Friends Funds Scenic Drive Enhancements

January 1, 2003

Friends has launched projects to landscape the northern drive entry sign and paint all traffic/directional sign posts and sign backs along the Scenic Drive. Proceeds of Cookout at the Ranch VII and other donations are being used to fund the two projects. Both projects will be completed in early 2003.

Beautifying Entry Sign Area (Project Underway)

The sign that marks the northern entry to the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive is located on the west side of Scottsdale Road just south of Carefree Highway. Now with the help of Benhart Landscaping and the City of Scottsdale, Friends plans to beautify the area around the sign. We expect the project to be completed in early 2003.

Benhart Landscaping [Read More] donated complete landscaping plans that have been reviewed and accepted by the City of Scottsdale. Scottsdale has agreed to donate fill and boulders for the project. The Terravita Homeowners Association is providing water for the plants. Benhart will do most of the landscaping work with Friends' volunteers planting the shrubs and cacti.

When the northern drive entry sign was installed there were plants near the sign. Since then, numerous motorists have used the area to temporarily park their trucks and cars and the barren area has grown larger. Friends plans to landscape the immediate area around the sign to protect it from further damage, limit parking and beautify the area. These pictures show the back and front of the sign.

Earlier plans to plant trees in the area had to be dropped because of power and utility cables below the area's surface. This project will be funded by Friends of the Scenic Drive.

To review the landscape plan click on the graphics below to enlarge them. Please be patient while the graphics are enlarged, they are large files. From left: title page, illustration of finished project, location of plants and boulders, and identification of plants.

Reducing Sign Pollution (Project Completed)

Last year Friends painted all the utility boxes along the Scenic Drive to reduce visual pollution. [Read More] Since the result has been enthusiastically endorsed by residents, Friends obtained permission from the City of Scottsdale to paint all traffic/directional posts and sign posts along the 6 1/2 mile drive. Friends hired the same painting contractor who painted the utility boxes for this project. Friends has funding the project and will be responsible for the painting of replacement poles and utility boxes until Scottsdale is able to implement its Scenic Corridor Guidelines.

This practice has already been adopted in parts of Scottsdale and in the Maricopa County park in Cave Creek. The practice is recommended in Scottsdale's proposed scenic corridor guidelines. [Read More] The pictures to the right show a speed limit sign in DC Ranch (a planned community in Scottsdale) where signs and sign backs are painted using a color similar to the one Friends plants to use. Notice that painting the back of signs reduces reflectivity at night, gives the signs a neat, distinctive appearance and reduces the visibility of the sign back during the day. The pictures to the left show a few of the signs posts and sign backs before they were painted. This project was completed in early December 2002.