Lakeview Village

As we continue our tour around the Ranch, we turn from the lake to the shopping center adjacent:


This is an inviting picture, I think. The center was built in 2004, anchored by the Albertson's that opened in the summer of that year. This was before I was blogging, so I am using my memory to recall that time - a shaky proposition, at best. If you have been in the area for any time at all, you know that the Albertson's management sold the company nationwide, and the fallout of that was shuttering their store at Lakeview Village. Basha's has stepped in the gap after about a year, and now the shopping center is back on track. The anecdotal word from the other businesses is that sales are picking up, and should only increase now that there are 700 plus new homes going up right behind the center. Here's a closer look from the parking lot:




The trees are providing more shade every summer. There was an article in the paper a couple of years ago that got me going on the shade issue. Here is my post on it, but I'll reproduce the key thought:

I've mentioned a time or two before that I am a shade seeker during the hot months here, as obvious as that sounds. My kids moan when I start roaming a parking lot looking for the tiniest sliver of shade to park in, and they delight in mocking my attempts to park in the shade of a neighboring Suburban....

...And then comes the key sentence (at least it should be key to my kids):

We should also come to grips with the critical need for shade in parking lots, not just to shade our vehicles but to reduce the buildup of heat.

I think I can safely say that I have come to grips with the critical need for shade in parking lots.

This quest for shade is actually one of the hallmarks of our planning in Morrison Ranch. It is one reason we plant so many trees - along with the desire to be a reminder of our agricultural roots - that will shade the sidewalks and eventually the streets of our residential communities. It's one reason we've asked the home builders to include front porches in their designs for our communities. It's one reason that the sidewalk and overhang are so large at Lakeview Village, along with the row of trees planted in front; even though the shopping center faces the west, which is the toughest situation to shade in Arizona, there is shade in the morning from the overhang, and when the trees grow there will be shade in the afternoon as well. And, most important to all of us parking lot wanderers as gas prices are rising, it's the reason we fill our commercial parking lots with trees. I was stunned to hear that the reason shopping centers don't install trees in the parking lots was because their name signs would be obscured from the road. I assured The Mister that every person I know who shops for groceries would memorize the stores that had some shade in which to park! I guess he passed that on, because I am starting to see more trees that actually shade something in more parking lots, even outside of Morrison Ranch. There are still some that plant Mesquite trees and then chop them to death so that they provide hope but no relief from the sun, but more often I am seeing honest to goodness shade trees. I welcome it, and look forward to the day when this becomes the norm rather than the exception.

On the other side of the shopping center is the Oasis, and the new palm lights are much more attractive:



Now that Basha's is open, we hope to fill things up with places offering good things to eat, to join Subway and In The Raw. There are conversations going on with some eateries, but I will wait until things are more definite before going into detail.

To summarize in a realistic fashion, we hit a speed bump with the closing of Albertson's, but we are optimistic now that the parking lot is again filled. I love the Basha's products and layout; the other business owners in the center are friendly and offer good service and products; the food is good, if not yet abundant in options; once again it is convenient to buy gas; and for most of the year, it's a pleasant walk or bike ride to get there. And once you do, it's shady.