pretty close, it’s very gratifying. For example, the Morrison Ranch website (scroll down the page a bit) shows an artist’s rendering of Lakeview Village, and then an actual picture taken by the Mister fairly recently. It looks very much the way we planned.

Now there’s another viewpoint shaping up to look very much as we anticipated.

This is our original artist’s rendering of the lake, culminating with the view of the grain silos.

And this is the way it looks today. The trees need to grow a bit, but you can imagine how it might look when they do. We are very pleased with the way this is looking.

Highland Groves Neighbor

I've been keeping an eye on the discussions about the Field of Dreams project that the town has been researching for their 60 acre park that is next to Highland Groves. Last night the town council approved the project, and the East Valley Tribune has an article about it here:

The Gilbert Town Council voted Tuesday to bring an upscale sports park to the town. The council unanimously approved three agreements with Big League Dreams of Chino Hills, Calif.

The contracts authorize the design, construction and operation of a roughly $22 million sports park to open by mid-2007.

So now the folks in our office will be carefully watching the site design. We would really like it to be compatible with our community. I'm hopeful this will be a good compromise for the site, and that they will turn out to be great neighbors.

Welcome, Neighbor

The Mister told me that Golf Etc. is now open at Lakeview Village. Wow, once they got going, that didn't take long. I don't have any details just yet, but I'll check it out.

Watching our Lake

The Water Expert is keeping a close eye on our lake so that we don't have to experience the same problems that the Riparian Preserve is experiencing. This article in the AZ Republic talks about the draining and the treatment for the yellow algae in the Riparian Lake.

I mentioned before that the Water Expert was going to put some dye in our lake, which blocks the sun and prevents the algae growth. I haven't noticed any change in color; of course, he only put in 2 gallons of dye for the entire lake, so that won't affect the outward color, or the fountain, very much.

As the weather heats up, you can bet that the Water Expert will stay on top of keeping it as clean as possible, which is no small task.

Not Available For Parties

No More Mister Nice Guys

Late last Saturday night, our farming manager got a call from the police. They caught 9 kids up on the tanks again. This is a growing concern for us, and just as our habit is in community-developing, we are going to keep trying until we figure out how to handle this issue. Thus far, we've talked sternly with some of those who've been caught, we've put up No Trespassing signs, we've enclosed the area with security fence; and still they keep climbing. Our next efforts will involve extra security patrols, especially as school is getting out this week. We really want to discourage kids from thinking it's "the place to be." And, though we are not eager to do it, we are planning on pressing charges for trespassing against the 9 offenders from last Saturday night.

Broken Blue Fountain

Fountain Woes Again

You may remember my frustration with the blue fountain in the Oasis at Lakeview Village. I posted about some of the travails on that fountain here. Well, if you’ve been near the Oasis lately, you’ve noticed that the fountain is all torn up, along with much of the concrete around it. There was a leak underneath; the only way to get to it to repair it was to dig it up. Sigh. I suppose the contractor is as frustrated as we are; but what can you do? Just keep trying until you get it right.

The Good News is, We’re Getting Better

The bad news is, I can’t keep moving to enjoy the improvements! I got an email from Chris, who lives in Higley Groves, and he graciously gave me permission to share it:

first, I love living here as it is really a beautiful area. I live in the corner across the street from the Morrison ranch office so I get to see all the hustle and bustle going on.

the one thing I am unhappy about though is the new large stone signs which have been placed across the street in the new development...it makes the ones at this side's entrance look shabby and cheap. my wife commented to me the other day that "it is like we live on the other side of tracks" implying the poor vs.. the rich. Of course this is a stretch but the fact in my opinion remains, the difference is huge and disappointing. also, why is the park area across the street so much nicer than these on this side? my kids now have me having to go over there to play rather than on this side. again, a little disappointing.

Here is my reply to him:

As to the signs, I must point out that we are in the same boat, since the Mister and I live in Higley Groves West; so we also live with the shabby signs! Seriously, though, the entry signs for both Higley Groves communities were not
at all intended to be shabby. The design of the three stone pillars and the connecting white fence surrounding the monuments was a nice idea, but because of grading issues, and workmanship issues, they ended up not being level, and looking, well, bad. It took a lot of work to get them straight, and so in the interest of improvement, we changed the design for future projects. I guess this is called "improved constructability" in the business. The result is the new signage for Higley Estates. I think the other large stone Higley Groves signs at the entrances on Higley Rd. look pretty good when the flowers are blooming.

As for the tot lots (park playgrounds), you are so right that the ones across the street are a step up (and I think many folks will say the ones coming up at Highland Groves will be even better). There are two reasons for this. First, as Morrison Ranch becomes better known and the builders are more desirous of building here, they are willing to give us concessions that they weren't willing to before. Second, we have increased our control over projects by taking our planning farther, doing the final plat instead of stopping at the preliminary plat. Before, we had to ask builders to do things like nice, covered tot lots; now, we can require it. As for your family and mine, if we want improvements to our signs or our tot lots, it will have to come through our HOAs. If it's any consolation, the Higley Groves West HOA is indeed talking about expanding and improving our tot lots; and Higley Groves East has already covered theirs.

I should have also mentioned to Chris my own history with tot lots, which I posted here. Thanks again for the email, Chris.

Lakeview Trails North

I mentioned last Friday that we have entered escrow with 4 builders for our next community, Lakeview Trails North. I also mentioned that it won't close or have anything started on it before April 2006. But for the curious, a few details about the project.

Lakeview Trails North (LTN) is located just east of the Albertson's shopping center (Lakeview Village). It's northern border is Elliot (with an excluded section for the brick farmhouse located there), it's eastern border is Recker; and the southern border is the signature grain tanks. The community will include 733 total lots for the 4 builders previously mentioned, as well as an elementary school site, which we will donate to the Gilbert Unified School District. The School District will then decide when to build that elementary school. In case it isn't already obvious by the name Lakeview, the pile of dirt to the east of the Lake will be gone, and so those houses will actually have a view of the Lake.

The lot widths will range from 45' to 75', and the depths from 85' to 130'. For those like me, who are math-envisioning-challenged, those lots range in size from the smallest we have so far in Highland Groves to about the same size as the Greystone product in Higley Groves West. There are no huge lots.

As befits the rest of Morrison Ranch, LTN will be connected by trail to the Lake, and will have easy access to Lakeview Village, which is adjacent to the community. As a matter of fact, Morrison Parkway - the street that runs between Lakeview Village and the Lake - will be the center parkway through Lakeview Trails North. This Lake will irrigate LTN, so there will be no smaller lakes inside this community.

There is a commercial corner at Recker and Elliot, which will not be developed for a while, and for which we do not yet have plans for users.

This community will also provide a link to those residents in Highland Groves via the corner at Recker and Elliot. Until then, Highland Groves might feel a little bit isolated from the rest of Morrison Ranch.

I know it's far in the future, and I've learned that it always takes longer and costs more (this seems to be true about everything, not just community-building), but I'm excited about the prospects for Lakeview Trails North.

Compliments Are Nice

Yesterday the Mister got a phone call from a resident of Higley Groves East. Apparently he walks regularly around the lake and he was wanting to report that some lights are burned out over there. Since they hadn't been replaced for several days, he thought perhaps the responsible party wasn't aware of the need. Of course, I've been waiting in great anticipation for several lights to go on (the Palm Circles at the corner of Higley and Elliot, the entry monuments to Higley Estates, etc.), and I'm discovering that these things don't happen all that quick. The Mister explained to him that Farm Bureau isn't actually the owner of the lake, nor responsible for its maintenance, and then the resident asked about the usage of the lake - which leads me to digress momentarily.

The Lake is technically owned by the Morrison Ranch Community Council, and provides the irrigation for some Morrison Ranch communities. Since neither Higley Groves East nor West are part of the Community Council or the Morrison Ranch HOA (they have individual HOAs), technically those residents are not supposed to use the lake. Our plan, of course, is for all the residents of Morrison Ranch to have access to all the amenities, current and future. We are hoping that someday the Higley Groves residents will be amenable to some sort of cross-agreements with the Council and Morrison Ranch HOA.

But back to Wayne, the resident making the phone call. He was quite complimentary about Morrison Ranch, and added that his brother visiting from back east declared it "perfect".

As he ended the phone call (thanks, Wayne!), the Mister found a couple of fellows waiting to speak with him; they live in the nearby Circle G development, and though they were there to discuss business, they too, were rather effusive in praise for the communities and the shopping center in Morrison Ranch.

Kind of a nice way to end the day.

Joan Krueger is New Town Council Member

The election results are all posted now; the only question on the Gilbert ballot was the town council runoff. And Mesa's Riverview passed. For all the election results, you can look here, on the AZ Republic.

Higley Groves West is Now on Reclaimed

The Water Expert told me yesterday that all the hydrants are capped, and Higley Groves West is using reclaimed water for irrigation. When he and the landscape maintenance contractor were getting ready for the final hookup, they decided it would be wise to back flush the pipe, since it had been exposed for a while. When they did, out came a soccer ball! This is an 8 to 10 inch pipe, and the Water Expert was VERY relieved that they cleared the line. At any rate, we are now officially using reclaimed water, as was our intention from the beginning.

Please Vote Today

If you haven't already, head to your local polling place and vote for Gilbert's final town council member. For Higley Groves West folks, we are supposed to go to the library.

Congrats to Tami Ryall

It's obvious from prior posts that we are big fans of Tami Ryall, the Town's Deputy Town Manager. (My personal admiration may have something to do with the fact that she has graciously allowed our son to shadow her two years running for the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council program's government days.) The Mister says that she has not gotten nearly enough credit for her work, especially on the San Tan Freeway. Well, apparently we are not the only ones to notice her stellar service to the town:

One of Gilbert's high-ranking staff members has received a state award from a national organization of public-sector administrators.The American
Society of Public Administration's Arizona chapter presented the award to Deputy
Town Manager Tami Ryall for outstanding public service this month.

And then they note her achievements:

Helga Stafford, town neighborhood services specialist, nominated Ryall and said her innovative work with Gilbert's infrastructure and transportation
warranted recognition.Ryall has spearheaded several freeway and road projects, including transforming drainage basins into dog and recreation parks and bringing railroad- and agriculture-inspired graphics to walls lining portions of Gilbert roads.

Congratulations, Tami!

Electricity Required

The AZ Republic has an article today on the San Tan Power Plant on Warner, and notes that we will be grateful for the additional power this summer:

The Santan power plant will play a vital role in the Valley's power grid this summer, The Salt River Project and Arizona Corporation Commission officials say. That's due mainly to delayed repairs to the fire-damaged Westwing station near Sun City and explosive East Valley growth that requires more energy,
officials say."It will be indispensable in making sure the lights and air conditioners stay on this summer," said Arizona Corporation Commissioner Bill Mundell.The Santan plant became operational last month when the SRP unveiled its 550-megawatt generating units. One megawatt services about 200 households during the summer.

The article also notes that there was quite a bit of contention about the expansion of that plant. I posted here about some acronyms used in the development world, most notably NIMBY, and this expansion really had people saying some unbelievable things. The Mister was asked by SRP to be on a citizen’s committee to hash out the aesthetic mitigations – he is very gifted at consensus-building – and he found it to be one of the most trying efforts of his adult life. As it turned out, the residents succeeded in demanding a mind-boggling number:

To make the plant less intrusive on the community, the SRP has spent $20 million in landscaping at the site, SRP spokesman Scott Harelson said. The plant sits in a 15-foot pit with a 25-foot, tiered berm built around the perimeter that includes flowers, trees, stone work and a nearby trail."The whole idea is to mitigate the aesthetic view of what's inside here," Bill Rihs, SRP's manager of new generation projects, said during a tour of the facility last month.

TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS in landscaping; that is a lot of cash. The Mister and I often comment on the huge palm trees in the median as we drive through, since we have an idea of how much each of those palms cost.

After watching the gas pipeline debacle from last year, and the demand for government to do something to lower gasoline prices this year, I kind of feel sorry for SRP; after all, they are providing the essential service that we need, and they end up rather vilified for trying to do so, even after kicking in a cool $20 million.

But the most important part of this whole story is that we will not suffer the rolling blackouts this summer that we would were this new plant expansion not operational.

Details Only A Resident Could Care About

Higley Estates
The lights on the entry signs are gone, but it is by design. When they were installed, they were the incorrect model, and ended up having a cat's-eye effect on the signs. For example, the IG and AT of Higley Estates were spotlighted, and the rest of the sign was under lit. The proper lights are in now, but sometimes it just takes longer to get things changed. Hopefully, that will happen this week.

The other lights, on the palm circle in the corner, are not yet functioning. Why? Town permits, SRP scheduling, contractor scheduling, blah blah blah - who knows? Again, I'm hopeful for this week, since I'd heard it ought to have been LAST week.

The Mister pointed out that the white fence behind the Morrison Ranch entry monument at the far northwest edge of Higley Estates has been properly installed with the little jog around the sign. Then he pointed out that this was probably too mundane a detail for most people. He was right; I am most people when it comes to that one.

Highland Groves
The sewer lines continue to go into the ground at a rapid pace, and the next item will be the water lines. Morrison Homes now has a date to START their models (this does NOT mean they will be ready to sell at that point), June 6. It won't be long after that, though, that things will start hopping on Highland Groves.

Lakeview Village
Golf Etc. just installed their wooden shelves (the Mister says they smell marvelous!) and should be opening soon. I mentioned before that Panda Express was just going through the town design review process and then they will break ground. I also mentioned before that we have a veterinarian leasing a pad on the south side of the center. We are still working hard to get a coffee/breakfast place in the Oasis. The First Cousin travels to the Shopping Center Convention in a few days; we're hoping she can find someone great.

Lakeview Trails North News

The Mister just got word that we entered escrow today with four builders for our next Morrison Ranch community. Lakeview Trails North is the area east of Albertson's. I'll tell you who the builders are if you promise not to call them yet and ask about dates, floor plans and prices, since we won't close on the property until next spring, and then models will be about 9 months after that. The builders will be Ashton Woods, U. S. Homes, Morrison Homes, and Richmond American.

Applying Zinc to Pecan Trees

Pecans and Zinc

The Water Expert sent me some photos and an email about MMM Landscape applying zinc to the pecan trees:

This is our first official attempt at applying Zinc. You may remember the first person to tell us about Zinc, Lowell True from the Ag Extension office. He said one of the best things we could do for our Pecan trees was to apply a foliar application of Zinc, as that is the main ingredient in which Pecans are deficient. Pecan orchards apply it three to four times a year in the early stages of leaf growth to maximize the amount of nut production later. Since we are not really into nut production, but into the overall health of our trees, he recommended only one application of Zinc after the trees have leafed out and can absorb as much as possible through the leaves. Well, we have finally gotten around to having the equipment and personnel to accomplish it. Now that our landscape maintenance contractor is a certified arborist he understands the importance of it. It is also included in our scope of work when it is bid to the maintenance contractors. MMM just happens to be the first one to step up and make this happen for us. We will continue to do this on all of our Pecans throughout Morrison Ranch, and see if it really helps.

Congratulations, Wildcat!

Proud Mom Alert

We are off to Tucson today to watch our second daughter graduate from the U of A. In Math. With honors. And minoring in Japanese and Computer Science. I think she got the Mister's brains.

Don’t it Make Your Green Lake Blue?

The Water Expert has decided to paint the lake, after a fashion. We’ve had problems with algae, not the golden algae that the Riparian Preserve has been fighting, but algae nonetheless. One of the ways to fight that is by putting a dye in the lake that keeps the sun from shining through and causing algae growth. It is temporary, as the dye will dissipate over time. We’ll give it a try and see how it works. It will be a bright blue, and will no doubt feel unnatural at first. I’m curious as to how the fountain will look. Stay tuned.

Stranger Than Fiction

The First Cousin’s son lives in the house just east of the Albertson’s gas pumps, and he and his brother handle the farming chores on the Morrison Ranch ground that is still in alfalfa. One morning a few days ago, he answered a knock on his door very early in the morning, and discovered a woman standing there holding a chicken. Not the kind you find in Albertson’s, cut and wrapped and ready to fry, but the kind you find in Farmer John’s back yard – feathered, and clucking, and very much alive. “I’ve got one of your girls here,” the woman stated, and that comment brought the wife of the house to the door in alarm that one of her young daughters was out in harm’s way, which was impossible, of course.

“That’s not one of my girls,” First Cousin’s son informed her. I think he was wondering, as I am, how this woman caught the bird, and then seemed so comfortable holding it.
“Well, I guess I just assumed,” the woman answered. And with that she turned and left. “I guess I’ll just keep it, then.”

The only more improbable ending to this story of a lonely hen in suburbia would be a flyer taped to the light pole saying, “Lost Chicken… Answers to Clarabelle…”

People are Strange

I have to add a couple more acronyms to this article from yesterday's Tribune:

Not in my back yard. It’s a familiar phrase in community politics, breeding the popular acronym NIMBY. And it’s been the subject of many e-mails and much discussion in Gilbert lately. As the town grows toward its boundaries and begins filling its parks and open spaces, some residents are seeing plans for
things they never imagined next door. Catching some Gilbert homeowners off guard recently have been shopping centers planned near rural areas, a water park and ice rink at a town park, and a Goodwill store near an upscale subdivision. Residents acknowledge retail stores and recreational amenities are needed in growing communities, but not everyone wants them in their back yard.

I'm not commenting on the merits of these projects, other than to say a water park and skating rink seem like a good fit for a regional park; but I will say that we are such strange creatures when it comes to change. Of course, I'm married to a Change Agent, so I've had to learn to adapt to it, or at least to recognize that it is, indeed, inevitable. NIMBY is the most recognized of the acronyms, but the Mister and I were reviewing a couple of others we've heard over the years.

BANANA stands for Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone. It sounds ludicrous, but it seems that some people are of that opinion. Any sort of service ought to be only for... who?

NOPE is the most extreme. Not On Planet Earth.

The Party's Over

The Mister pointed out that Greystone is pouring foundations for houses in it's sales parking lot at Higley Estates. This is code for "we're all through here, no more houses to sell." I think they just had their last lottery; the models were sold a long time ago, and so now it's all finished except the final building. Projections are that all the houses will be finished by December of this year. Astounding!

Mailboxes Revisited

There's an editorial in today's AZ Republic, Gilbert Section, that revisits the mailbox question. It must be the editorial staff writing the piece, since there is no individual named. Today, I agree with the headline and strongly disagree with the editorial itself.

Retro mailboxes not the best way to build community
May. 10, 2005 12:00 AM
Some housing developments in Gilbert are returning to the past by way of mail delivery. If the Pony Express comes to mind, you've gone too far back. The mail delivery method we're talking about still involves a human mail carrier and vehicle. Unfortunately, it provides less security for mail recipients. For instance, homes in the Higley Groves community at the Morrison Ranch development feature separate mailboxes at the ends of driveways, as opposed to clusters of locked mailboxes serving multiple houses. Higley Groves is retro, if you will. But at what price?

The editorialist then goes on to talk about identity theft, which is a very real problem, and according to recent statistics, Arizona leads the nation in identity theft. The conclusion of this editorial? Forget retro, and down with the individual mailbox! You Gilbillies in Higley Groves that like those mailboxes are wrong, wrong, wrong:

Residents seem to love the idea. Neighbors wave to each other as they pick up their mail. They get to know one another and build the sense of community that many people have said has been lost in recent decades. These are good points. A sense of community and belonging are important in all neighborhoods. And safe neighborhoods are those neighborhoods where neighbors know one another and, ultimately, look out for one another. The mailbox, however, is just an object. If neighbors want to socialize, they ought to socialize. Individuals create the community, not the mailbox at the end of the driveway. Mail theft would not exist in a perfect world, but it does. Individual mailboxes are popular at Higley Groves. But in the name of safety, developers should not rush to implement the retro mailboxes.

I posted about this from an earlier AZ Republic article, but I will reiterate just a couple of facts. First, the Postal Service is the entity that required us to use individual mailboxes in Higley Groves; it is true that, upon seeing the required product, we at Morrison Ranch do love the idea and the look. I also mentioned that future Morrison Ranch communities may be required to use the gangboxes. If this happens, we'll do our best to adapt. Second, I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I agree with the headline but not the body of the article. Retro mailboxes are NOT the BEST way to build a community; they are only one small facet. You have to add to the mix by encouraging pedestrian traffic (by making it pleasant to walk), adding porches, promoting parks and open spaces, encouraging block parties and block watches, and a host of other ideas.

I guess my gripe with this article is that it assumes that all of us that live in Higley Groves and enjoy our mailboxes are acting ignorant about identity theft. Yet I see no opining about getting rid of our blue trash cans, veritable gold mines of information about personal identity, and by the way, dumpster diving is still the number one means of identity theft. And we leave those trash cans out over night, just inviting criminals to come dig through them!

My neighbors are intelligent folks, and they take reasonable precautions to protect their assets, including their identities. Sometimes, the criminals score one anyway. But I'll take my chances with my mailbox, and my community looking out for me any day of the week.

Beautiful Truncated Domes

Truncated Domes

If you live in Gilbert you are seeing more and more truncated domes. These are the areas on handicap ramps that have partial domes with the tops lopped off (truncated, get it?). These are required by the The Access Board, a national agency, sort of. They dreamed these up to be sure that blind people could tell when they are passing from pedestrian areas to vehicular areas. They work for that, but were put on hold, because they cause problems for people with OTHER limiations. Like my dad, who is 81 and doesn't lift his feet very high when he walks. Or wheel chairs, which have to bump over them. That hold expired, but most cities are still waiting for something better. In the meantime, Gilbert is enforcing truncated domes, on sidewalks, and parking lots that are built new. You will generally find them to be bright yellow rubber mats, with the domes on them. They are bright yellow so they contrast with the surrounding materials. So they stand out. To the blind people. Seriously, the government would say that it is for the sight impaired, but not blind. But the domes are unique and work for anyone, sighted or not. I am not a fan of the colors.

Let me close this off with a philosophical observation. We are all handicapped in one way or another, physically, emotionally, coordination (my lack of dancing skills). Most of the time the ONLY practical way to deal with these limitations is to depend on one another. Let's not try to produce a physical environment which encourages us to pretend we don't need each other, all of us.

Just So You Know

As I've checked the readership log for the Front Porch, I notice that most people have a life on the weekends, and so the visits go down during that time. That works out great, because weekends really ought to be about doing those outdoor types of things. So I've decided that unless there is something really great to post about, I'll skip posting on the weekends. See you on Monday.

Tree Theme Districts

What, you may ask, are tree theme districts? I did, anyway, after reading this article in the AZ Republic today:

The landscape plan also ties into Gilbert's tree theme districts, which feature specific plants in specific parts of town that give those areas character, said Deputy Town Manager Tami Ryall.

I'll explain the article in a moment, but when I got to this phrase of tree theme districts, I had to look to the Mister for an explanation. He told me that Gilbert has overlaid the entire town with a series of zones, each one having a unique combination of trees and plants to be used along the arterial roads. He then told me that, after being involved in the process, the town adopted Morrison Ranch's landscape plan as the tree theme district for the entire area of Morrison Ranch. Our theme is not hard to pick out: pecans and turf.

But back to the article in the Republic. We have spoken very highly of Tami Ryall before, and of the great work she has done concerning the San Tan Freeway. This article is discussing the landscaping of the freeway, and the desire to hearken to the past.

Design teams and town officials have begun meeting about the Loop 202's landscape concept plan, which is touted as the "Heritage Harvest."
It features low-water usage plants along the freeway and its interchanges. Town
officials say that the trees, shrubs and other plants are interpretations of the cotton, alfalfa, hay, wheat and pecans of yesteryear. The town's plan features more than 60 types of vegetation. Stepping in for alfalfa blooms and pecan groves are sage shrubs and Chinese pistache trees.

We like the way she thinks - just like us, as it turns out. Remember the past and symbolize our heritage while at the same time stepping into the future; rather than fighting change, mold it.

"We're recognizing our history," Ryall said. "We're going to celebrate the past with the future."

Well done.

Outdoor Barbeque

Albertsons Service Deli is having an Outdoor Barbeque called “Turn Up the Heat” today, May 6th, 4-7 p.m. and Saturday, May 7th, 11 am – 8 p.m. I'm not sure what this entails, but it might be interesting to check it out.

I'm Finally Bi-Lingual (So Why Can't Folks Understand Me?)

I took a little French in High School and College, but never really progressed beyond introducing myself and asking directions to the library, so that doesn't count as bi-lingual. My first glimpse at my lack of linguistic skills when the Mister and I visited Germany many years ago, and a nine year old boy told us a joke: What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Tri-lingual. What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bi-Lingual. What do you call someone who speaks only one language? American. Ouch. But true, in my case (the Mister's Spanish is very adequate for everyday life, and very good if you're talking about farming, and his high school/college German is about on a par with my French). The past 15 years or so, however, I have been forced to learn a new language by dint of The Mister's career change. I call it Developer-Speak.

I posted before about the phrase tot-lot, so I won't go over that again. But here is a brief dictionary of some key phrases in Developer-Speak:

Water Feature (or especially, Effective Water Feature). This was formerly known in my household as a fountain, or a pool or pond. People love water, and it is a very attractive means of decorating or symbolizing or entertaining. Effective water has the added requirement that you be able to see and sense and enjoy the feature. The Town of Gilbert likes folks entering Gilbert to be greeted by water, if possible. Thus the Effective Water Feature at the corner of Baseline and Val Vista, the entrance to Val Vista Lakes; it is large, looks refreshing (they keep it clean) has sprays into the air to draw attention, is accessed by many pedestrians - effective. There was a water feature on the outside of what was once Black-Eyed Pea on Alma School across from Fiesta mall that was NOT effective; in fact, unless you looked closely, you wouldn't know it was there. It was a sort of cascading water down a wall effect, and then into a basin below. But at first glance you didn't notice there was water; it's on a busy corner where pedestrians don't walk much, and the cars go by too fast to notice it especially if it's hard to see - ineffective. The Water Feature in front of the Gilbert Library is symbolic; it's modeled after an irrigation ditch with irrigation pipes hanging over the edge. I like it, though they've had a hard time keeping it running properly. An example of entertaining water is out at the Ahwatukee shopping center off Ray Road, or at Kierland or Desert Ridge in Scottsdale. They have those spitting water features that kids (and parents) love; the flat concrete is filled with holes and intermittent spurts of water erupt at different times and in different patterns. Thus far in Morrison Ranch, our effective water features are the lake and it's 50 foot fountain, and the blue fountain in the oasis at the shopping center. Highland Groves will have a double lake, with a fountain, and the First Cousin and I have not yet given up hopes for some entertaining water features someday for our grandchildren.

Edge Condition. Before I picked up this second language, I called this the side of the road. If I called it anything at all; who looks at the side of the road (besides the Mister and the Sixth Man, I mean)? But we do look there, either consciously or subconsciously, and it affects our perception. For example, there are many arterial streets in Mesa with a 5 foot strip of dirt ending at a cinderblock wall, punctuated occasionally by a palo verde tree. Rather sparse and dry feeling, don't you think? Gilbert has high standards for the edge conditions throughout town (the business along Baseline at McQueen is in violation of these standards, and has been for years) and the standard compliance involves plant material, trees, and decomposed granite, a much nicer look, in my opinion, even if it does seem ubiquitous. I am obviously and incontrovertibly biased, of course, but I like Morrison Ranch's edge condition best of all: a strip of turf, dotted with shade trees, met with a two-rail white fence, and another strip of turf.

Turf. This means grass. Why they can't just say grass, I'll never know.

Plant Material. The Mister was backing up in our parking lot the other day and he backed over the edge and just touched the hedge of hibiscus with his bumper. Later, as we left the restaurant, he was backing again, and made the comment, "I was looking for more plant material to back into, but I guess I'll have to be satisfied with curb." The sad thing is that everyone in the car knew he was referring to plants or bushes.

View Corridors. I posted about this earlier, but it refers to the sightline, what one sees when one looks down a street, for example. Here's a picture of an example.

Paving Patterns. This is a favorite topic for the Sixth Man; normally we call it the road or the sidewalk, but the way that areas are laid out in patterns also have a subtle effect on our perceptions. In front of the Albertsons, the drive is made up of three different paving patterns, using stamped concrete (more cost-effective than bricks). The idea is to make that drive along the front feel more pedestrian-oriented, more small-town, rather than the normal hot asphalt.

DG. The never-to-be-sufficiently-vilified decomposed granite is actually used quite liberally throughout Morrison Ranch, but, we hope, judiciously. These are the small pebble rocks that are used around plant material, or next to the houses where plant material is not allowed. DG can be different colors and different sizes, and is fairly easy to maintain. The reason the Mister dislikes it so is that it seems to be used everywhere, all the time, in superabundance, without any break or color; he would rather have dirt.

Bush Balls. This is actually a slang term coined by the Sixth Man. You will remember he was raised in a nursery and has a great regard for plants and their natural growth. Sometimes I think he should have been born a British Gardener, but then where would we be? He loves the plants to grow naturally, with any trimming done to enhance the natural look and keep the plant material under control. But most landscape maintenance in Gilbert isn't done with gardeners, it's done with gas-powered hedge trimmers that shape the plant into neat little balls along the road. This is a real dilemma; the cost is very great to do hand-trimming, yet bush balls are unacceptable. Our solution in Morrison Ranch thus far has been to use more trees and turf, less bushes, and the plant material that we do use is conducive to avoiding bush balls.

Truncated Domes. Actually, this is a tough one, and worthy of it's own post. I'll stop here for now; I hope this facilitates our communication!

Progress Around the Ranch

It seems as though there was a flurry of activity throughout Morrison Ranch for a while with new tenants in Lakeview Village, and houses erupting overnight from the ground in Higley Estates, and earth-moving equipment flying around Highland Groves. Now we've entered a bit of a lull; the actual work continues at a fast and furious pace, but the outward appearances seem to be the same. So here's a brief roundup of things you might not be seeing:

Highland Groves, at Elliot and Recker, is still installing the sewer lines. There is a weekly meeting at our office of the guys overseeing the various parts of this project, and they are uniformly encouraged by the pace and quality of the sewer crew (if this seems pretty mundane, ask the question, would you rather they be DIScouraged about the sewer installment? No, I thought not.) There is still a pile of excess dirt that will have to be moved. And lots of people are still contacting the builders and us about this project.

The street lights at the shopping center are finally working properly, as in, on at night, off during the day. It's been a long time since the Mister's February post on this, but things do seem to take a little time sometimes. I wonder how long before the up lights on the palm circles at the corner will take before they light up at night?

Lakeview Village continues to expand; Golf, Etc. is working hard on their interior. A veterinarian will be going in on the south side of the center. And of course, I'm anxious for Panda Express to begin their construction, behind the Bank of America. The blank space between the Albertson's and DiRicci's will start construction in June or so. That was left unconstructed to start because we were talking with a specific large tenant that would have required some special considerations in the building. That tenant is now not available, so the building will be constructed this summer and leased to other smaller tenants.

Higley Estates is rapidly nearing completion. The First Cousin's mother is buying a house there, and is busy planning her future move (construction hasn't yet started). I'm hoping to get some of her insights on the exciting, exhausting work of building a house in Estates.

The Mister is working very hard on finalizing the builders for Lakeview Trails North, the residential project that will be east of the shopping center, in the hope of breaking ground in mid 2006.

And in the "Say What?!" department... Our houseguest ran into a fellow who asked him if we were building something, a project, or a community, in Flagstaff. Let me state emphatically: NO. No, we're not. Morrison Ranch takes all our time and effort.

The All American Yard

When the Mister and I moved into Higley Groves West, we knew that we would have help planning our landscaping, both in the front and back yards. Our long-standing friendship with The Sixth Man was able to withstand the strain of asking for help in an area in which he is expert, we are amateur. Our first house, out in Higley, was under the 20 year landscaping plan, a plant here, a tree there, hoping it would somehow magically come together. But this time we wanted to make a PLAN, and then execute it. Our criteria was to develop a place that is pleasant and cool, and soothing to the eye. With the Sixth Man's help, I think we've achieved that, and my many houseguests agree.

But what if you don't have a buddy who is a landscape architect? Obviously, there are many landscape firms for hire, and most of them do a really nice job of helping you develop a plan and then installing it. There is a ton of help from the Town of Gilbert's web site on landscaping in the desert. Cathy Rymer, Gilbert's Water Conservation Specialist posts tips and answers to frequently asked questions, and offers workshops on such things as landscaping and xeriscaping. From a publication she sent the Mister:

A maintenance free landscape full of color, fragrance, interesting textures, coveted shade and water-efficient plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies – that’s my idea of a perfect yard. Sound impossible? It’s not!

You can have this type of landscape merely by using effective design techniques and plants that like growing here in our salty soils and challenging climate. Simply called Xeriscape (zer-i-scape) this type of landscaping uses water wise plants and can even include small water features, patios, walkways, limited turf areas and effective mulches combined into an eye-appealing environment.
Xeriscape should not look like a sea of gravel or barren rocks and cactus. Xeric gardens can be full of beautiful green plants that are water-efficient and able to withstand periods of drought. They are compatible with the environment of our Sonoran Desert which has hot dry summers and cool moist winters.

I completely agree that xeriscape should not look like a sea of gravel! Check out the town's website on water issues here; maybe you'll get some ideas for that new house in Higley Estates or Highland Groves.

Untrimmed Pecan