Landscape Architect Articles

Landscape Shorts05-08-09 | News

Landscape Shorts

Destroying new homes in Victorville should be the ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Victorville, Calif., a high desert community just north of San Bernardino up the Cajon Pass, has over the last decade experienced significant population growth. In 2007, the U.S. Census said it was the second-highest population growth rate in the country. People went there to escape the L.A. urban jungle and to find affordable housing.

Fast forward to 2009 and the sight of 16 new homes destroyed in Victorville?EUR??,,????'?????<

No, not a scene from the plot of a futuristic movie, but the ignominious and appalling destruction of four complete model homes and 12 spec homes 80 percent completed.

This development went bankrupt at the end of 2007 and was taken over by an Orange County bank. The bank decided it more economical to demolishing the homes than pay the daily city fines for code violations and the $1 million necessary to bring the property up to code.

The sight of such destruction was so compelling that the Wall Street Journal put a picture of the demolition on the front page of the May 5, 2009 issue.

During the housing boom, who could have imagined such a scene?

$ for Campus Landscape

With more than $130 million in new construction projects under way at the University of Texas Dallas, the campus landscape will benefit from a $30 million enhancement. The landscape architect is Peter Walker and Partners of Berkley, Calif. Landscape amendments include 6,000 trees to the front entry along University Parkway, a roundabout, six reflecting pools and a lawn.

The Fayetteville, N.C. City Hall.

Fayetteville Is Suing Itself over Ordinance

The Fayetteville, N.C. City Council filed a lawsuit against the Fayetteville Board of Adjustment because that city board voted to allow two oversized signs at a clinic. The signs are about three times the size stipulated by city ordinance.

Bobby D to the Rescue

LASN recently noted the Civil War Preservation Trust is trying to stop a Walmart Supercenter from moving in next to the Wilderness and Chancellorsville Civil War battlefields www.landscapearchitect.com/research/article/11802..

Actor Robert Duvall, said to be a descendant of Robert E. Lee, now pledges to help the preservationists chase out the retailer.