October 1, 2021
Silent Reminder: Fenced, Forlorn and Forgotten
By Les Conklin
it is time to give the exhibit and entry monuments on Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive a fresh coat of paint. It has been 25 years since that was done and the sun has cooked and diminished their distinctive look. Plant exhibits also need to be trimmed and neatened. The image shown here is stark evidence that it is very easy to ignore and then forget the Scenic Drive, a historic community initiative to inhibit urban sprawl, showcase the natural environment and protect quality of life.
Original Scenic Drive Monument Sign, East Side of Cave Creek Road, Phoenix. Courtesy Friends of the Scenic Drive
The abandoned eyesore pictured here is located on State Trust Land in Phoenix. Look for it on the east side of Cave Creek Road just north of Pinnacle Peak Road. You might not recognize it today, but this monument is the birth twin of Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive’s monument, located on the east side of North Scottsdale Road across from MacDonald’s Ranch. In 1968 they were identical twins.
Tale of Twin Monuments
In 1963 the residents of Cave Creek, Carefree and Maricopa County began advocating for the establishment of a U-shaped scenic drive that featured the expanse of vacant desert and vistas along the northern reaches of Scottsdale and Cave Creek Roads. The 13-mile-long Desert Foothills Scenic Drive would include scenic setbacks and native plant exhibits.
Maricopa County supported the plan and established scenic setbacks. A 1966 a report prepared by the Maricopa County Planning Department called for the establishment of two small parks, with picnic tables and restrooms. Each area was to be identified by a cement slab with the metal letters “Desert Foothills Scenic Drive.” In 1969 these monuments were the twins described above.
The land through which the Scenic Drive passed was under the jurisdiction of Maricopa County. In the 1970s and 80s Phoenix and Scottsdale began jockeying to annex the land. It was a time of turbulence. Residents argued against annexation, some favoring annexation by Scottsdale, some Phoenix. Cave Creek, Carefree and Maricopa County residents lost interest in maintaining the Drive. Most people forgot about it. Any wonder?
In the mid-1990s, Friends of the Scenic Drive with the support of the City of Scottsdale began a long-term initiative to preserve and enhance the section of the Drive on North Scottsdale Road. One of the enhancements was to update the concrete slab appearance of its current painted mountain skyline outline.
Friends Tried
In the mid-nineties, encouraged by Scottsdale planners we met separately with Phoenix planners and homeowners to discuss restoration of the Cave Creek Road section of the Drive. There was little interest. Today, the “twins.” Since then then Scottsdale Road section of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive has been restored and enhanced. The original monument sign on Cave Creek has been fenced, taken on a forlorn appearance, and virtually forgotten.
Today, I received a newsletter from Scottsdale’s Adopt-A-Road program urging residents to make a difference and help clear roadside litter. The fate of the twins on Cave Creek and Scottsdale Roads demonstrates what a difference resident and government TLC can make. Friends of the Scenic Drive needs your support to maintain plant exhibits and paint the Drive’s monuments along North Scottsdale Road to continue protecting and maintaining the North Scottsdale’s Scenic Drive. The unrestored monument sign on Cave Creek Road is a reminder of the negative impact of doing nothing.
Act Now
Help keep the Scenic Drive Scenic by making a tax-deductible donation of $20, $40, $100 or more. To volunteer call Les Conklin at 480-361-6498. Make checks payable to Friends of the Scenic Drive and mail to GPPA, 8711 E Pinnacle Peak Road, #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call 480-361-6498 to donate using a major credit card. Friends of the Scenic Drive is a division of GPPA, a 501 c (3) Arizona nonprofit organization. Thank you for your past support.
For additional information about the Scenic Drive, CLICK HERE.
Recent Comments