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Cactus League, Here I Come!
 As you may know, I reside in Washington state about 90 miles north of Seattle — the land of Boeing, Microsoft and the Seattle Mariners. I just spent a week with my family in Peoria, Ariz., taking in some excellent cactus league action. For a baseball fan, few things could be finer.
What does this have to do with construction? Very little. However, while there, I read a local Phoenix newspaper and happened upon a letter to the editor that struck close to home. It was from a NIMBY complaining about growth. Here are a few of the writer’s comments and my reactions to them:
“…160 square miles of pristine Sonoran Desert habitat [… are] targeted for destruction… er, I mean ‘development’…”
During my week-long stay in the greater Phoenix area, I noted the sheer magnitude of the place. Sure, I’ve been to other big cities — San Francisco, New York, Denver, Salt Lake City, L.A., etc., but Phoenix seemed every bit as impressive as any of them. One burg runs seamlessly into the next, with a terrific freeway system serving all. Intersections in the newer parts of town are large and easy to maneuver. Yes, there was traffic, but no worse than any other world-class city.
Perhaps the most striking thing about the Valley of the Sun was just how inhospitable it would be if it were not occupied by humans. To call it a desert is an understatement. My wife’s recurring comment every time she gazed out at the lunar landscape beyond the fringes of town was, “where are the trees?” The answer is that there are none, other than at the landscaped units in developed, er, should I say, “destructed” areas. I searched high and low for agriculture, and could find none. It was mile after mile of desert: stray cacti, volcanic rubble, sagebrush and sand. But within city limits there were many, many beautiful parks and golf courses, school grounds and landscaped areas. I guess they don’t count.
“…The people who stand to benefit the greatest from [development] are the politically connected developers themselves.”
One of the questions I get asked most often is: how can I develop land without risk? The answer is, you can’t. Land development is gambling. Period. It matters little who you are or who you’re connected with. I recently authored a white paper on the subject, “Residential Land Development — A How To Guide,” not only to explain the process, but just as importantly, to illustrate the risks (go to www.constructioncalc.com for more). Many smart, well-connected developers have lost everything in this business. NIMBYs should try it themselves if they’re so convinced it is a sure-fire, get-rich-quick scheme.
“…The opportunity to peacefully watch dawn break over the mountains to the tune of a frisky cactus wren will be replaced by traffic congestion, noise and air pollution, drifting litter and, worst of all, more and more people!”
I’m relatively certain the fellow who wrote that is a “person”. And I bet he lives in a house, a house built on land developed by a destructionist, er, should I say developer.
Between Mariners games, we visited Sedona and the Superstition Mountains. Driving there we passed through mind-numbing miles of barren “pristine Sonoran desert.” Places so desolate there are probably fewer than .0001 humans per square mile. Places so vast, you could put every NIMBY in the world out there and no two would ever cross paths. They could savor frisky cactus wrens for an eternity, wallowing in their own private bliss, provided that they didn’t get scorpion-bit or succumb to heat stroke first. Yet, as I scanned the wastelands driving along I didn’t notice any NIMBYs wandering about. Why not? Are the frisky cactus wrens near metropolises that much better than those in the infinite wilderness? I must not get it.
“…I ask the decision makers, when is enough, enough?”
I would ask the decision makers, if more and more people want to live on this land that doesn’t support much else, and there is ample water and power for them, how can we make it happen, baby?”
It seems to me that people are adaptable to nearly anything. Shouldn’t we allow folks to live in places where crops or trees don’t grow? And doggonnit, when will someone step up and actually thank a developer? Don’t we all live in a development of some sort or another, for Pete’s sake? This whole thing reminds me of the “save our forests” types around where I live. The very people who read newspapers and books made of wood pulp, and who have been known to go to the bathroom, then have the gall to actually use toilet paper.
Tim Garrison of ConstructionCalc.com, is a professional engineer, author and software producer for the building industry. Send e-mail to buildersengineer@constructioncalc.com. Tim reads every one.
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The views expressed in this article represent the personal views, statements and opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views, statements, opinions or policies of the National Association of Home Builders. NAHB does not necessarily endorse any of the views expressed by the author and NAHB is not responsible for any direct or indirect consequences arising out of the views expressed in this article.
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