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A renovation project at a Tempe, Ariz. shopping center has pitted the site owner and neighbors in a battle over trees.
Neighbors of the McClintock Fountains have complained the owner destroyed the center?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??s best feature ?EUR??,,????'?????<??????????? lots of big trees ?EUR??,,????'?????<??????????? to expose the bland architecture of the buildings.
Tempe officials forced the owner to stop after getting complaints and discovering the owner had cut down more trees than outlined in a plan the city had approved. Now the owner has been ordered to rework some elements of the renovation and try to mend fences with the very neighbors it?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??s trying to attract.
Pam Rupprecht said she?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??d prefer to have a tree in front of her store even if it means her sign isn?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??t as easy to read. It?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??s not the signs that draw people to the center, she said.
The trees were taken out because some tenants complained the public couldn?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??t see stores behind a wall of trees, said Stephen Mariani, vice president with West Valley Properties. He acknowledges the center looks stark because the trees are gone and the center?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??s dull architecture and color scheme is visible for the first time in years.
The trees consist of ficus and olive trees. Some of the ficus were severely damaged in the winter freeze, he said. Some neighbors who complained about the trees said they were OK to see the olives go because of allergy problems.
Source: East Valley Tribune
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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